Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons^™

The Program To Reduce Implicit Bias In Carroll Hospital Center Using The Implicit Association Test, Katherine E. Traynor

Capstone Showcase

Natural brain processes make all individuals susceptible to unconscious bias; however, stressful, fearful, or anger-evoking situations as well as the negative influence of media and social surroundings increase the risk of holding obstructive bias, and there is a greater risk of being negatively impacted by this phenomenon when belonging to a minority population (Rose & Flores, 2020). As a result, high rates of infant mortality (10.2 deaths per 1,000 live births for the Non-Hispanic Black population compared to 4.1 in the White population) and cardiovascular related diseases (190.0 cases per 1,000 in the Non-Hispanic Black population compared to 161.3 in …

The Secret Sauce Of Online Community Of Practice During Covid-19 Pandemic: Nonviolent Communication, Yonty Friesem, Elizaveta Friesem

Journal of Media Literacy Education

The challenges of work-family balance while being asked to move to remote instruction and engage students creatively have affected us all globally on multiple levels - from our professional identity, to our own health, mortality and purpose in life. The idea behind Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is that as Rosenberg (2015/1999) put it, it is a language that celebrates life. Applying these practices in a community building initiative of the Media Education Lab during the COVID-19 pandemic supported our community not only for their professional needs, but also and most importantly in their social and emotional resiliency to keep positive their …

The Disc® Personal Profiles Of Emerging Sign Language Interpreters, Kim B. Kurz, Kierstin S. Muroski, Veronika B. Talbott

Journal of Interpretation

Language interpretation is a discipline of choices governed by the unique personality and behavioral traits of individuals involved in an interpreted interaction. Interpreters are communication facilitators for people who do not share languages. Every interpreter has distinct personality and behavioral traits that influence their communication choices. There are benefits for interpreters to be keenly aware of personality styles and behaviors. This article reports the findings of the personality and behavioral styles using the DiSC® Personality Profile Instrument of 242 undergraduate American Sign Language-English Interpreting students over a nine-year period. Specifically the study explores the four DiSC® profiles, Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, …

Exploring The Possibilities Of And Prospects For The Interpersonal And Family Communication Classroom, Mick Brewer

Title III Professional Development Reports

This blog post offers a brief review of some of the discussions had at the 2021 107th annual National Communication Association annual conference.

Journal Of Communication Pedagogy, Complete Volume 5, 2021

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

Toward A New Community Of Care: Best Practices For Educators And Administrators During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Cody M. Clemens, Tomeka M. Robinson

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

The onset of COVID-19 left people feeling unsettled, confused, and afraid of what tomorrow may hold. As university professors specializing in health communication, we too were left with these same feelings. As health communication scholars, we focus on issues surrounding illness, risk, crisis, care, health inequities, and wellness. COVID-19 is a health crisis, yes, but it has also changed the way we operate not only in higher education but in daily life. We begin this essay with an overview of COVID-19 and its impact on students, educators, and administrators. Then, we suggest four best practices to foster a community of …

"It's Been A Good Reminder That Students Are Human Beings": An Exploratory Inquiry Of Instructors’ Rhetorical And Relational Goals During Covid-19, Victoria Mcdermott, Drew T. Ashby-King

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

As colleges and universities moved to remote learning during the Spring 2020 semester due to COVID-19, the traditional higher education classroom format was challenged. This study examines how instructors reconceptualized their rhetorical and relational goals in the pandemic classroom. A thematic analysis of 68 qualitative survey responses revealed that instructors adapted their rhetorical and relational approaches to instruction due to a perceived change in students’ needs. Moreover, findings suggest that instructors intend to continue to use many of these instructional changes in their post-pandemic classrooms. These conclusions confirm that instructors should consider contextual factors not only during but also after …

Moving From Dialogue To Deliberation About Campus Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion, Chad Raphael

Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education

Campus communities continue to become increasingly diverse as the U.S. grows more sensitized to, yet polarized over, issues of social justice. In response, many institutions of higher learning are placing greater emphasis on students’ experiential learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in co-curricular experiences such as new student orientation and in coursework. Experiential educators can help students forge links between learning about DEI in the co-curriculum and curriculum, and to move from intergroup dialogue to deliberation, which allows student learning to inform institutional learning. This article describes the design, outcomes, and implications of a course on dialogue and deliberation …

