Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 27 of 27
Full-Text Articles in Education
A Basic Investment In Mercy: Problematizing Assessment In The Basic Course, Kate Swartz
A Basic Investment In Mercy: Problematizing Assessment In The Basic Course, Kate Swartz
Basic Communication Course Annual
This essay addresses the assessment aspect of the Basic Course; namely, it problematizes our reliance as instructors on traditional grading schema that interfere with our students’ best interests. I address this problem with a mercy-centered approach that uses an ungrading assessment method. In doing so, I acknowledge potential issues with this approach as well as argue for its expanded use as a merciful, beneficial way to provide feedback.
Assessment ‘Responsabilities’ In The Basic Course: Evaluating Public Speaking Rubrics, Miranda N. Rouse
Assessment ‘Responsabilities’ In The Basic Course: Evaluating Public Speaking Rubrics, Miranda N. Rouse
Basic Communication Course Annual
Procedures and practices that are ableist in the educational system have been long overlooked. Speakers having differing abilities than neurotypical or able-bodied individuals is often not something that is considered in basic course assessment tools. This is important to address because although there are institutional policies and procedures in place to help students with differing abilities, instructors of public speaking have the autonomy or power to determine how such accommodations will affect the speech grade determined by the assessment tool. Power relations are significantly complicated in educational settings when strict hierarchies are imposed, and when instructors abuse their authority, which …
Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (And What To Do Instead), Lori M. Costello
Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (And What To Do Instead), Lori M. Costello
Journal of Applied Communications
Book review of Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead), edited by Susan D. Blum with a foreword by Alfie Kohn
Securing The Right Skills: A Longitudinal Assessment Of College Students’ Writing And Public Speaking Self-Efficacy, T. Kody Frey, Jessalyn I. Vallade
Securing The Right Skills: A Longitudinal Assessment Of College Students’ Writing And Public Speaking Self-Efficacy, T. Kody Frey, Jessalyn I. Vallade
Basic Communication Course Annual
This research investigated the developmental patterns of students’ writing and public-speaking self-efficacy throughout their experience in the basic communication course (BCC). Questions were posed regarding (a) whether students grew in their reported writing and public speaking self-efficacy over two semesters, (b) whether growth differed based on biological sex, and (c) whether affinity and apprehension (as sources of performance self-efficacy) played a role in student growth. Two multilevel models revealed significant differences in students’ initial status and rate of growth for each outcome. Specifically, sex, affinity, and apprehension influenced students’ starting positions in the course, while only apprehension had a significant …
Assessing Media Literacy Competences: Reflections And Recommendations From A Quantitative Study, Sara Pereira, Pedro Moura
Assessing Media Literacy Competences: Reflections And Recommendations From A Quantitative Study, Sara Pereira, Pedro Moura
Journal of Media Literacy Education
The assessment of media literacy is a complex task, which might attempt to reconcile a research field traditionally developed within a critical paradigm with the task of evaluating and quantifying media literacy competences through essentially quantitative methods. Despite the lack of consensus regarding how to evaluate and measure media literacy, this goal is increasingly sought by political and regulatory stakeholders, as well as studied within the academic world. Based on one of such attempts, a study on the media literacy competences of 679 Portuguese teenagers, this paper presents a review and a reflection on the specific challenges posed by the …
Instructional Resources To Assess Applied Projects As A Culminating Graduate Communication Student Experience, Michael G. Strawser, Bridget Rubenking, Kelsey Lunsford, Margaret Gravelyn
Instructional Resources To Assess Applied Projects As A Culminating Graduate Communication Student Experience, Michael G. Strawser, Bridget Rubenking, Kelsey Lunsford, Margaret Gravelyn
Journal of Communication Pedagogy
This study reviews the traditional culminating graduate student experiences, theses, and comprehensive exams, as well as a newer, more professionally relevant option, applied research projects. We conceptualize applied projects as student-led, client-connected, hands-on, experiential projects that address a real-world communication problem or topic through the creation of relevant deliverables. We used Glassick et al.’s (1997) scholarship assessed model and the National Communication Association’s communication learning outcomes to determine perceived differences between culminating experiences. Survey results (N = 32) of recent alumni and current master’s level Communication students demonstrate near-equal ratings of applied projects and theses in their ability to both …
