Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Perceptions Of Science Communication’S Domain, Practices, And Identity: What Concerns Members On The Peripheral Edge Of A Community Of Practice, Rebecca Swenson, Corissa Marson

Journal of Applied Communications

This research shares insights from qualitative interviews with scientists in agricultural and environmental science programs (n=26) to better understand how occasional, peripheral, or emerging members of the science communication community of practice perceive its domain, practices, and identity. Findings suggest concern about personal risks of communicating, especially control over messaging, interactions with disagreeable audiences, being incorrect, and reputation damage. However, many believe that communication is broadly important for their field and resources. Scientists did not have clear agreement on boundaries of science communication, and advocacy and uncertainty were points of contention. Suggestions for strengthening science communication training are proposed.

Review Of Film Directing: Shot By Shot—25th Anniversary Edition: Visualizing From Concept To Screen, Elizabeth R. Berner

Journal of Applied Communications

Review of Film Directing: Shot by Shot—25th Anniversary Edition: Visualizing from Concept to Screen.

Modernizing High School Agricultural Communications Competencies: A National Delphi Study, Mackenzie Atkins, Kati Lawson, Ricky Telg

Journal of Applied Communications

The purpose of this study was to identify current competencies needed for high school students to succeed in their agricultural communication courses. This study also identified an ideal introduction level for each competency and provides up-to-date consensus on the most important agricultural communication competencies for high school students as determined by university faculty. Twenty years have passed since secondary agricultural communication competencies have been evaluated at a national level (Akers, 2000). Since then, industry standards have changed, including the emergence of social media, which is reflected in the results of this study. This study was conducted through a two-round Delphi …

Labs And Landscapes Virtual Reality: Student-Created Forest Conservation Tours For Informal Public Engagement, Whitney Stone, Jamie Loizzo, Jacqueline Aenlle, Peyton Beattie

Journal of Applied Communications

The following exploratory convergent mixed-methods study examined graduate students’ experiences developing and facilitating 360º photo-based virtual reality (VR) tours titled Labs and Landscapes focused on forest conservation and climate change education, as well as tour impacts on public audiences. Graduate students in an agricultural and natural resources communication course at The University of Florida used 360º cameras, mobile devices, and online software to create VR tours about the UF/IFAS Austin Cary Research Forest. Then, the students guided public participants through the tours in three physical informal learning environments including a museum, brewery, and campus tabling site within the university community. …

Analyzing Changes In Students’ Media Writing Self-Perceptions During A Writing-Intensive Course, Cara Lawson, Whitney Whitaker, Courtney Meyers

Journal of Applied Communications

Regardless of academic discipline or future career responsibilities, college students are challenged to meet future employers’ demand for strong communication skills. However, becoming an effective, professional writer is a struggle for many college students. Based upon concepts of writing self-efficacy and writing apprehension, the Media Writing Self-Perception (MWSP) scale was administered to undergraduate students in a writing-intensive agricultural communications course to evaluate differences in writing self-perceptions as the semester progressed and to determine any relationships between MWSP scores and scores on assignments. Statistically significant differences were found in writing apprehension, self-efficacy, and elaborative/surface construct scores from the beginning of the …

Introducing The Academic Discipline Of Agricultural Communications To The United Kingdom, Jefferson D. Miller, Sara Maples Bell, Jill Rucker, Emily Buck, Anika Parks

Journal of Applied Communications

Though the academic discipline of agricultural communications is well established in the United States, it does not have a significant presence in the United Kingdom. This is the case in spite of the fact that the profession of agricultural communications is well-established across the country. As administrators at U.K. institutions consider adding curriculum in this discipline, it is important for them to have an understanding of the competencies employers would expect of agricultural communications graduates, as well as an understanding of what students would expect to learn. Empirical data describing such perceptions could further the conceptualization and development of the …

Identifying Audience Needs To Effectively Communicate About The Cost Of Implementing Sustainable Farming Practices, Kristin E. Gibson, Alexa J. Lamm, Kevan W. Lamm

Journal of Applied Communications

Water is a complex issue across the globe and is largely affected by a growing world population and higher standard of living. Within the United States, the security of the freshwater supply is an increasing concern and water resource protection may increase if residents are knowledgeable about the issue. Sustainable farming systems will lessen the impact of agriculture on water resources but may cost the end user more to ensure sustainability. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if rural, urban, and suburban audiences differ in their willingness to pay for sustainable farming practices that protect water resources …

Technically Speaking: Technical Skills Needed For Agricultural Communication Baccalaureate Graduates, Arthur Leal, Kati M. Lawson, Ricky W. Telg, Joy N. Rumble, Nicole Lamee Perez Stedman, Debbie Treise

Journal of Applied Communications

Technically Speaking: Technical Skills Needed for Agricultural Communication Baccalaureate Graduates

Abstract

The purpose of this national study was to assess the perceived importance of 57 technical skills identified in previous literature, and to determine entry-level, agricultural communication graduates’ ability to perform those technical skills as perceived by agricultural communication graduates, communication industry professionals, and agricultural communication faculty members. Participants from the three evaluation groups (n = 193) identified three of the most important technical skills needed by agricultural communication graduates. These skills were communicating in written form, concise and clear writing, and communicating verbally. Graduates placed a higher importance …

