A Learner’s Way

A conversation overheard between two female students this morning: “Like…..how come students who never come to class get good grades and others who are always here get lousy grades?”

“Yeah, like, I figure, why should I come to class to learn about the history of the telegraph? What good is that going to do for me?” How’s that going to help me get a job?”

“Yeah, like, I have a friend who doesn’t bother going to his MBA classes. He figures, why am I paying all this money to have somebody at the front read stuff from the textbook? I can do that myself.”

The conversation ended with one of the young women remarking: “Like, I pay a lot of money to come here. Why should I pay for stuff that I can do on my own, like reading?”

All good questions. Why bother attending class?

For some students, the most difficult adjustment is our expectation that they attend classes regularly. They’re more familiar with the university model: attend a few classes, make sure you show up for exams, do your required presentations, hand in your essays.

We demand that they attend class and participate in lots of in-class group work, exercises, simulations, role plays, problem-solving and graded assignments. Many of these activities aren’t pre-announced. (Just like a regular day at the office, you don’t always know what’s going to unfold.)

I sympathize with students forced to sit through a 40-minute class where the entire time all they’re expected to do is listen and take notes. This is not teaching and learning.

I also understand how students perceive a class has no “value added,” when it consists of just going over the readings or endless, off-track, circular debates with no conclusion. This is not teaching and learning.

Learning is about making meaning. By extension this means designing meaningful classes that get students involved.

How do do it?

Ask their opinions. Find out how much they already know about the subject. Learn about their previous experience in the work world that relates to the subject. Provide concrete, current examples. Get them to dig into the material by analyzing samples. Expect them to add to content. Challenge them to think critically about the concepts being explored during the class. Set up classroom conditions that raise their curiosity about a subject, concept or point of view in an entirely different way.

Like the comedian who wants to leave ‘em laughing, make it your goal to have them leave the classroom thinking.

If you do that, the next conversation you might overhear is: “Like….boy, am I sorry I missed that class! I heard I missed a lot.”

Eric Bergman, president of Present with Ease, and a Toronto-based communications/presentation skills trainer, sent me his wonderful article on the perils of giving 30-minute answers.

He illustrates his points through the experience of his university-aged son who’s not willing to put up with even 15-minute answers from his profs.

Eric offers sage advice, especially for college professors! Check it out.

Today’s learners quickly label a class a “snoozefest” when they aren’t involved in the content in some way. They aren’t willing to settle for a constant diet of chalk ‘n talk as they passively take notes and nod agreement. (Or, nod off in some cases.)

Can’t say I blame them. Learning becomes meaningful when the brain has a chance to talk, when the content relates to the learner’s experience or when learners can see an immediate use for the new material. How is this relevant to me? they demand to know.

I don’t believe my role as an adult educator is to entertain my learners. My role is to set up the conditions under which learning has the best chance of taking place for the majority of the learners. Sometimes the conditions are just right. Sometimes they’re not. Last week, I think they worked to everyone’s benefit.

To prepare for the topic of the day, I instructed students to view and listen to (in groups of four) a DVD of Toxic Sludge is Good for You byJohn Stauber and Sheldon Rampton. Each group was responsible for summarizing one chapter or segment of the documentary. Then, they picked a spokesperson who conveyed three or four key points from their segment to the rest of the class.

The result of this approach to the material? Students debated. They expressed passionate viewpoints about the content. They challenged one another. They challenged some of the points the authors made. They sought answers and came up with solutions. They provided supporting examples from their work life and experiences.

And, the best? They kept talking about Toxic Sludge even as they left the classroom. Some, hungry for more information, did some additional research and passed it along to fellow learners.

It sure looked and felt like an ideal way to avoid a snoozefest. As a PR educator, how do you avoid having students nod off in your classes? And, students, what do you do to avoid nodding off: how do you stay engaged?

Even after 20 years of teaching, I look for new ideas at the start of each semester to make those critical first few weeks of classes meaningful. This semester is no different, as I prepare to welcome 30 new students into our program next week.

I look for inspiration online and often resort to an old-fashioned scan of a handout saved from a seminar, a clipped article from an educational journal or an inspiring chapter from a book. My desk drawers bulge with these kinds of resources.

One really useful article I found online gives me lots and lots of terrific ideas. Thank you Joyce T. Povlacs, Teaching and Learning Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, for 101 Things You Can Do The First Three Weeks of Class

Her catalog of suggestions, aimed at “college teachers looking for a fresh way of creating the best possible environment for learning….not just on the first day but during the first three weeks” provides a useful and inspiring educator’s reference.

Here’s a few suggestions gathered from UNL professors and other college teachers:

• hit the ground running on the first day of class with substantial content
• give an assignment the first day to be collected at the next meeting
• explain the difference between legitimate collaboration and academic dishonesty
• seek out a different student each day and get to know something about him or her
• share your philosophy of teaching with your students
• stage a figurative “coffee break” about 20 minutes into the hour: tell an anecdote, invite students to put down pens and pencils, refer to a current event, shift media.