Thriving Instead Of Surviving: The Role Of The Reasoned Action Model In Assessing The Basic Course, Michael E. Burns, Kristen L. Farris, Mark Paz, Sean Dyhre
Thriving Instead Of Surviving: The Role Of The Reasoned Action Model In Assessing The Basic Course, Michael E. Burns, Kristen L. Farris, Mark Paz, Sean Dyhre
Basic Communication Course Annual
The current study investigates the use of the reasoned action model (Fishbein & Ajzen, 2010) as an assessment tool for the basic communication course. Specifically, this study examines how attitude towards behaviors, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control influence students’ behavioral intentions to use communication behaviors taught in the basic course outside of class. In addition to the stated variables in the reasoned action model, this study also examines how knowledge gain influences behavioral intention. Data was collected from 2,228 students enrolled in a basic communication course at a large southwestern university, and a random sample of 666 students was …
A 14-Year Empirical Analysis Of Undergraduates’ Pre- And Post-Test Scores In Three Introductory Communication Courses: Lessons Learned For Pedagogy And Assessment, Sherwyn P. Morreale, Pamela S. Shockley-Zalabak, Barbara Gaddis, Janice Thorpe M.A., Constance M. Staley, Erica Allgood
A 14-Year Empirical Analysis Of Undergraduates’ Pre- And Post-Test Scores In Three Introductory Communication Courses: Lessons Learned For Pedagogy And Assessment, Sherwyn P. Morreale, Pamela S. Shockley-Zalabak, Barbara Gaddis, Janice Thorpe M.A., Constance M. Staley, Erica Allgood
Basic Communication Course Annual
Conducting long-term assessment of the impact of students’ participation in introductory communication courses is an important endeavor for enhancing pedagogy and understanding the contribution of communication instruction to the student experience. This 14-year study reports data from a campus-wide assessment program extending from 2004 to 2018. The study analyzed a large sample of undergraduate students’ self-reported pre- and post-test scores on critical variables related to student outcomes in three introductory communication courses. The variables examined were demographic characteristics, self-esteem and communication apprehension in both the public speaking course and the business communication course, and self-esteem and willingness to communicate in …
The Impact Of Communication Center Visits On Students’ Performance And Engagement, Nate S. Brophy, Adebanke Loveth Adebayo, Melissa A. Broeckelman-Post
The Impact Of Communication Center Visits On Students’ Performance And Engagement, Nate S. Brophy, Adebanke Loveth Adebayo, Melissa A. Broeckelman-Post
Basic Communication Course Annual
This study sought to empirically evaluate the extent to which visiting the communication center before delivering the first major speech in an introductory communication course improved students’ academic performance and engagement. A total of 262 students were included in this study, half of whom visited the communication center prior to their first speech, and half of whom did not. Between-subjects MANOVAs showed that students who visited the communication center had significantly higher speech grades, course grades, and attendance than students who did not. Likewise, those who visited the communication center also had higher levels of behavioral and cognitive engagement, but …
Measuring Essential Learning Outcomes For Public Speaking, Melissa A. Broeckelman-Post, Karla M. Hunter, Joshua N. Westwick, Angela Hosek, Kristina Ruiz-Mesa, John Hooker, Lindsey B. Anderson
Measuring Essential Learning Outcomes For Public Speaking, Melissa A. Broeckelman-Post, Karla M. Hunter, Joshua N. Westwick, Angela Hosek, Kristina Ruiz-Mesa, John Hooker, Lindsey B. Anderson
Basic Communication Course Annual
Basic Course Directors (BCDs) are typically expected to assess course learning outcomes, but few formal guidelines and resources exist for new BCDs. As one part of a larger multi-methodological assessment tool development project, this manuscript maps existing quantitative measures onto the six essential competencies and associated learning outcomes established by the Social Science Research Council Panel on Public Speaking. This manuscript compiles dozens of measurement resources, aligned by outcome, and also identifies areas where future assessment measures development is needed. While there are many measures available for evaluating outcomes related to creating messages, critically analyzing messages, and demonstrating self-efficacy, there …
