Simulated Creative Collaboration: Experiencing Challenges To Innovative Virtual Teaming In The Classroom,
2017
South Dakota State University
Simulated Creative Collaboration: Experiencing Challenges To Innovative Virtual Teaming In The Classroom, Brian C. Britt, Kristen Hatten
Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD
This activity provides students with in-depth experience working as part of an innovative virtual team, which will enable them to better understand the relative advantages and disadvantages of various approaches to creative collaboration in different contexts. Participants are divided into groups, which must then solve an assigned problem using a specified communication technology and creative process from the literature. The instructor will introduce a variety of obstacles to communication using each technology, which may inhibit students’ creative processes. Following the activity, the class will discuss these challenges, participants’ responses, and the range of experiences with different collaborative processes and technologies.
Using Social Lubricants To Increase Conversationality,
2017
Western Governors University
Using Social Lubricants To Increase Conversationality, Nathaniel Simmons
Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD
Responding to the epidemic of the dying art of conversation (Asha, 2014; Barnwell, 2014 April), this activity constructs a space in which students tap into social lubricants as a conversational, artistic tool to increase conversational skills. Inspired by Monahan & Lannutti’s (2000) social lubricant work, this study views social lubricants— any object or action that facilitates social interaction, such as a dog or a compliment— as a vital resource that merits pedagogical attention. After completing a role-play in which students tap into a social lubricant to achieve an assigned goal, students will be able to: (a) define social lubricants; (b) …
Social Justice Storytelling: Giving Our Students More Than Just An Education In Speech,
2017
University of South Florida
Social Justice Storytelling: Giving Our Students More Than Just An Education In Speech, Phillip E. Wagner
Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD
In an effort to highlight the practical and relevant applications of public speaking, this activity was designed to give students a safe space to discuss current social justice issues. Beginning with an open-ended narrative prompt, this activity requires students to take turns building upon a social justice narrative, giving them an opportunity to practice confident delivery and healthy dissent while also further enhancing public speaking skills and fostering a social-justice orientation.
Assessing Logical Fallacies In Persuasion: Using Role-Play To Identify And Critique Solid Reasoning In Public Speaking,
2017
Wheeling Jesuit University
Assessing Logical Fallacies In Persuasion: Using Role-Play To Identify And Critique Solid Reasoning In Public Speaking, Nancy Bressler
Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD
Because the development of solid reasoning skills is an instrumental aspect of speech formation, this teaching activity draws connections among the identification of logical fallacies, the recognition of the importance of soundly reasoned arguments, and the reduction of speaker apprehension. Students are asked to design their own humorous skits that exemplify a logical fallacy. This exercise encourages them to consider not only how fallacies can be based on faulty reasoning, but the broader implications of logical fallacies, including speaker credibility, underlying rhetorical uses, and to what extent a lack of speaker motivation can lead to deficient reasoning. Through student collaboration …
Incorporating Confucius And Ancient China Into A Rhetorical Theory Course,
2017
Wabash College
Incorporating Confucius And Ancient China Into A Rhetorical Theory Course, Sara A. M. Drury
Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD
In our globalized world, students of communication benefit from experiencing diverse cultures and perspectives throughout the curriculum. One way to encourage twenty-first century global learning is to infuse the study of Chinese discourse into rhetorical theory courses. This essay first provides a rationale for the importance of comparative rhetoric and a review of relevant literature on ancient Chinese rhetoric. Then, the essay details a three-week module on ancient Chinese rhetoric with readings and activities, and an appraisal of the activity, with the goal of demonstrating the necessity and feasibility of introducing undergraduate students to globalized rhetorical studies.
