A Learner’s Way

My dean forwarded an article from the National Post describing how a Columbia University professor decided to ban the use of laptops in his classes. Why? Several of his students complained they were distracted by classmates surfing the Web, checking their e-mails, shopping online and social networking on Facebook during in-class lectures and presentations.

Apparently, many other institutions of higher learning have outlawed laptop use in classrooms. This has sparked quite a debate. How far should colleges and universities go in restricting technology? And, how can they when some programs demand that students purchase laptops as part of their studies?

There’s no doubt that what’s behind the computer screen is very tempting for students. Combine short attention spans and long lectures and they begin to check e-mails, chat with friends, review sites, etc. The worst of it? When they’re on the computer, they disengage with the speaker and the material at the front of the room. (Kind of like trying to drive and talk on a cell phone at the same time.)

Some students go to great lengths to give the impression they’re listening intently and keying in notes. However, often this isn’t the case. Others will tell you they’ve very good at multi-tasking; so, what’s the big deal?

Rather than banning laptops outright, I’d recommend letting the learning situation dictate the response. For key content, ask students to close their laptops or turn off their monitors. Let them know that the next bit of content requires listening, focusing and attending. Give them a time frame for how long they’ll be “computer-less” as many may get a bit panicked without their familiar lifeline. For students concerned about getting the notes, make sure they receive them. Put another way: develop an instructional strategy or technique, rather than banning the technology.

Ideas from students and educators about dealing with laptops in class most welcome.

In the early days of my teaching career I used to get quite upset when the only feedback I received from some students was “loved the guest speakers.”  I figured somehow they must have felt the rest of the course content was useless.

I now view feedback like this as a major compliment.  Delivering meaningful content in my media relations, event management and Intro to PR courses means I strategically select my guest speakers for maximum benefit.  Maximum benefit means major learning.

Based on the enthusiastic response to my guest speakers this semester, this strategic approach pays dividends in terms of ideas and learning.

I’ve listed my tips for selecting guests speakers that are good as gold below:

1.  Ensure your guest speakers reflect the diversity of your learners.  For example, if your group includes recent university grads and students who have been out working for a number of years, pick speakers to match. If your group is composed of brown, black, yellow, white, male and female faces, pick speakers who match the mix.

2.  Invite in PR practitioners from organizations that students are familiar with–brands they admire or firms they’ve read about. 

3.  Pick speakers from organizations students might not consider as having exciting, engaging communications activities.  (e.g. Kari Cuss, Director of Public Affairs and Communications,  was a recent fabulous guest speaker from Trillium Gift of Life Network, Ontario’s organ and tissue donation.)  She left many students thinking:  “I’ve changed my mind about working in the not-for-profit sector and working in health care.”

4.  Invite recent grads in to speak.  Nothing is more powerful than for students to learn about the business of PR through the eyes of a grad who was in their place just six months ago.

5.  Don’t be too prescriptive when advising your guests about their subject.  Let their experience do their talking for them.  Students are hungry for “real” examples about “real PR” and it doesn’t matter how many examples their professors provide; for students, it’s all about people who actually do it.

6.  Take a chance on inviting in a speaker you haven’t met before.  I like to reach out to my CPRS Toronto and IABC Toronto colleagues who’ve recently won awards or made headlines.  It’s a good way for me to network.  But, more importantly, it lets students see a clear benefit of joining a professional association.  We’re a generous, thoughtful group of professionals who want to contribute to the next generation of PR pros and I like students to see this in action.

7.  So your speaker will resonate with students, tell them beforehand as much as you can about the situation:  how many students; where they are in the semester; what they’ll likely want to know; how they’ll likely react, etc. 

Perhaps you’ve recently spoken to a group of college students.  Or, maybe you’ve been the beneficiary of new knowledge from a guest speaker in your class.  Tell me about your experience.

Last week, I joined about 200 very energetic participants who attended  http://talkischeap.pbwiki.com/, an unconference sponsored by IABC Toronto and organized by Gary Schlee. 

