Media Studies Students’ Opinions about Their Core Classes

1. Media Studies Students’ Opinions about Their Core Classes Prepared for: Dr. Noah Arceneaux Assistant Professor of Media Studies School of Journalism & Media Studies San Diego State University Prepared by: Collegiate Consultants Jessica Aranda, Louisa Arreola, Eric Brown, Julia Scholl

2. Research Background Faculty from the School of Journalism & Media Studies wanted to learn how: Students enrolled in the Media Studies major perceive the program. Whether student expectations for the program match what it offers. Faculty have observed that some students express dissatisfaction with the program and its offerings.

3. Information Needs To determine whether students feel their courses overemphasize theory. To learn whether students believe their professors care about students’ future careers. To investigate whether students believe the core curriculum is redundant. To evaluate whether students feel their professors connect course content to the real world.

4. Methods 199 Media Studies students were asked to participate in an online survey in November 2011. Out of a valid sample of 199 Media Studies students, 121 students completed the questionnaires. The Media Studies questionnaire completion rate was 61%.

5. Sample Characteristics JMS 408 JMS 412 JMS 450 JMS 492

6. Measures The course is/was heavy on theory. The professor cares about my future career. Course material is/was redundant of things I already knew. The professor helps/helped connect course content to the real world.

7. Opinion Statement Findings #1:I thought the course was heavy on theory JMS 450 JMS 492 JMS 408 JMS 412

8. Opinion Statement Findings #2:The professor cares about my future career JMS 492 JMS 412 JMS 408 JMS 450

9. Opinion Statement Findings #3:Thecourse material is redundant

10. Opinion Statement Findings #4:The professor connected course material to the real world

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19. From Depth Interview “I have had Arceneaux twice now and feel that his teaching style is the most efficient to college students. He adequately correlates the real world with our class lectures and provides a clearer picture for us students compared to traditional teaching styles.” -Media Studies student

20. From Depth Interview “I feel like sometimes we do things and it seems as if we’re going over the same things over and over again. There’s not a lot I dislike, but I definitely think they [sic] should teach us more about the real world and different job opportunities. That’s pretty much all the complaints I have.” - Male Media Studies student

21. From Depth Interview “Sometimes I think the professors lack any interests in the students’ future careers because, why are the professors teaching the same material? Sometimes I think it is because they are lazy or have no interest in the students.” - Female Media Studies Student

22. Recommendations Connect course content to the real world by incorporating relevant case studies into the curriculum. Meet as a faculty to brainstorm ways in which professors can meaningfully integrate real world case studies into each Media Studies course.

23. Recommendations Including real world current events into the course may prevent students from perceiving the course as redundant. Conduct further research on what aspects of each course students find to be redundant. Meet as a faculty to share syllabi and identify which aspects of each course may be unnecessarily redundant.