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Making Ethics Click: Using a Student Response System In a Humanities Discussion Course. by Mike Dorsher, Ph.D., assistant professor Department of Communication and Journalism University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Presentation Outline. Traditional uses of “clickers” Taking attendance
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Making Ethics Click:Using a Student Response System In a Humanities Discussion Course by Mike Dorsher, Ph.D., assistant professor Department of Communication and Journalism University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Presentation Outline • Traditional uses of “clickers” • Taking attendance • Gathering demographic data • Verifying lecture assimilation • In-class quizzes • New uses of clickers in discussion classes • Quick surveys • Decision trees • Augmenting students’ presentations • Grading classmates’ presentations
Results of previous SRS studies • 1996 Rutgers U. study, N = 85 • 88% felt more “involved” with clickers • 67% said clickers help them see if they’re getting it • 1997 Ball State U. study, N = 740 • 42% liked clickers for taking attendance • 46% paid better attention in class with them • 85% liked clickers better than raising hands • 2005 University of Wisconsin System study, N = 1,500 • 78% agreed clickers made them more engaged • 75% agreed they helped them see if they’re getting it • 67% agreed clickers helped them pay attention • 55% agreed clickers facilitate interaction among students
Attendance; e.g.How familiar are you with the Unabomber case? • Not at all • I remember it, but I’m fuzzy on the details • I remember the Unabomber’s name • I read part of the Unabomber Manifesto in The Post or The Times • I am the Unabomber
Demographic data; e.g.My most recent degree is in … • Journalism/mass comm. • Other communications • Education • English • A social science • A natural science • Business • None of the above
Lecture assimilation; e.g.Which was NOT a key question in this case: • Should The Post and Times negotiate with a terrorist? • Should the papers comply with the FBI request to print? • Should they replace news stories with the Manifesto? • Should they turn over the manuscript as evidence?
In-class quizzes; e.g.How did the FBI catch the Unabomber? • He gave himself up • Someone recognized him from ‘America’s Most Wanted’ • His mother read the Manifesto in the paper and turned him in • His brother read the Manifesto online and turned him in
Quick surveys; e.g.As Post editor, which would you value most? • Upholding 1st Amendment independence from the govt. • Increased readership • Maintaining credibility • Possibly helping save lives • Informing readers • Not acquiescing to terrorists • Possibly helping capture a criminal
Quick surveys; e.g.As The Post editor, whom do you most owe loyalty? • The terrorist, who’s threatening you • Future potential victims of the terrorist • The surviving victims and families of dead victims • The government • Your readers/the public • Yourself & other journalists
Decision trees; e.g.With a top value of ____ and top loyalty of ____, which ethicist would you follow: • John Rawls: Protect the vulnerable; print the Manifesto • John Stuart Mill: The greatest good for the greatest number; don’t print it to uphold press independence • Aristotle: The golden mean would be to excerpt it in the paper and publish it all online
Augmenting students’ presentations; e.g.Under what circumstances should Carl’s Jr. run the sexy Paris Hilton BBQ burger commercial? • Never, it’s in poor taste • Only after consulting every franchisee • Only if the ad informs viewers that franchisees were not consulted • No restrictions or conditions at all
What grade would you give this speaker on her or his voice volume and pace, eye contact and hand gestures? • F • D • C • B • A
Please grade him or her on use of PowerPoint (e.g., use of 7-7 rule, readability and violations of the ‘Style Errors to Avoid’) • F • D • C • B • A
Grade how well he or she analyzed the case (i.e., Was he or she pluralistic and persuasive?) • F • D • C • B • A
Grade how well he or she taught you (i.e., How interesting was the dilemma, and how much did you learn from this analysis?) • F • D • C • B • A