Spring 2008 Public Relations Case Studies; Fall 2008 Communication Capstone
This program moved beyond a traditional collaborative learning approach based on a single course section supported by a single CLE site. Rather than a single course, I developed a learning community that consisted of four sections of two courses that spanned two semesters, taught be a single faculty member; and a CLE project site that facilitated collaboration among students and the faculty member in all course sections over time. The courses included:
Spring 2008, COM471-Public Relations Case Studies: A survey of contemporary and modern cases in public relations that are renowned for their successful responses to crises or notorious for their failure to do so. The goal of this course is to give students a thorough understanding of how and why various public relations strategies succeeded or failed. Students will be taught to analyze successful and failed public relations strategies and apply lessons learned to other real or invented public relations public relations scenarios. (3 credits)
Fall 2008, COM401-Communication Capstone: A capping course required of all senior communication majors. The capping course brings coherence to a student's experience in the major by creating connections among the various sub-fields in which students have specialized, and it reinforces connections between the communication major, the student's cognate, and a student's experience in the Core[-Liberal Studies Program]. (3 credits)
These courses focused on Marist's transition in course management systems to the Sakai Collaborative Learning Environment (CLE), which Marist branded iLearn. Applying conceptual and cultural knowledge from previous coursework, junior and senior communication majors within the public relations concentration (32 students, in seven teams, in two sections) in spring 2008 COM471 were required to research, analyze, and evaluate efforts by Marist College to communicate the change in course management systems. The course was supported by Sakai-iLearn, which enabled students to experience the CLE from a new-user's perspective. This approach encouraged students to relate abstract concepts (e.g., communication processes) to their own practical experiences with Sakai-iLearn and examine the case from different viewpoints (e.g., customer and provider). As a final project, students were required to complete a strategic communication proposal that integrated their work and provided recommendations to Marist's administration. Fall 2008 COM401 students (38 students, eight teams, two sections) revised and executed these plans.
Academic Technology Staff. AT staff (developers, programmers, support specialists) assisted with development of course sites and provided students and me with CLE training and Help Desk support. At my request, they also developed the project collaboration site. Since the Sakai-iLearn system was just being implemented at Marist, these personnel were critical to a successful experience.
Professional Guests. Guests (e.g., communication professionals, project managers) were introduced to the courses and given CLE site access to work with students and faculty through actual and virtual classroom visits (e.g., forums, blogs, and podcasts).
Student Developers. Students in both courses were given responsibility to develop and deploy actual CLE sites, tools, and communication tactics to promote awareness on campus of the college's transition to the Sakai-iLearn CLE.
College Administrators. To support development and deployment of communication tactics promoting adoption of the Sakai-iLearn CLE, students identified and obtained support directly from administrators, who provided funding commitments, supplies, promotional materials, and messages that supported this project.
Course development was based on three main constructs: 1) andragogy, 2) learning community, and 3) relationship management. First, from the student-centered perspective of andragogy, I adopted a case for spring 2008 COM471 that would have meaning for students and appeal to their interest in authentic learning. While andragogy is traditionally thought of as an adult learning theory, I believe that this approach is well suited to many students in the Net Generation (ages 12-32) who have developed collaborative learning styles. According to Dan Tapscott, author of Grown Up Digital (2008), these students value freedom, like to customize things, enjoy collaboration and conversation, and tend to scrutinize the world around them. They also like having fun at school and work, they innovate, and they are fast. An andragological approach to this authentic case study, supported by a learning community that extended work on an Internet-related case across semesters and courses, seemed perfectly suited to members of the Net Generation.
Second, this course incorporated the concept of learning community. The plans and recommendations created by students in spring 2008 COM471 were carried over to two sections of fall 2008 COM401 (38 students in eight teams). Faculty, academic technology support staff, and several students from spring COM471 sections provided continuity of intellectual content in the fall capstone sections. Students from other concentrations in the communication major (e.g., advertising, radio-TV-film, journalism, sports communication, communication studies) who did not have prior experience with the case formed teams with the public relations students, thus encouraging new and interdisciplinary thinking about the common case. As a final project, capstone student teams were required to research, analyze, refine, and execute communication plans to facilitate awareness of and participation in Sakai-iLearn among key student and faculty audiences. The design of this learning community (70 students in 15 teams; four sections of two courses across two semesters; faculty; academic technology staff) was facilitated by development of a Sakai-iLearn project collaboration site that will be described in the deployment section of this application.