Guest speaker David Rowney, a past president of CPRS Toronto and current Vice President, Marketing & Communications at AMEC Environmental, spoke to my students in December. I asked him to advise students about how to succeed as a communicator within a corporation.

Dave didn’t disappoint. Students responded so positively to his “Corporation Communications Top 10 Ways to Succeed” that I share them so others may benefit from Dave’s wisdom.

1. Understand your company’s culture.
2. React to business planning changes.
3. Learn to reinvent yourself.
4. Make your boss, and your boss’s boss, look good.
5. Recognize what you do well and exploit it.
6. Network within and outside your company.
7. Be adapatable to the pace of projects.
8. Dress for respect—not success.
9. Know when to leave.
10. Bring your energy and passion to work every day.

Along with New Year’s resolutions, I think Dave’s inspirational tips are a great way to start 2008!

My deadline to submit final grades for three courses looms.  My stack of assignments needing evaluation slowly sinks to a manageable level. 

In the middle of providing feedback on over 40 detailed case studies I realize I’ve written: “when you shift subjects, insert a paragraph,” on about 100 per cent of them.

It begs the question: how come university graduates (some of them English majors) don’t know when to use a paragraph?  For that matter:  why do college professors need to teach university graduates that commas actually serve a useful purpose in a sentence? Or that semi-colons can break up two thoughts very efficiently? Or, that drafting short, declarative sentences improves a writer’s overall clarity?  

We certainly try to remedy our students’ writing flaws.  We offer intensive courses in copy editing and PR writing.  On virtually every assignment, we provide feedback on both their ideas and how they express them. Often, students submit brilliantly creative but technically flawed assignments riddled with run-on sentences, comma faults and words used incorrectly—nouns as verbs, adverbs as adjectives, etc.

In some cases, students unfamiliar with the precise meaning of a word use it anyway.  Just in case it’s the correct one.

Spiritually, students feel quite broken when they receive their first assignments after their instructors (also trained editors) red pens their grammar. Many feel devastated to receive a “C” grade that’s mostly the result of sloppy editing and weak application of the basics of grammar and punctuation.  

For some, it’s a wake-up call to bone up on CP Style or pay more attention to proofreading.   Or, to begin to actually consult an dictionary.  Others have such ingrained habits they’re never able to conquer subject/verb agreement, possessives, or contractions.

As an educator, I feel discouraged knowing that however much feedback and extra help I provide, many PR students graduate with less-than-stellar writing skills.  Their habits run too deep.  Or, acquiring the basics this late in their educational journey is just too hard.  Or, they’ve managed to earn a university degree without mastering the basics of grammar and may ask:  what’s the point now?

The point for me is that many employers ask: “why can’t graduates today write?”  And, that’s why I continue to provide the feedback I do.

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?

During a recent career fair at Laurier University, I got to swapping ideas with a marketing rep from Georgian College.  I learned that her employer provides her with a Blackberry, with a GPS,  to help her get around the province to visit various high schools and universities.

That got me thinking about how students seem to need a GPS for each and every assignment.  They want a precise road map that tells them which direction to go.  They get very anxious when they don’t receive clear and absolute answers about the best direction to take–the one that will earn them an “A.”

Striving to achieve an A  I completely understand.  Grades are the students’ pay cheques.  Along with their regular pay, students also want to earn bonuses, just as we do in the world of work.

But, classroom assignments are so unlike the world of work.  And, so unlike the world of corporate communications where we rarely encounter any absolute right answers.  Just ideas that are better than others.  Or, more creative or cost-effective ideas.

Employers expect employees to “figure things out” and “find things out.”  They often don’t have the time (or inclination) to provide all the answers. 

I experienced this while working at RBC last year.  At the start of my contract, my supervisor asked me to update the department’s publication’s style guide. Piece of cake, I thought.  I like copy editing.  I’m familiar with CP Style. I’ve taught a number of PR writing courses. How hard could this be?

I figured I had asked her the right questions to begin the project.  I thought I knew precisely what she was looking for. So, off I went, armed with what I presumed was enough to earn me an ”A.”

By the sixth or seventh draft, I knew one thing:  supervisors often don’t know exactly what they’re looking for until they see it.  However, they always know what they aren’t looking for (and that’s usually incomplete, unclear and just plain sloppy work.)  That’s a constant. 

And, employers (like college professors) like it when they get a new idea that works.  When someone impresses them with a different direction, another way of looking at things. Something a little off the road map they’ve provided.

And, they especially like it when you don’t make more work for them.  That’s a given.

So, PR employers:  do your direct reports require a GPS to complete their projects?  And, academics, do your students insist on precise road maps before they set out on their next assignment?