“Symbols Are Important”: Nation-States And The Images On Our Money,
2017
Northwest Missouri State University
“Symbols Are Important”: Nation-States And The Images On Our Money, John R. Katsion
Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD
Visual rhetoric has been an area of growing interest for those within the communication field, and this study aims to add to that body of work. One area within the study of visual rhetoric is the everyday, mundane images produced by nation-states, and more narrowly, the images on a nation’s currency. Traditionally, scholars who study images on currency have seen them through the lens of state-as-pedagogue—in other words, that the state is using that “sacred space” to teach their citizenry. Political theorist and scholar Jacques E.C. Hymans (2204, 2010) challenges this notion, and instead posits that nation-states try to connect …
A Guilty Conscience: Barack Obama And America’S Guilt In “A More Perfect Union”,
2017
University of Memphis
A Guilty Conscience: Barack Obama And America’S Guilt In “A More Perfect Union”, Scott Anderson
Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD
On March 18, 2008, Barack Obama addressed the status of racial equality in America in a speech titled “A More Perfect Union.” The speech came on the heels of a media firestorm that erupted around Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Obama’s religious advisor and friend, whom media accused of harboring allegedly racist and anti-American sentiment. The association with Wright undermined Obama’s status as the post-racial candidate and threatened to derail his presidential bid. Using Kenneth Burke’s dramatistic process (the guilt-purification-redemption cycle), this article argues that Obama’s use of guilt may have contributed to his success. In the speech Obama elucidated three types …
Spotlight On Distinguished Service: Judy Kroll,
2017
South Dakota State University
Spotlight On Distinguished Service: Judy Kroll, Andrea Carlile
Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD
As a young forensics educator, I am constantly reminded that my work, like the work of Discourse, stands on the shoulders of giants. Keeping the roots of forensics education alive is essential in growing the activity. For me our Aristotelian roots remain ever present because Aristotle’s pursuit of truth lies at the core of modern forensic activity. He once wrote, “Those who educate children well are more to be honored than they who produce them; for these only gave them life, those the art of living well.” This sentiment encapsulates the essence of a forensics giant from South Dakota, Judy …
A Life-Changing Gift: The Impact Of Classroom Climate And Community Building,
2017
South Dakota State University
A Life-Changing Gift: The Impact Of Classroom Climate And Community Building, Joshua N. Westwick, Kelli J. Chromey
Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD
The study of classroom climate and community has been a hallmark of communication education research for several decades (Dwyer et al., 2004). This wealth of meaningful research has provided scholars and instructors an abundance of practical strategies and knowledge to help develop and strengthen classroom climate and community. Moreover, this research has illustrated the relevance and need for a positive classroom climate and community within our educational institutions. The impact of creating a community-oriented classroom climate was documented by Dwyer et al. (2004), who found that, “Fostering a positive climate and sense of community for students in educational settings has …
Message From The Editor: The Power Of Community,
2017
South Dakota State University
Message From The Editor: The Power Of Community, Karla M. Hunter
Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD
No abstract provided.
Front Matter,
2017
South Dakota State University
Improving Interviewing And Conversational Skills Using "Speed Interviewing",
2017
Fairfield University
Improving Interviewing And Conversational Skills Using "Speed Interviewing", Colleen Arendt
Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD
A great deal of research focuses on the importance of effective interviewing skills across professions and interpersonal settings. This activity, based on “speed dating,” is designed to improve students’ interviewing skills. Specifically, the activity develops listening and probing skills by having students conduct mini interviews without preparation. The lack of preparation forces students to rely only on their listening and probing skills instead of an interview protocol. To increase difficulty, the questions can be tailored to employment or internship interviews to help the interviewees prepare while their partners practice listening and asking probing questions. This activity can also be modified …
Exploring The Canons Of Rhetoric Through Phil Davison’S Campaign Stump Speech,
2017
South Dakota State University
Exploring The Canons Of Rhetoric Through Phil Davison’S Campaign Stump Speech, Joshua N. Westwick, Kelli J. Chromey
Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD
A common learning objective of many communication courses centers on speech criticism and evaluation, and the classic canons of rhetoric (invention, arrangement, style, memory and delivery of the speaker) have been used to help communication students achieve these learning outcomes. This teaching activity provides a creative and meaningful way to explore the canons of rhetoric—through assigning students to perform critical evaluation of a popularized YouTube video, the campaign stump speech of Stark County, Ohio, treasurer candidate Phil Davison. Students have responded favorably to the activity and demonstrated an increased awareness and understanding of the rhetorical canons and their use in …
"I Don't Always Look At Memes, But When I Do, It's For A Class": Using Memes To Demonstrate Language Rules,
2017
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