The 12 Fundamentals Of Highly Effective Communicators: Teaching Theory-Based Professional Communication To Pharmacy Students, Erin Donovan, Laura Brown, Calandra Lindstadt, Billy Table, Elham Heidari, Andrew Coolidge, Suheib Omran, Sharon Rush

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

Pharmacists are increasingly expected to communicate skillfully, yet few Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curricula include theoretically-derived or evidence-based communication training. The 12 Fundamentals of Highly Effective Communicators is a pedagogical tool that we developed to teach principles of communication to two consecutive cohorts of PharmD students in their second year (P2). Students were asked to reflect on which of the 12 Fundamentals they found most helpful in their pharmacy training and practice. The most frequently selected Fundamental was “There is no ‘one size fits all’ message that will work in EVERY situation.” Students provided specific examples of how they perceived …

An Active Learning Approach To Listening: The Coin Drop Activity, Ronda Leahy, Michael Tollefson

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

There is considerable research examining listening, as it is an important skill. While listening skills are important, very little instructional time is devoted to developing those skills (Hopper, 2007). After completion of this activity, students are able to describe their own listening process and assess listening techniques. This activity works well to introduce the concept of listening and various components within the listening process. Students do not typically think of listening as a skill that they can improve. When we discuss the listening process, we can recall this activity to illustrate the connection between sensing and processing.

Stereotyping: An Open Conversation On The Establishment, Nature, And Impact Of Stereotypes On Society, Christina M. Van Essen

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Stereotypes are generalizations about groups of people that have impacted predominantly marginalized communities. We typically use stereotypes against a generalized other and some stereotypes have become part of our perceptual sets. This activity attempts to re-humanize stereotypes by confronting students with known stereotypes and makes students reflect on the impact of stereotypes on people’s lives.

A Precarious Prediction: Applying Predicted Outcome Value Theory To Classroom First Impressions, Joshua N. Westwick

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

First impressions have a significant impact on our initial and long-term communication interactions. The predicted outcome value theory suggests that the initial impressions we make upon meeting someone new stimulate us to make predictions about potential outcomes and values of continuing or terminating a relationship (Sunnafrank, 1986). This classroom activity provides an opportunity to explore predicted outcome value theory through application and discussion-based learning. Students have praised the activity and demonstrated growth in the learning outcomes.

Uncommon And Non-Traditional Urban Relationship Strategies: From Relationship Loss To Relationship Recovery, Lasonya L. Moore

Journal of English Learner Education

With increasing student diversity across our nation, there is a growing need to scale up educational innovations related to building holistic relationships. Many students in K-12 public schools enter educational settings with uncommon and nontraditional ways of building and developing longitudinal relationships that allow students to thrive and not just survive. Specifically, teachers/educators feel ill-equipped and ill-trained to adequately support the increasing number of English learners(ELs) and Exceptional education students (specifically Students of Color (SOC) with emotional and behavioral disorders) identified in inclusive classrooms. Thus, there remains an urgent need to share uncommon and non-traditional strategies to develop and build …

Jr. And Sr. High At-Risk Students Within Poverty: Formation Of The Mentor-Mentee Program In Addressing Their Needs, John J. Noggle

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

In the Spring of 2015, I was driving toward Southwest Arkansas to my new appointment at Stamps First United Methodist Church. As I was driving further south on Highway 71, I began to notice how poverty-stricken South Arkansas was. Towns that were once the commercial service centers to their communities contained empty store buildings and little economic life. It was then that I knew that the majority of children in South Arkansas were At-Risk children in poverty. I felt a call in my Spirit to help those in need by developing a plan of action to help them in meeting …

Affinity-Seeking: Student Desirability And Motivation In The Classroom, Taylor D. Corlee

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Affinity-seeking research once provided teachers with effective strategies to create an overall better classroom environment. Over the last twenty years there has been no continuation of this research and the effectiveness of these strategies seemed to be agreed upon. The purpose of this study is to bring affinity-seeking research back into the modern era and see how motivation is affected for both in-person and online classes. This study is a contribution that adds to these strategies for effectiveness in both in-person and online classrooms.