Measuring Media Literacy Inquiry In Higher Education: Innovation In Assessment, Evelien Schilder, Theresa Redmond
Measuring Media Literacy Inquiry In Higher Education: Innovation In Assessment, Evelien Schilder, Theresa Redmond
Journal of Media Literacy Education
The ability to critically access, analyze, evaluate, and create media messages is crucial in the process of becoming an informed and engaged citizen throughout life. Asking critical questions is not only a valuable dimension of media literacy, but also an indispensable aspect of participating in a democracy. Yet, measuring the effectiveness of media literacy is still a major challenge for the field. It is unclear to what extent people of all ages may engage in critical questioning habits with regards to media. To address this gap, we studied the changes in critical questioning habits for college-aged students enrolled in media …
Anxiety And Communication Competence In The Honors Basic Public Speaking Course: An Intervention And Formative Assessment, Joshua N. Westwick, Karla M. Hunter, Barbara A. Kleinjan
Anxiety And Communication Competence In The Honors Basic Public Speaking Course: An Intervention And Formative Assessment, Joshua N. Westwick, Karla M. Hunter, Barbara A. Kleinjan
Basic Communication Course Annual
This case study examines the effectiveness of a formative assessment intervention in an honors section of a basic public speaking course. Previous research has found significantly higher levels of public speaking anxiety among honors students than among non-honors students and has therefore identified these students as a population at risk for high public speaking anxiety (PSA). As a result, this analysis tested a one-hour tutoring session designed not only to aid students in maximizing learning outcomes for the first speech of the course, but, subsequently, to enhance markers of student development through reduced PSA and increased self-perceived communication competence (SPCC). …
Winning The War On State-Sponsored Propaganda: Results From An Impact Study Of A Ukrainian News Media And Information Literacy Program, Erin Murrock, Joy Amulya, Mehri Druckman, Tetiana Liubyva
Winning The War On State-Sponsored Propaganda: Results From An Impact Study Of A Ukrainian News Media And Information Literacy Program, Erin Murrock, Joy Amulya, Mehri Druckman, Tetiana Liubyva
Journal of Media Literacy Education
From 2015-2016, IREX implemented a media literacy training program called Learn to Discern (L2D) that trained Ukrainian citizens to critically analyze news media messages and identify misinformation. In 2017, IREX conducted a quasi-experimental impact evaluation of news literacy skills, knowledge, and behavior using a stratified random sample of L2D participants and non-participants (n=412). The groups were matched for gender, age, region and education levels. A news literacy assessment was administered to both groups via an online survey. The assessment required participants to analyze an objective news article and a disinformation-based news article; demonstrate knowledge of the news media environment; and …
Assessing Evaluation Fidelity Between Students And Instructors In The Basic Communication Course: The Impact Of Criterion-Based Speech Evaluation Training, T. Kody Frey, Cheri J. Simonds, John Hooker, Kevin Meyer, Stephen Hunt
Assessing Evaluation Fidelity Between Students And Instructors In The Basic Communication Course: The Impact Of Criterion-Based Speech Evaluation Training, T. Kody Frey, Cheri J. Simonds, John Hooker, Kevin Meyer, Stephen Hunt
Basic Communication Course Annual
This study investigates the role of speech evaluation training in a) creating speech evaluation fidelity between instructor scores and student self-evaluation scores and b) facilitating the type and quality of written feedback on speeches by both students and instructors. The results suggest that students who undergo speech evaluation training achieve a higher level of evaluation fidelity with their instructors. Second, negative feedback by instructors and students significantly predicted the score provided on the speeches. Finally, students who received speech evaluation training provided significantly more constructive comments on their evaluations than students who did not receive training. These findings reiterate the …
Closing The Assessment Loop In The Basic Communication Course, Claire H. Procopio
Closing The Assessment Loop In The Basic Communication Course, Claire H. Procopio
Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD
Participation in the learning-outcome assessment is an important expectation of most communication teachers. Considerable communication research has been devoted to defining assessment, identifying what is assessed, and determining how best to do assessment (Morreale, Backlund, Hay, & Moore, 2011). The National Communication Association (NCA) recently announced the publication of Learning Outcomes in Communication (NCA, 2015). This case study explores how a program, one new to learning-outcome assessment in the basic course, overcame common challenges with implementing assessments. The case illustrates how to use assessment data meaningfully and offers specific strategies that individual communication instructors, course directors, and assessment leaders can …