"I Don't Always Look At Memes, But When I Do, It's For A Class": Using Memes To Demonstrate Language Rules, Jocelyn M. Degroot, Hannah Coy
Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD
This activity uses Internet memes to demonstrate the pervasiveness of language rules and culture’s effect on language in online culture. Numerous introductory communication courses include a discussion on verbal communication that focuses on language rules and the effects of culture on verbal communication. The most relevant language rules for memes are the regulative rules that guide action and how we use language (Cronen, Pearce, & Harris, 1979). In this exercise, students analyze and evaluate language rules present in popular online memes. The students identify the language rule utilized in each of a pre-chosen set of Internet memes and generate at …
Facing Our Racial Biases Via The Implicit Association Test,
2017
College of Notre Dame of Maryland
Facing Our Racial Biases Via The Implicit Association Test, Stacey A. Peterson
Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD
Classroom discussions around race and difference are often difficult and challenging. We all come to our social interactions as products of our cultural selves, race being one of a myriad of multi-faceted characteristics. Therefore, while many feel that race is something that is discussed ad nauseam, others feel that such discussions rarely scratch the surface. This exercise uses the Implicit Association Test on race to encourage students to reflect upon and examine their hidden biases and address the role those biases play in potential communicative interactions, decisions, actions, and even emotions that they, the students, likely have of people of …
Using Video Clips To Illustrate How Paralinguistic Variation Communicates Emotion,
2017
University of South Dakota
Using Video Clips To Illustrate How Paralinguistic Variation Communicates Emotion, Shane Semmler
Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD
Aristotle’s explication of the available means of persuasion includes logic, character, and emotion as the three artistic proofs available to any rhetorician. Because emotion is the least understood rhetorical proof (Jorgenson, 1998), this lesson plan uses Aristotle’s definition of delivery (i.e., variations in rate, volume, and pitch) to illustrate how paralinguistic qualities reflect and elicit emotion. Educators are provided with the necessary materials and procedures for a 50-minute multimedia instructional event including the content and citations for a lecture articulating how paralinguistic variation reflects and elicits emotion, links to audiovisual illustrations of emotional paralinguistic variation, worksheets to structure student processing …
Practicing Critical Research: Applying A Feminist Textual Analysis To The Film 300,
2017
James Madison University
Practicing Critical Research: Applying A Feminist Textual Analysis To The Film 300, Tatjana M. Hocke-Mirzashvili, Stephanie Kelly, Darrel Blair, Hoyoung (Anthony) Ahn
Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD
This single-class activity was developed to give students hands-on experience with critical research. The purpose of this activity is to assist students in developing critical, textual analysis skills by applying a feminist lens to the hyper-masculine film 300, specifically analyzing symbolic representations of power.
Explaining Theory-Guided Research Through The Big Bang Theory,
2017
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Explaining Theory-Guided Research Through The Big Bang Theory, Brittnie Peck, Scott Christen, Stephanie Kelly
Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD
The Big Bang Theory is a comedy aired on CBS that features the lives of a group of scientists. Like many people, the characters in this show find it difficult to avoid taking their work home with them. Thus, most episodes are rich with research terminology and demonstrations. This paper details an activity that provides a fun means of introducing students to the role of theory in guiding research through the use of The Big Bang Theory.
Interpersonal Rhetoric: An Approach To Bettering Oneself And Others,
2017
Northern State University
Interpersonal Rhetoric: An Approach To Bettering Oneself And Others, Anthony M. Wachs
Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD
Although interpersonal interaction is predominantly studied through the lens of communication studies, the field was originally studied primarily by scholars of rhetoric. Though this paradigm was instrumental in the founding of interpersonal communication, interpersonal rhetoric has largely been ignored by the discipline. However, throughout the last few decades, a few scholars have attempted to reinvigorate the study of interpersonal communication through the lens of rhetoric. This paper explores the several key concepts and perspectives within the history of the rhetorical approach to interpersonal communication, i.e., interpersonal rhetoric.
Connection And Avoidance In Campus Spaces: A Student Cell Phone Uses And Gratifications Study,
2017
Seattle University
Connection And Avoidance In Campus Spaces: A Student Cell Phone Uses And Gratifications Study, Rick Malleus
Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD
This study explored student campus cell phone use by asking “What are students on campus doing with their cell phones?” One hundred and ninety-one student volunteers completed a qualitative questionnaire. Viewed through a uses and gratifications lens, results suggest student cell phone use on campus meets several different needs. Respondents reported that cell phones make their lives easier, but their attitudes toward campus cell phone use mix positive and negative valence. They stated that being connected in various campus spaces to friends, immediate family, and university personnel was important to gratifying their needs. Nearly half of the respondents reported faking …
