The increasing popularity of the team-based learning (TBL) approach signifies how much the student-centered learning environment contributes to the effectiveness of teaching. Given the need to establish an agreement for groups to communicate their visions for collaborative efforts within the teamwork, this activity provides a basic communicative…

Although a good deal of research has been published that compares the effectiveness of communication courses delivered in face-to-face and online formats, much less is known about the comparative effectiveness of fully online versus hybrid (a.k.a. blended, mixed mode) courses. Thus, this research project examined student perceptions of teaching…

This unit activity is integrated into the chapters on radio of the appropriate course--Survey of Mass Media, Broadcast Journalism, News Writing, Media Programing, or Communication Technology. Employing the concept of a "hot-clock radio format," the purpose of this unit activity is to motivate students' collaborative learning in news…

Participant observation is a topic covered in most Introduction to Communication Research classes and specialized courses on qualitative inquiry. However, as humans are natural observers in everyday life, students may not appreciate the importance of systematic and thoughtful observation and note taking. The purpose of the one-to-two class period…

Working effectively in groups is essential for college graduates (Hart Research Associates, 2013). University and college administrators have responded to this need by increasing the number of group communication courses by 25% (Bertelsen & Goodboy, 2009). However, it is the quality of course instruction that determines how well prepared…

This article describes a realistic online crisis unit, in which students practice: (1) responding to fast-paced information on multiple social media channels; (2) coordinating and making team decisions; and (3) creating effective responses. These skills are required for entry-level positions such as digital specialists and community managers,…

In a diverse, interconnected, and results-oriented world, students need to be confident and well-prepared public speakers. However, many students entering public speaking classrooms feel anxious and dread having to perform publicly (Bodie, 2010). Students' sense of Communication Apprehension (CA) is likely to increase for any of several…

Guided by cultural identity theory (CIT), the authors offer the six-word memoir (6WM) as a storytelling vehicle to engage students in critical, reflexive (re)considerations of their cultural identities and positions. This activity's impetus is threefold. First, it recognizes the practical challenges of teaching and learning the important, yet…

For educators tasked with helping students become more skillful and successful communicators in increasingly diverse political and economic contexts, it is crucial to help students understand the ways that whiteness and white privilege influence interactions. However, because of its invisibility, whiteness proves difficult to talk about. This…

As a central area of study within the discipline, theories of interpersonal communication are the bedrock of many introductory textbooks designed for use in undergraduate courses on communication and communication theory (Griffin, 2012; Littlejohn & Foss, 2010; Miller, 2004; West & Turner, 2010). Though undergraduate students are, of…

The "What Would You Say?" (WWYS?) exercise was developed to help students reflect on and improve their message response choices in the moment, as prompted by fictionalized interpersonal scenarios from films. Video clips were chosen to exemplify situations that were identified by students in a pilot study as situations in which they or…

For more than 75 years, instructors have taught students to use Monroe's (1935) Motivated Sequence (MMS) when organizing speeches designed to move audiences to action. However, modern approaches to teaching the sequence are needed to help instructors remain relevant and effective. This activity advocates the use of constructivist pedagogical…

This assignment described here serves as a meaningful way to engage students who are perhaps less involved in giving back to their own community (Galston, 2003). By engaging students in "pay it forward" experiences, this assignment can help foster a sense of active citizenship. Often political engagement is associated with acts related…

Media have become ever-present factors in most college students' lives (Turan, Tinmaz, & Goktas, 2013). Despite this infiltration, students (and most of the public) remain remarkably unaware of the significant role the media can play in the construction of a social reality and, in turn, how individuals act and interact on a daily basis…

This single class activity described here: (1) illustrates the importance of interdependence in groups; (2) can be used to measure group productivity and performance; (3) can encourage groups to engage in group learning; and (4) can facilitate group cohesion for newly formed groups. Students will be working in groups for the majority of their…