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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™

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Communication

Publications

2016

Articles 1 - 10 of 10

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Big Data, Technical Communication, And The Smart City, Jordan Frith Dec 2016

Big Data, Technical Communication, And The Smart City, Jordan Frith

Publications

Big data is one of the most hyped buzzwords in both academia and industry. This article makes an early contribution to research on big data by situating data theoretically as a historical object and arguing that much of the discourse about the supposed transparency and objectivity of big data ignores the crucial roles of interpretation and communication. To set forth that analysis, this article engages with recent discussion of big data and “smart” cities to show the communicative practices operating behind the scenes of large data projects and relate those practices to the profession of technical communication.

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Public Speaking Versus Hybrid Introductory Communication Courses: Exploring Four Outcomes, Melissa A. Broeckelman-Post, Andrew S. Pyle Nov 2016

Public Speaking Versus Hybrid Introductory Communication Courses: Exploring Four Outcomes, Melissa A. Broeckelman-Post, Andrew S. Pyle

Publications

The purpose of this study was to compare student growth in public speaking and hybrid introductory communication skills courses on four outcomes: public speaking anxiety, self-perceived communication competence, intercultural effectiveness, and connected classroom climate. This study also sought to find out whether there were differences in the achievement of outcomes and growth in each outcome by sex and ethnicity. Data from 908 participants utilized a within-subjects and between-subjects repeat measures design. Results showed that public speaking and hybrid communication courses reduced public speaking anxiety and increased self-perceived communication competence and connected classroom climate a similar amount, but did not significantly …

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The Digital “Lure”: Small Businesses And Pokémon Go, Jordan Frith Nov 2016

The Digital “Lure”: Small Businesses And Pokémon Go, Jordan Frith

Publications

Most of the discussion about Pokémon Go has focused on the end-user and the playful nature of the game. Experts have mentioned the game’s commercialism, but they have done so mostly by talking about the data collection practices of the app developers. This commentary piece takes a different approach by examining how businesses have used Pokémon Go’s “lures” to attract foot traffic. The main goal of the article is to show how the ludic, digital wayfaring of location-based games can be used by individual places to attract players. While the focus is on business owners, I will also address …

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Wearing The City: Memory P(A)Laces, Smartphones, And The Rhetorical Invention Of Embodied Space, Jason Kalin, Jordan Frith Jun 2016

Wearing The City: Memory P(A)Laces, Smartphones, And The Rhetorical Invention Of Embodied Space, Jason Kalin, Jordan Frith

Publications

This article extends research on the production of embodied space by focusing on the relations between place and memory. Beginning with a consideration of how wearable technologies enable new spatial practices within the constructed order of the city, we develop a conceptual framework to understand these spatial practices by returning to the rhetorical art of memory and the building of memory palaces. The art of memory, exemplified by memory palaces, offers a rhetorical resource for understanding how smartphones as wearable technologies may be incorporated—that is, brought into the body, as integral to the production of embodied spatial memories. We argue …

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Transdisciplinary Research Partnerships In Sustainability Science: An Examination Of Stakeholder Participation Preferences, Karen H. Beiluch, Kathleen P. Bell, Mario F. Teisl, Laura Lindenfeld, Jessica Leahy, Linda Silka Mar 2016

Transdisciplinary Research Partnerships In Sustainability Science: An Examination Of Stakeholder Participation Preferences, Karen H. Beiluch, Kathleen P. Bell, Mario F. Teisl, Laura Lindenfeld, Jessica Leahy, Linda Silka

Publications

Sustaining coupled natural and human systems requires multiple forms of knowledge, experiences, values, and resources be brought into conversation to address sustainability challenges. Transdisciplinary research partnerships provide the opportunity to meet this requirement by bringing together interdisciplinary scientists with stakeholders in some or all stages of the knowledge production process. However, building partnerships to produce sustainability outcomes is a complex process requiring an understanding of the social psychological and contextual variables impacting partnerships. Here, we explore local government officials’ (LGOs’) preferences for participation in these partnerships. Using data from a statewide survey, we develop a theoretically and empirically derived model …