Impact Of Computer-Based Peer Review On College Students’ Performance And Perceived Self-Efficacy In An Online Graphic Design Course, Sharon P. Wagner, Tracy Rutherford

Journal of Applied Communications

Prior research has indicated that the incorporation of computer-based peer review into writing instruction increases student engagement, improves student performance, and increases student perceptions of self-efficacy. This study used a quasi-experimental untreated control group design to examine the impact of computer-based peer review on student performance and perceived self-efficacy in an undergraduate agricultural graphic design course. The impact of participation in computer-based peer review on performance scores was investigated using a MANOVA. After two rounds of peer review, students improved their overall course performance by one-half letter grade. Perceptions of self-efficacy were further analyzed using a one-way repeated measures ANOVA. …

Electronic Field Trips For Science Engagement: The Streaming Science Model, Jamie Loizzo, Mary J. Harner, Deborah J. Weitzenkamp, Kevin Kent

Journal of Applied Communications

While institutions of higher education work to engage PK-12 youth in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) concepts and careers via in-person programming, PK-12 teachers and students face many logistical and access constraints for physically traveling to sites off of school grounds during the school day. Throughout the years, electronic field trips (EFTs) have offered a digital way for schools to engage in meaningful ways with museums, parks, laboratories, and field research sites. In order for EFTs to be effective, they should be cost effective and created collaboratively with teachers, students, subject matter experts, and instructional design and communication professionals. …

Exploring Beyond The Obvious: Social Skills Needed For Agricultural Communication Baccalaureate Graduates, Arthur Leal, Ricky W. Telg, Joy N. Rumble, Nicole Lamee Perez Stedman, Debbie M. Treise

Journal of Applied Communications

This national study sought to expand on current research to identify the importance of and graduates’ ability to perform selected social skills to aid in curricula evaluation and small program development. Using three evaluation groups – agricultural communication graduates, communication industry professionals, and agricultural communication faculty members – 193 individuals responded to the online survey. The most important social skills were those associated with having work values and transitioning into an organization to be a productive member in the workplace. Graduates placed a higher importance on social skills than the other two evaluation groups. All three evaluation groups showed some …

Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis And Application, Quisto Settle

Journal of Applied Communications

Review of Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis and Application (6th ed.)

Piloting Participatory Arts-Based Methods For Exploring Indonesians’ Experiences In A U.S. Biotechnology Training Program, Jamie Loizzo, Richard E. Goodman, Mary Garbacz

Journal of Applied Communications

Science communication faculty and professionals often train scientists about conveying and delivering critical and sometimes controversial scientific information to public audiences. This qualitative case study was situated in a U.S.-based biotechnology training program funded by the United States Department of Agriculture for connecting Indonesian science fellows with university biotechnology scientists and science communication experts. The researchers piloted a participatory arts-based approach for instructing and researching Indonesian scientists’, professionals’, and educators’ learning and experiences in the program. Participatory and arts-based research has the potential to uncover and bring to light participants’ perceptions. Participants used iPad multimedia kits to demonstrate their learning …

Using Student-Produced Videos To Communicate About Science, Ricky W. Telg, Kathryn Stofer, Rachel Deconna

Journal of Applied Communications

This professional development article provides a case study of the Explore Research at the University of Florida video project, conducted by University of Florida undergraduate and graduate students. Students take an advanced digital media production course where they develop videos documenting research at the university. The videos are then displayed at the Museum of Natural History and various online, broadcast, and cable television outlets. This article also provides suggestions for individuals who may want to develop their own partnerships with similar organizations in their courses.

Agricultural Communications Students Describe A Short-Term Field Experience, Angel N. Riggs, Diane Montgomery

Journal of Applied Communications

Student-run publications, including newsrooms and similar agency-style work achieve the curricular goal of experiential learning (Roberts, 2006) for university agricultural communication students. Gaining a journalistic skillset in the classroom is richly supplemented with experiencing real-world and authentic agency immersion to reveal to students the genuine characteristics of a workplace. The purpose of this study was to use Q methodology to evaluate a real-world, out-of-class-but-supervised newsroom producing publications for the State FFA Convention. Fifteen undergraduate students who were immersed in this three-day program in which students publish original work to disseminate information to FFA participants and the public participated in the …

Cultivating Creativity: Faculty Conceptions Of Creativity In Agricultural Communications Students, Courtney Gibson, Hope Hancock, Erica Irlbeck, Courtney Meyers

Journal of Applied Communications

Creativity has been deemed as an essential skill in agricultural communications graduates by both industry and academia, and it has a pivotal role in student success within the classroom and the workforce. In order to foster students’ creative thinking skills, faculty must turn away from traditional norms of lecture-based delivery and foster an environment where students are actively creating and engaging in the learning process. The purpose of this study was to provide insight on the nature of creativity as it relates to agricultural communications curriculum—focused on pedagogical strategies and creative assessments. This qualitative case study examined how agricultural communications …

Are We There Yet? Toward An Agricultural Communications Academic Organization, Erica Irlbeck, Emily B. Buck

Journal of Applied Communications

As agricultural communications has grown and evolved since its origins more than 100 years ago, the future directions of the discipline related to teaching, research, and as a professional organization are discussed with a challenge to the members of the profession to be engaged in future discussions and decisions.