Hbcus: Accreditation, Governance And Survival Challenges In An Ever-Increasing Competition For Funding And Students, Jerry Crawford Ii
Hbcus: Accreditation, Governance And Survival Challenges In An Ever-Increasing Competition For Funding And Students, Jerry Crawford Ii
Journal of Research Initiatives
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are facing challenges to their continued existence on several fronts. One is fiscally, as federal funding for education has been cut and the responsibility for paying for higher education has been levied on students and parents. Another challenge is the amount of endowment dollars available to them and lastly, there are questions today as to if HBCUs are still needed in a society that has allowed African-Americans to enroll in Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). Both of these challenges are contingent on the most critical issue – accreditation. The loss of accreditation of units and …
The Issues And Challenges Of Assessing Media Literacy Education, Evelien A. Schilder, Barbara B. Lockee, D. Patrick Saxon
The Issues And Challenges Of Assessing Media Literacy Education, Evelien A. Schilder, Barbara B. Lockee, D. Patrick Saxon
Journal of Media Literacy Education
In the media literacy literature, the challenges associated with assessment have, to a great extent, been ignored. The purpose of this mixed methods study was therefore to explore the views of media literacy scholars and professionals on assessment challenges through qualitative interviews (n = 10) with the intent of using this information to develop a quantitative survey to validate and extend the qualitative findings with a larger sample of media literacy professionals and scholars from around the world (n = 133). The findings offer an overview of the assessment challenges encountered by these participants.
Mission Statements As Naming Proposals: An Rsi Approach, Susan K. Opt
Mission Statements As Naming Proposals: An Rsi Approach, Susan K. Opt
Journal of the Association for Communication Administration
This study explores the communication process used to generate and express communication program mission “names.” It argues that the process that underlies the creating, maintaining, and changing of names, ranging from the specific to the ideological, also generates academic unit “mission.” Viewing mission texts through the lens of the rhetoric of social intervention model reveals how the texts reason rhetorically as they propose and provide evidence for the “appropriateness” of a unit’s constituted mission name. Awareness of the rhetorical-reasoning pattern can help unit members make sense of mission-building or -revising work and provide a practical way for them to organize …
Experiential Learning And The Basic Communication Course: A New Path To Assessing Forensic Learning Outcomes, Ben Walker
Experiential Learning And The Basic Communication Course: A New Path To Assessing Forensic Learning Outcomes, Ben Walker
Speaker & Gavel
Scholars have often touted the educational benefits of forensics (e.g.: Bartanen, 1998; Beasley, 1979; Brownlee, 1979; Ehninger, 1952; Gartell, 1973; Jensen, 2008; McBath, 1975; Millsap, 1998; Schroeder & Schroeder, 1995; Stenger, 1999; Yaremchuk, 1979). Critics, most notably Burnett, Brand, and Meister (2003), have argued forensics is only a competitive game with the idea of education used as a crutch to uphold the activity in the eyes of schools. While attempting to counter critics, many forensic educators have scrambled to find proof of student learning. Besides theoretical approaches to potential learning methods (e.g., Dreibelbis & Gullifor, 1992; Friedley, 1992; Sellnow, Littlefield, …
Identifying Teaching Effectiveness: Using Student Skill Surveys, Speech Evaluations, And Quiz Scores To Inform Instruction, Sally A. Blomstrom
Identifying Teaching Effectiveness: Using Student Skill Surveys, Speech Evaluations, And Quiz Scores To Inform Instruction, Sally A. Blomstrom
Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal
This paper suggests an instrument for measuring students’ self perceptions of improvement in public speaking skills, i.e., a skill survey, and a method to inform and improve instruction by looking at results from that survey in combination with instructor evaluation forms for persuasive speeches, quiz scores, and an information literacy measure. Data were collected from students enrolled in a public speaking course at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Background on the survey development and the method is provided along with results and discussion.