The Ceibalitas In Uruguay: How Digital Educational Technology Affects Social Cohesion, William Bradford

Honors Theses

Digital Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have become a focal point in improving worldwide education. There have been many studies on the effects of ICT in schools on grades and careers after graduation, but not many have studied the social impact. This study focuses on the Plan Ceibal in Uruguay to see the impact of ICT in schools on social cohesion. The Plan Ceibal was the first Nation-wide one-laptop-per-child (OLPC) program in the world. For this reason, Uruguay can provide a look into the future for other nations as they implement OLPC programs of their own. This study uses data …

Program Evaluation Of Restorative Practices At One Elementary School, Nicholas X. Samuels

Dissertations

The rationale for this study was to evaluate the use of restorative practices at One Elementary School. During this evaluation process, I sought to discover the pros and cons of the Restorative Practices program being implemented at this school. Additionally, I sought out responses to my secondary/sub-questions to discover ways that the program’s effectiveness could be enhanced. Furthermore, my desire was to discern the effects that the program’s implementation had on the school's African American/At-Risk population. The data embedded within this study reflects the results of the Restorative Practices program implementation. My findings support the efficacy of Restorative Practices at …

An Analysis Of The Effects Of Covid-19 On Students At The University Of Mississippi: Family, Careers, Mental Health, Hannah Newbold

Honors Theses

This study analyzes the effects of COVID-19 on students at the University of Mississippi. For students, COVID-19 changed the landscape of education, with classes and jobs going online. Students who graduated in May 2020 entered a poor job market and many ended up going to graduate school instead of finding a job. Access to medical and professional help was limited at the very beginning, with offices not taking patients or moving appointments to virtual only. This would require that each student needing help had to have access to quality internet service, which wasn’t always guaranteed, thus producing additional challenges.

These …

A Discourse Analysis Of Student-To-Student Conversations In A Secondary School Physical Science Laboratory Setting, Jennifer Faith Oramous

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative grounded theory study applies Discourse Analysis (DA) to focus on the student-to-student (SS) “productive conversation” occurring within groups engaged in several activities in a physical science laboratory with a goal to identify aspects and patterns of such conversation. In this study, Student-to-Student Productive Talk (SSPT) stated in relation to the accepted definitions of classroom productive talk. SSPT is on-topic discussion between students that meet the requirements of productive conversation such as visible thinking and argumentation. The form of analysis applied in this study was derived from Classroom Discourse Analysis by Cazden (2001), Gee (2014a; 2014b), and Rymes (2016). …

American Virtual Institute: Wellness During The Pandemic, Courtney Basinger

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

Two previous practicum ideas before AVI practicum suggested by Dr. Paul. Learning more about Hungarian culture, how they handle COVID-19, learn more about their wellness lifestyle and leadership.

Started off being a program to help high school students in Hungary learn about a multitude of topics to help allow them get credit towards their graduation. The topics included anything from sports, food, family, politics, and leisure activity and many more. There was supposed to be two sessions a 26-week program staring in October 2020 and ending in April 2021 and a 15-week program starting in February 2021 and ending in …

Effect Of Covid-19 On Elementary Students' Use Of Language Online, Emma Polen

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in an unprecedented period of online communication among children. This paper aims to exemplify how the reliance on digital communication platforms compelled by COVID-19 affected elementary students’ use of language. Within the study, children used primarily visual language on digital sites with friends. There were two main forms of primary research in this study. The first consisted of a survey of 16 parents of elementary school children in my school district. The second was an observation of Zoom chat room activity among three eight-year-olds. Both methods of conducting research build on the existing understanding that digital …

Immunization Communication In ‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’: Inoculation Theory, Health Messaging, And Children’S Entertainment Television, Josh Compton, Alicia Mason

Faculty Submissions

Entertainment education research has shown that television programs can communicate important health information to television viewers. Much of this research focuses on mass media effects (e.g., behavioral intention of viewers, post-viewing; attitudinal change, post-viewing). Less is known about the rhetorical strategies employed in such messaging. We review para-social and para-proxemics literature to describe the viewing context and then offer a detailed rhetorical analysis of immunization messaging on the children’s television program, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” arguing that, aptly, Fred Rogers’ rhetorical framing mirrored that of the inoculation theory of resistance to influence, presenting “weak” challenges to his young viewers to help …

Barriers To Post-Secondary Success, Douglas Swanson, Najeana Henderson, Maritza Sloan

Dissertations

This study reviews factors that prior studies have identified or failed to consider as barriers to post-secondary success. The three main areas include academic success for Latinx students after high school, organizational systems and their impact on African-American students’ postsecondary readiness, and what workers think of their high school education with regards to career preparedness.