Third, I drew upon the theory of relationship management, a public relations perspective (see my syllabus, p. 2). This theory is based in part on the concepts that I applied to these courses: 1) control mutuality (the degree to which faculty and students jointly asserted control over education in the class); 2) trust (willingness to place confidence in each other, trust each other, and depend on each other); 3) satisfaction (the degree to which students and faculty viewed our relationship as favorable); and 4) commitment (degree to which we were willing to invest in our relationship).
Course delivery followed a scaffolding approach to teaching and learning. Beginning with spring COM471, I introduced the case and demonstrated the Sakai-iLearn CLE. I then engaged each section in tutorials to familiarize students with CLE tools. At the small-group level, each team created a student contact list and project timeline, using the Wiki tool.
To empower individuals, I adopted an open-source syllabus approach to course design by placing a draft copy of the syllabus in a wiki and giving students a chance to co-author the final version. The CLE allowed students to immediately collaborate, take an active role in the course, and form a partnership with the instructor. During the semester, I applied teamwork principles (supported by material in CLE resources folders and Web content) to assign individual roles, which enabled students to achieve experience and master tasks.
I continued scaffolding in two sections of the fall 2008 COM401 course, expanding the project scope to collaboration among all teams in both sections. However, our ability to achieve full collaboration was restricted by physical and virtual barriers that were created by separate meeting times, separate course sections, and separate CLE course sites. To erase some of these barriers, I requested and was granted permission to establish a Sakai-iLearn collaboration project site that would link students and faculty in both sections of COM401. The project site deployed and integrated information from both course sites. Thus, project site Wikis, forums, podcasts, announcements, messaging, and chats allowed a level of communication and collaboration among all teams in both sections of the course that had not previously existed in traditional or online classes with multiple sections.
Hence, the project collaboration site became a hub, around which I could form connections- like spokes - with individual course section sites. Around the hub and spokes, many different teams, students, faculty, staff, and even guests were now able to communicate and collaborate along various instructional pathways. The final level of scaffolding was achieved as capstone students, on their own initiative, produced communication tactics that achieved project goals. These tactics included development of a collaboration project site for adjunct faculty and a course site for students in Marist's eCourses program. Students also procured specially branded Sakai-iLearn USB drives and produced announcements, information materials and even training tutorials for the Sakai-iLearn system that were then placed in these sites. Achievement of these outcomes demonstrated student mastery of learning outcomes (see attachments).
Finally, the Sakai-iLearn tools enabled me to meet Marist's deployment criteria for eLearning excellence:
Community Building Activities: forum tools for introductions; Wiki for open-source syllabus development; tests and quizzes tool to obtain student feedback through surveys.
Answer Student Questions, Provide Student Feedback, Promote Group Discussions: forum and chat tools for discussions and group interactions; resources, assignment tools, gradebook, and podcasts to provide feedback.
Weekly Course Updates and Student Acknowledgements: Announcements, messages, and podcasts for updates; resources, assignments, and gradebook tools for acknowledgements.
Online Guest Speakers. Forum discussions, blogs, and podcasts enabled interaction between students and professional public relations practitioners, academic technology experts, etc.
Collaboration and community-building activities are evident from pre-course activities to final exam week. Deployment of a "welcome" e-mail (with Sakai information attachment) to incoming students prepared students. An online discussion in the CLE chatroom during final exam week allowed students to assess and reflect on course results. Before the course began, students were able to view a draft of the course syllabus and use a CLE Wiki to help revise and coauthor the final version, thus creating an open-source syllabus. A COM471 student remarked, "I enjoyed the way the class was run, because students had the ability to share control with the professor, who was always willing to discuss changes to the syllabus, such as due dates. I also liked the fact that our class involved active discussions rather than lectures."
Once the course began, the Tests & Quizzes tool was used to survey students about communication preferences. Please refer to page 2 of the syllabus and to the case method of teaching and learning CLE reading (provided here as file attachments) for additional evidence of the collaborative design. Furthermore, forum discussions, live chats, blogging, and Wiki tools were used to promote interaction among students, faculty, staff, and outside guests throughout the course. The CLE highlighted weights of each gradebook item. The ample weight of participation (20% of the final grade) and team projects underscored the correlation between excellence and active teamwork. Blogging and reflexive memos (stored in drop boxes and assignment folders in the CLE) served as ways for students to set goals, measure progress, form a learning community, apply learning, and reflect on experiences in the course.
Customized "Course Tools" (including Web content like Facebook, MySpace) provided multiple sources of learning material, communication channels, and community support.