Assessing The Public Speaking Course, Roberta Freeman
Assessing The Public Speaking Course, Roberta Freeman
Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal
College and high school speech communication instructors know full well how tedious and timeconsuming assessment can be; however, this instructor has found a way to make assessment a more efficient and meaningful tool identifying strengths and weaknesses within the public speaking curriculum. After five years of extensive research, several drafts of rubrics and artifacts, the process has been streamlined and successful in that the data compiled reflects the strengths and challenges of this instructor’s students. This article is intended to provide public speaking instructors the opportunity to replicate part of the Minnesota State Community & Technical College (M State) speech …
The Role Of Collaboration And Feedback In Advancing Student Learning In Media Literacy And Video Production, Carl M. Casinghino
The Role Of Collaboration And Feedback In Advancing Student Learning In Media Literacy And Video Production, Carl M. Casinghino
Journal of Media Literacy Education
Educators can learn many lessons as they implement collaborative project strategies, manage appropriate feedback, and measure communicative skill development in the media literacy classroom. This article examines case studies and learning outcomes in a high school digital production classroom taught by a veteran media literacy educator.
Classroom Projects As Embodied And Embedded Outcomes Assessment, Garnet C. Butchart, Margaret Mullan
Classroom Projects As Embodied And Embedded Outcomes Assessment, Garnet C. Butchart, Margaret Mullan
Journal of the Association for Communication Administration
Although educators already recognize the value in engaging student learning through classroom projects and service-learning, assessment of student learning through classroom projects may be accompanied by a shift of attention from mastery of ideas to embodied knowledge. We argue that embodiment is the basic semiotic condition of being human—of being both an expressive and perceptive (communicative) being among others. Linking this philosophy of communication principle to the topic of assessment, the article offers assessment research a focus of attention on learning settings: from embodiment as learning context, to the built environment of classrooms, as well as to group interaction. We …
Measuring New Media Literacies: Towards The Development Of A Comprehensive Assessment Tool, Ioana Literat
Measuring New Media Literacies: Towards The Development Of A Comprehensive Assessment Tool, Ioana Literat
Journal of Media Literacy Education
This study assesses the psychometric properties of a newly tested self-report assessment tool for media literacy, based on the twelve new media literacy skills (NMLs) developed by Jenkins et al. (2006). The sample (N=327) consisted of normal volunteers who completed a comprehensive online survey that measured their NML skills, media exposure, digital participation, and civic engagement. A factor analysis performed on the survey items yielded 10 NMLs that emerged as significant subscales. A series of multivariate analyses of variance indicate a strong relationship between these NMLs and respondents’ exposure to new media forms, their participation in Web 2.0 …
Assessing Organizational Image Through The College Open House: A Tool For Success, Andrea M. Pampaloni, Andrea Vadaro Tucker
Assessing Organizational Image Through The College Open House: A Tool For Success, Andrea M. Pampaloni, Andrea Vadaro Tucker
Journal of the Association for Communication Administration
This study evaluates how effective colleges and universities are in presenting an accurate and positive organizational image via their open house events. The Open House Assessment for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) © was developed to determine how institutional characteristics identified by potential members as influential to their decision to affiliate with a school were made relevant through the organizational image presented by the school. Open house events at twenty-four colleges and universities were assessed using the tool. Findings indicate that there are overall modifications to open house events that might benefit all schools, suggesting that the tool can be an …
Adapting Assessment For The Field Of Communication, Marcus Paroske, Sarah Rosaen
Adapting Assessment For The Field Of Communication, Marcus Paroske, Sarah Rosaen
Journal of the Association for Communication Administration
It has now become a universal mandate that communication programs conduct assessment of whether students attain selected learning outcomes. However, approaches to assessment unique to communication beyond the basic public speaking course are rare in the literature. This paper defends a “meta-assessment” approach to communication assessment as a key to negotiating the unique attributes of the field of communication, especially in heterogeneous academic departments and programs. It further argues that this approach can benefit assessment of similar, interdisciplinary academic programs.
Building Support For The Introductory Oral Communication Course: Strategies For Widespread And Enduring Support On Campus, Jon A. Hess
Journal of the Association for Communication Administration
A strong introductory course is important for many communication departments, for the discipline, and for meeting our obligation to society. This paper utilizes the example of a recent curricular reform that threatened to eliminate a required oral communication course to reflect on strategies departments can use to build widespread and lasting support for the course. The paper reviews the events that led to the challenge and details the department’s response, which offers lessons that may be useful for other institutions. Four lessons include: tailoring the introductory course to the institution’s needs and mission, involvement in university work, making compelling use …