The event featured a dozen different 20-minute workshops on social media crammed into two hours.  Speakers like Joseph Thornley, Donna Papacosta and others brilliantly captured the attention of the attendees with tips and tidbits about social media applications, corporate communications and public relations.

The unconference was held at my campus, The Centre for Creative Communications.  As I spend most of my work day planning and executing presentations, I’m always fascinated to view teaching, learning and presentations “from the other side”—sitting in the audience. 

The Talk is Cheap sessions were doubly intriguing as, just a few hours earlier, I attempted, in these same classrooms, to drive home a concept, engage my learners and leave them with something to think about.

When a class  (like any presentation) is good, it’s very good.  Everything goes according to my lesson plan—a plan that always includes some kind of attention-getter, core content, examples and samples and some application of content.  Along the way, I try to include enough time for students to offer ideas, debate key points, question the rationale of some theory and get to work on figuring it out for themselves.  And, if it works, we manage in our 80-minute class to achieve our objectives.

Timing is everything.  Short talks, like those at Talk is Cheap recognize that learners (or anyone listening to an oral presentation) can likely attend for a maximum of 20 minutes.  In fact, one of my Cooperative Learning professors suggests that  educators change things up every 10 minutes.  Pose a question.  Shift the topic.  Get learners talking among themselves.  Ask them to do something like fill out a questionnaire, find some research, debate a question.  Get them to move.  He often reminded us:  “the brain needs to talk.”

This 10-minute change-up method works especially well for this generation of learners, many of whom attempt to listen, type notes on their laptops, check messages on their cell phones and compose Facebook entries during class.  They like stimulation.  They demand a change of pace.  Many of them find it difficult to pay attention longer than about 10 minutes; it’s not a habit they’ve acquired.

So, how come you could hear a pin drop throughout the 20-minute presentations I sat in on with Joe and Donna?  Both presenters had the rapt attention of everyone in the audience (including lots of PR students) for their entire overviews, complete with slides.

Was it because audience members were new to each other and new to the situation? Was it that everyone was (just like in week one of my semesters) on “their best behaviour.”  Or, was the content so new and intriguing that they couldn’t help but pay attention?

Whatever it was, it worked.  Let me know what works for you when you attend a workshop:  what presentation techniques hold your interest and help you learn?

The ethics of creating fake blogs, or flogs came up during a unit I presented last week on corporate blogging.  To elicit student opinions, I told them of a recent grad who was asked to write a blog where she pretends she’s a fan of one of her agency’s musical clients.  She felt uneasy with this request and sought my advice about what to do.

I asked my current students:  what do you think about flogs?

A number offered the opinion that flogs are just fine.  One asked:  how is a flog any different from some of Edward Bernays’ campaigns?  Flogs, he suggested, are all part of  marketing mix and we should consider them just another way to get attention for a product or service.  There’s no big deal about them.  Another felt that it’s possible those writing flogs generally believe in their topic, so, what the harm?

 The Wikipedia definition of a flog seems to support these viewpoints.

“A fake blog (sometimes shortened to flog or referred to as a flack blog) is a marketingtool designed by a professional advertisement company to promote a product in a fashion one might find on a fan site or in regular blog entries. The purpose of such “flogs” is to inspire viral marketing or create an internet meme which generates traffic and interest in a product disproportionate to the interest a company could generate using the same budget on traditional means of advertising, much the same as astroturfing (a “fake grassroots” campaign).”

I just don’t see how this practice is authenic.  I don’t see how it could ever align with CPRS’s Code of Ethics.  And, as I told the student who sought my advice, I’d feel uneasy with any organzation that asked me to do this. 

Plus, the blogosphere is a place where members police each other.  Many bloggers don’t take kindly to the practice of flogs and when you’re “found out” how will that affect your reputation in PR circles?

Am I out to lunch on this? It would be helpful to hear what others in PR and marketing have to say about creating flogs.