Design of course tools, folders, etc. directed students toward essential resources but provided students with a measure of control of which sources to choose from, depending on learning style.
Announcements (often with hyperlinks), podcasts, discussion forums, resource folders provided different avenues to same or similar information.
The tests & quizzes tool was used to deploy a survey during the first week of class to obtain feedback from students. This survey was designed to collect data related to student demographics and learning styles that would help personalize the course (e.g., What interests and obligations do you have outside class? What do you hope to gain from this course? If you were teaching this class what would you do to help students get the most out of this course?). The CLE allowed for immediate analysis of results, which were used to guide refinements that gave students mutual control over the course.
Evidence of successful learning outcomes can be seen in the way the course met many of the seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education.
1) Encouraged Contacts Between Students and Faculty. Dialog began before the semester began, with transmission of a welcome e-mail message to incoming students that contained a Sakai-iLearn overview package. A Week One discussion forum and tests & quizzes survey allowed students and the instructor to exchange introductions and goals for the course. Use of these and other tools (e.g., blog, podcasts) continued during the course. To promote more personal contact, I periodically held small group meetings during class time and office hours with each team and individual students. Personal, reflexive memo assignments further extended these contacts to and individual level.
2) Reciprocity and Cooperation Among Students. Establishment of teams and problem-solving exercises (e.g., quiz games, critical thinking exercises) on the CLE promoted teamwork. Students also took responsibility for assigning and carrying out individual roles; brainstorming; developing meeting agendas and minutes, project timelines, team contact lists, etc. Peer-graded writing assignments on the CLE reinforced feelings of responsibility and reciprocity. Students at first felt intimidated grading each other but then realized the value of learning from each other. One student wrote in a reflexive memo, "I liked the constructive criticism that I received from my peers. For example, I had my biography corrected in class I was immediately able to see all of the mistakes that I had made. It allowed me to be more hands on with my assignment and learn from my peers." Another student mentioned, "At first I was intimidated that this course relied on a lot of classmate and team performance.... However, I have come to understand and appreciate the importance of team and classmate collaboration for this course, other parts of life and for a job."
3) Active Learning Techniques. The course relied on interactive discussions and activities in class and online (e.g., forums, blogs, Wikis). Knowing they were contributing something of value to a real-world project (e.g., educational support at Marist) allowed students to relate to the course and apply it to their daily lives. As one student remarked, investing in a successful outcome gave them a strong sense of accomplishment and meaning: ""This project allowed students to work together on a project that had true significance. It also taught us to use all resources available to us when collaborating with many different people and offices, which is what we will be expected to do in our professional careers."
4) Prompt Feedback. In-class writing assignments, small-group meetings, interactive discussions (e.g., blogs and forums), and weekly CLE announcements provided prompt feedback, without having to wait for the next class meeting. Students received personalized feedback on final project reports that were converted to .pdf files, annotated with handwritten comments using a tablet PC, and uploaded to CLE folders. Student teams also received immediate, face-to-face feedback after presenting final exam project reports and 15-minute oral briefings to faculty and senior professionals.
5) Time on Task. CLE technologies made efficient use of time. A majority of student work on the project was completed outside the classroom. Resources were available 24/7 on the course and project sites. CLE tools like Wikis provided useful contact information, timelines, and other management tools (e.g., forums, chats) to promote efficient use of time.
6) Communication of High Expectations. Students were allowed to take a vote during Week One: to be treated like students ("kids") or adults ("professionals"). Before voting, I explained to students that expectations for adults and professionals were much higher than for kids and students. Students voted unanimously to strive for adult and professional standards. Visits to class and participation in blog discussions by guests (e.g., a managing partner for a public relations firm, a director for academic technology) and meetings with senior administration officials (e.g., deans, vice presidents) held students accountable for meeting these expectations. A student in COM471 wrote in a reflexive memo, "My favorite part about this course was being treated like an adult and a professional. This was the first time in my college experience where I took a course and felt that my opinion really mattered."
7) Respect For Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning. Again, students were given many opportunities to identify and demonstrate their talents, interests, and learning outcomes through surveys, reflexive memos, peer-assessments, hands-on-experience with a real-world project, and collaboration with professionals. Students were also given a strong voice (control mutuality) in determining course direction, which encouraged them to take ownership of outcomes.
Course look and feel and Web usability was incorporated in course design and deployment to give students a choice of various navigational routes to information and resources while at the same time directing them to information that I wanted them to use. For instance, customized links to Web content were added under course tools, including direct access to MySpace and Facebook that students incorporated in project communication tactics as well as resources for writing and research. Default modules on the CLE site's homepage were also minimized and rearranged to avoid clutter and confusion. Most resources only one or two mouse clicks away from student access. See screenshots for evidence.