Five factors are identified as major barriers for Latinx students to continue in a higher education system. A survey of former students from Saint Louis, Missouri, and Dallas, Texas, metroplex area identified 56 Latinx students that participated in an initial survey. This led to a …

Relational Dialectics In College Ldrs: Managing The Tensions Of Long-Distance Dating In College, Kenessa Copeland

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

A significant population of college students have been, or are currently, in a long distance relationship (LDR). This study examined tensions experienced by college students in LDRs using Relational Dialectics Theory (RDT) and Dark Side Theory. I used a thematic analysis to analyze responses from an open-ended survey distributed to and answered by 23 students in LDRs. I found that RDT was exemplified in the study by finding tensions of connection-autonomy and predictability-novelty, as well as tensions of balancing time and FOMO-living in the moment. The most common tension management strategies used were selection, separation, and reframing. Finally, I found …

Perceptions Of Rural School Principals’ Experiences, Practices, And Understandings Of Conflict And Conflict Management, Tacy Kay Gamel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rural school principalship provides unique challenges and great opportunities for conflict and conflict management. However, minimal research exists about the rural principalship or about rural principals’ conflict and conflict management. The purpose of this holistic, multiple case study was to examine rural principals’ perceptions and experiences with conflict and conflict management. Cases had to meet the criteria of the formal rural definition, and participants had to be the sole leader of their campuses. Each of the participants completed a questionnaire, an initial interview, and a follow-up interview. Data collection and analysis revealed the discord experienced by these principals based …

Call For Manuscripts

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Looking Forward To Meet Needs: A Response To Edwards; Frey, Tatum, And Cooper; And Prentiss, Jon A. Hess

Basic Communication Course Annual

The essays you have just read offer valuable insights into the matter of matching communication knowledge and skills with employer needs. This topic is one of the more important issues facing the academy at present. Higher education in America is currently undergoing seismic shifts (Bok, 2013; Crow & Dabars, 2015). The model of higher education we have been developing since the late 1800s has served us well for over a century. But that model was developed to transition higher education from developing teachers and clergy to supporting broader societal needs of the Industrial Age (Davidson, 2017). With a very different …

Our Basic Course And Communication Skills Training: The Time For Innovation Is Now (Yes, Even In A Pandemic), Suzy Prentiss

Basic Communication Course Annual

Our basic communication courses have always been important for our students. COVID-19 presents us with many challenges as well as opportunities for innovation and reflection. We can now heed the call offered by Joyce et al. in 2019 to match the skills most in demand with those we teach and infuse intentionality and value throughout our courses. As we pivot to online education and digital communication, how can we craft the basic course to provide effective communication skills training in engaging, empowering and impactful ways?

Using The Basic Course To Prepare Digital Natives For New Role As Reverse Mentors, T. Kody Frey, Nicholas T. Tatum, Troy B. Cooper

Basic Communication Course Annual

When Millennials began to enter the workforce in the mid-2000s, employers struggled to engage this indecisive group (i.e., job-hoppers). At the same time, they also battled the threat of a labor shortage due to the impending retirement of an aging baby-boomer workforce (Chaudhuri & Ghosh, 2012). Organizations began to combat both issues by embracing intergenerational learning programs focused on the strengths of each group (Gerpott et al., 2017; Greengard, 2002). One strategy that has proved valuable in popular press and among companies, although fairly absent from academic literature (Kaše et al., 2019; McCann, 2017), is reverse mentoring.

From Ted Talks To Tiktok: Teaching Digital Communication To Match Student Skills With Employer Desires, Ashley A. Hanna Edwards

Basic Communication Course Annual

Digital communication provides an important opportunity for the basic communication course (BCC) to match student skills to employer desires and enhance our curriculum in ways that match our essential competencies. This essay argues that digital communication can be public speaking and incorporating it into the BCC will enhance our ability to meet our core competencies and equip students with the skills employers seek. This recommendation is timely and critical due to the cultural shift of the COVID-19 pandemic and an increased community focus on the merits and costs of digital communication. Incorporating digital communication is essential to the continued relevance …