Communication

At this time, the Department of Communication is allowing instructors to individually dictate how the use of generative, artificial intelligence (AI) is managed in their classrooms, specifically if it is (a) allowed, (b) only allowed in specific circumstances, (c) if allowed, under what conditions, or (d) completely prohibited.

In turn, 1818 instructors will be given the same directive. While the exact policy for your classroom is at your discretion, what is required is that you ensure your 1818 CMM course syllabus includes an explicit statement and guidance for students on what your policy is. You are strongly encouraged to utilize the "Generative AI Syllabus Statement" templates from the SLU Reinert Center to explicitly communicate your policy to your students in your syllabus.

Syllabus templates for CMM-related courses can be accessed via the links below:

• CMM 1200 Syllabus Template

• CMM 2400 Syllabus Template

The following resources provide additional support, material, ideas, and guidelines for enhancing teaching practices in our communication (CMM) courses:

Conducting Assessments: Sample Rubrics & Skill Evaluations (NCA Basic Course Division)

• Informative Speech Rubric

• Persuasive Speech Rubric

•  Conversation Skills Evaluation Form

• "Competent Speaker" Evaluation Form

Teaching Communication Concepts: Some Initial Resources

• Concepts and Praxis in Communication

• Why Study Communication? Understanding the Benefits (NCA)

Improving Practices & Troubleshooting Problems in the Classroom

• An NCA Guide to Effective Instructional Practices

• Best Teaching Practices in Journalism & Mass Communication (AEJMC) 

• Steps Toward Inclusive Teaching

• Ideas for Teaching Diversity (AEJMC)

Considering Course Design Decisions

• Functions and Forms of Flipped Classrooms

*NCA: National Communication Association

*AEJMC: Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication

The following information provides a detailed overview about what to expect and what to know prior to our site visits for this year:

Site Visit Timing

• Site visits will be conducted during the spring semester of this academic year (sometime between February-May). So expect an email from me in January requesting scheduling details and preferences for when we can coordinate a site visit.

Purpose & Goals

• The primary purpose of coordinating site visits is to provide a means by which we can observe (and record evidence of) the great work our 1818 instructors are doing in the classroom. Collaborating via email or Zoom is useful, but being able to collaborate in-person through site visits each year helps advance our program, course instruction, and collaboration even further.

• In turn, the central goals of the site visits will be to (a) identify primary strengths of the course instruction, (b) record observations/evidence of the instructional methods, (c) confirm the instructional methods effectively advance the standardized course objectives, and (d) create space for feedback, as well as questions, for ideas on how/where the course instruction (and/or methods) could improve even further.

Points of Focus & Assessment

• This site visit form (click here) provides a comprehensive overview of (a) information I will ask for prior to the site visit, (b) what I will be assessing during the site visit, and (c) possible points of discussion after the site visit.

Feedback Sought & Provided

• Although the site visit form above provides several points of feedback, I am also happy to provide targeted feedback toward any additional areas that might also be helpful. If that would be of interest, please certainly mention this during our pre-visit communications and I will provide as much helpful feedback as possible in those areas.

Communication Discipline-Specific Grading & Assessment  

The following information outlines the anticipated dates/times for our upcoming 1818 CMM events:

Online Meet-Up

• Thursday, September 5th at 3:15pm (via Zoom; see email for meeting link)

Professional Development Session

• Thursday, November 14th at 3:00pm (via Zoom; see email for meeting link)