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Why Rhetoric Matters For Ecology, Caroline Druschke, Bridie Mcgreavy Feb 2016

Why Rhetoric Matters For Ecology, Caroline Druschke, Bridie Mcgreavy

Publications

Increasingly, scientists and funding agencies such as the US National Science Foundation are recognizing the need for better science communication and more effective broader impacts activities. Compelled to make research more relevant to public stakeholders and policy makers, researchers look for ways to gain the necessary skillset to move their science from the field and laboratory into public forums. We suggest that the ancient discipline of rhetoric provides a useful – and underutilized – path forward. Building from the fundamental connections between ecology and rhetoric and drawing from practical examples at the intersection of these two fields, we demonstrate how …

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Surviving The Conflict Of Self- Inflicted Organizational Crises, Andrew S. Pyle Feb 2016

Surviving The Conflict Of Self- Inflicted Organizational Crises, Andrew S. Pyle

Publications

Social media platforms provide channels for both individuals and organizations to engage with global audiences. A successful social media message can reach millions, and shape the way publics view a particular person, group, or cause. As organizations become more engaged with publics through social media platforms, a new area of organizational risk has also developed. It is possible for an organization to create a self-inflicted crisis through the unintentional transmission of a poorly worded or ill-conceived social media message. This type of self-induced crisis event creates organizational conflict that must be managed quickly. This chapter explores three cases of organizational …

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Health, The Environment, And Sustainability: Emergent Communication Lessons Across Highly Diverse Public Participation Activities, David Hart, Linda Silka, Bridie Mcgreavy Jan 2016

Health, The Environment, And Sustainability: Emergent Communication Lessons Across Highly Diverse Public Participation Activities, David Hart, Linda Silka, Bridie Mcgreavy

Publications

Most lessons about public participation are gleaned from very specific domains, yet innovative ideas often emerge when lessons across very different domains are brought together. Our public engagement efforts span health, the environment, and sustainability in rural and urban settings with long term residents as well as new immigrants. We have worked with hundreds of faculty and stakeholders in Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire on topics as varied as immigrant fishing in contaminated water, shared governance of shellfish areas, remediation of lead contamination in urban areas, and shared decision making on dam removal. The diversity of these efforts offers lessons …

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Audio Tours Of Fish: Angling For An Effective Mediated Speech, Sally Blomstrom, Barbara Hayford, Lori A. Mumpower Jan 2016

Audio Tours Of Fish: Angling For An Effective Mediated Speech, Sally Blomstrom, Barbara Hayford, Lori A. Mumpower

Publications

Public speaking is a course required in many degree programs traditionally taught in a face to face setting. Online and hybrid courses are now offered by many institutions in addition to traditional courses, and they are more likely to include mediated speech assignments. Mediated speaking situations include webinars, videoconferences, video recordings of speeches on DVD or YouTube, and other options that students may well find themselves using in their personal and professional communication. Online and some hybrid courses assign mediated speaking situations for the submission of speeches, not as a genre unto itself. In traditional face to face public speaking …

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Multiple Perspectives Community Engagement Assessment Model, Sally Blomstrom, Barbara Hayford, Lori A. Mumpower, Andrelle Bobinsky Jan 2016

Multiple Perspectives Community Engagement Assessment Model, Sally Blomstrom, Barbara Hayford, Lori A. Mumpower, Andrelle Bobinsky

Publications

We propose a multiple perspectives assessment model for community engagement. The assessment model was developed for a service-learning project. The multiple perspectives included in the model were those from the community partner, the faculty member, students, and the associate director from the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE). The model assessed the effectiveness of the service-learning project using qualitative reflections and quantitative data. Assessment from each perspective produced positive results in the improvement areas of assignment instructions, pedagogy, process, and deliverables. Generalizability may be limited because this project is ongoing with the same representatives from the community partner, CTLE, …

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