I teach a range of courses in Organizational Communication, Communication Consulting, Interpersonal Communication, and Word-of-Mouth, Buzz, and Viral Marketing Communication..

My teaching practices stem from the claim that the field of communication studies is a practical discipline. The term practical implies that the focus of research and teaching should begin with problems and issues that communicators confront in their everyday lives and to create ways to ethically and responsibly address these problems. Students should thus come away with a practical, strategic understanding of how to employ particular communication skills, an appreciation for a range of theoretical perspectives that shed light on various communication problems and issues, a critical understanding of the assumptions (cultural, theoretical, or otherwise) implicated in what makes for "effective" communication, as well as a reflective awareness of what constitutes ethical and socially responsible communication.

In Summer 2006, I taught:

CMNU914 Special Topics in Organizational Communication: Word-of-Mouth, Buzz, and Viral Marketing Communication [course blog]

In Spring 2006, I taught:

CMNU531 Advanced Organizational Communication [course blog]

In Fall 2005, I taught:

CMNU101 Introduction to Communication Studies [course web site]
CMNU531 Advanced Organizational Communication

In Spring 2005, I taught:

CMNU531 Advanced Organizational Communication [syllabus]
CMNU533 Consultation Skills [syllabus]

In Fall 2004, I taught:

CMNU101 Introduction to Communication Studies [course web site]
CMNU531 Advanced Organizational Communication










































Statement of Teaching Practices

My teaching practices stem from the claim that the field of communication studies is a practical discipline. The term practical implies that the focus of research and teaching should begin with problems and issues that communicators confront in their everyday lives and to create ways to ethically and responsibly address these problems. Students should thus come away with a practical, strategic understanding of how to employ particular communication skills, an appreciation for a range of theoretical perspectives that shed light on various communication problems and issues, a critical understanding of the assumptions (cultural, theoretical, or otherwise) implicated in what makes for "effective" communication, as well as a reflective awareness of what constitutes ethical and socially responsible communication.

In undergraduate teaching, my goal is to create a particular climate where students can develop their communication skills (whether these be listening, speaking, interviewing, relating, etc.) in a supportive atmosphere, and where the assumptions of what makes for "good" or "competent" communication can be interrogated. I encourage discussion where students have an opportunity to bring their own experiences to course readings and to challenge assumptions of the particular approaches we are learning about. Relatedly, I select certain readings that challenge the students' assumptions about how they interpret their own communicative experiences.

I like to start each class with an agenda explaining what we will be working on for that day. The first five to ten minutes are reserved for a discussion about news or current events in students' lives as they relate to the subject matter of the class. This time provides students with an opportunity to make verbal contributions that apply what we are learning to their problems, experiences, or current event issues and to listen to those applications of other students. I find that beginning class in this way increases students' participation, interest, and understanding of how course concepts apply to everyday life.

Next, I ask if there are any questions students have about what we discussed last class or concerning a project they may be working on, creating continuity with prior classes. From here, I often provide a mini-lecture, which lasts anywhere from five to fifteen minutes, on a substantive topic. In these short lectures, I highlight theoretical issues that were discussed in the class readings for the day and supplement these readings with background material. Often, the background information I provide places the material in a broader context, specifically in terms of how that knowledge was generated and assumptions about that particular approach.

After the mini-lecture, I involve the class with an activity that demonstrates some of the substantive issues and/or facilitate a class discussion about this material. In the discussions, I encourage students to display their knowledge of course material and to frame their contributions as arguments or claims, rather than as "personal opinions," that can then be contested by other students. By stating comments as claims, rather than simply expressions of opinion or self, the class is in a better position to judge whether or not particular perspectives are responsible and viable for a larger community, rather than just one individual.

In addition to class discussions, mini-lectures, and in-class experiential activities, certain portions of my courses are workshop-based. In workshops, students bring in drafts of the projects they are working on (e.g., projects, speeches, presentations, business proposals, etc.) to practice and revise with other classmates. These segments highlight the importance of repetition in developing effective communication habits and provide a context where students can engage in constructive criticism with their peers.

Increasingly, I have involved various technologies in my classes, especially using the internet as a research tool, Power Point presentations for my mini-lectures, and Blackboard to post course assignment sheets, encourage bulletin board discussions outside of class, and to allow students a way to access their grades and course Power Point presentations. In addition to incorporating these technologies as teaching tools, I also encourage meta-discussions about the technologies we are using in class so that students become reflectively aware of how various technologies enable and constrain the classroom experience.

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