Learner support was evident in an extensive syllabus and course packet (attached) with interactive links for each course that clearly identified teaching and learning goals, assignment and assessment descriptions, sample materials, and resources. These support documents were designed to meet demanding Marist College standards for syllabus construction and excellence in eLearning criteria and included guidelines for exercises like blogging. See the attached files for syllabus and course packet samples.
Links to technical support were placed throughout the site. Forums and Wikis were also developed on the fly as the coursed progressed and student needs were identified. Many of these tools were developed by and for students, thus ensuring they supported their needs.
Special academic technology discussion forums were established, linking students directly with support specialists who could respond promptly with information that would remain in the CLE site throughout the course.
A special podcast feed was also established, which allowed the director of academic technology to take questions via the technology support discussion forum and provide personalized audio responses via dedicated podcasts. Final student briefings were also distributed via podcasts on the project site (see attachment).
The innovative application of theories and concepts associated with adult learning, relationship management, and learning community to these undergraduate courses would not have been possible without online technology. Specifically, these tools enabled me to conform to the following principles:
1) Met Needs of Net Gen Students
Challenging students to develop creative communication strategies to support Marist's transition to Sakai-iLearn provided students with a meaningful, real-world project that students found to be of interest and relevant to their own lives. According to a student, "Not only did I learn from our class readings, but I was actually able to put that into action with a real case study ... [an] actual project made all the difference."
Utilizing the Sakai-iLearn CLE as a project-management platform equipped students with a unique suite of Internet-based tools that appealed to their innovative nature and allowed them to quickly and efficiently investigate and solve the problem at hand. They were able to "play" with tools, customizing them to fit their individual learning styles and interests (see attached rap song , video, etc.). Students like this one were able to related this experience to life after college: "Without this course I would have never known how to blog, use a wiki, analyze a public relations case, write a press release, or develop a communication tactic for a course management system. These new skills ... are going to help get my first job."
The speed at which students were able to complete project-related research, planning, communication, and evaluation was impressive. Students would not have been able to accomplish as much, as quickly, or as enthusiastically in a classroom without these kinds of technology.
2) Achieved Active Learning, Collaboration, and Interaction
The CLE provided students with an opportunity to collaborate and communicate with colleagues, faculty, support staff, administrators, and professional communicators. Hence, students were able to engage in active learning, develop their own CLE sites (see screenshots), and master collaborative communication and management tools that they will depend on in a professional career. One student observed, "At first I didn't think the agendas would come in as handy as they did. I was amazed at how well they organized us, tracked our progress, and helped us move forward each week. Not only was it useful for our team meetings, but now I feel as though I can carry over the organizational skills I have learned from this class into my professional life."
3) Extended Learning & Time on Task - Creating a Learning Community
Finally, technology extended learning by increasing time that students spent on task. Creation of an online learning community based on multiple CLE sites (including a project site) allowed students to work on the project and maintain contact with each other outside of classroom meeting times and continue work over two semesters. According to a student, "I learned the importance of keeping in contact with colleagues.... I also found that when you stay in touch with teammates, it is easier to get the work required done thoroughly and on time."
Furthermore, CLE tools enabled a level of contact with experts and support staff that couldn't be achieved in a traditional classroom. For instance, during time outside of class meetings, students were able to download and listen to podcasts from the director of academic technology, engage in forum discussions with academic technology support staff, and blog with communication executives. One student concluded from this experience, "This course helped me see that turbulence in the world of communication is to be expected and that it is our job as communicators to turn those problems into opportunities."
Finally, this innovation would not have been achievable without the outstanding students or dedicated academic technology staff members that were the heart of this learning community.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| TWSIA, Consolidated Screenshots, Marist-Van Dyke.pdf | 1.61 MB |
| COM 471 Syllabus, Spring 08 v 1.3.pdf | 313.82 KB |
| COM 401 Syllabus, Fall 08, v 1.3.pdf | 316.19 KB |
| COM 401 Course Packet, Fall 08, v 1.0.pdf | 328.52 KB |
| COM401 Sakai-iLearn Sample Project Report.pdf | 583.62 KB |
| Marist, Sakai-iLearn Student Communication Capstone Presentation.mp3 | 12.43 MB |
| Sakai-iLearn Rap, Student-Produced.mp3 | 127.98 KB |
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