COMM 250 Agenda - Week 1

• Introducing the Professor

• Syllabus

• Student Expectations (Exercise)

• Implicit and Explicit Course Agreements

• Lecture• The Nature of Science• The Role of Research

• Team Formation - Tomorrow

Who I Am . . .• Dr. Andrew Finn

• Web Site: mason.gmu.edu/~afinn• E-mail: afinn@gmu.edu• Home: 703-425-1641• Cell: 703-850-7003• Office: 703-993-1092

• My Intention for this Semester:• We Learn a Lot• Everybody Makes It• Highest Grades EVER in COMM 250• We Have FUN and ENJOY Coming to Class

Learning Teams

Pedagogical Principles• Student Learning - not Professor Teaching

• Discussion is More Engaging than Lecture

• Learn the Material, then Apply It

• You are Responsible for Your Own Learning

Why I Use Teams• Students Learn MUCH More

Why Businesses Use Teams• Rapidly Shifting Tasks

• Empowerment, Self-Direction

What Organizations Valuehttp://www.cox.com/CoxCareer

• Critical thinking -- seeing the big picture and being analytical; comprehending what you read

Communication -- getting your point across effectively when writing and speaking

Visionary qualities -- brainstorming, looking to the future, setting goals

Self-motivation -- showing a willingness to take the initiative

What Organizations Value

Proficiency with information -- being inquisitive, curious, and resourceful; knowing how to conduct research

Global-minded -- understanding and showing an interest in other cultures and getting along with diverse groups of people

Teamwork -- working well with others to achieve common goals

http://www.cox.com/CoxCareer

Learning Teams

Components of Learning Teams• Readiness Assessment Tests

• In-Class Team Exercises

• Team Projects• TP2: Peer Evaluation Procedures &

Criteria

• Evaluating Peers

• Helping Behavior

Concerns You May Have

• The Amount of Work

• Do I Really Want to Learn This Stuff?

• This is B O R I N G !

• I’ve Been in Teams and One Person Does All the Work

• Does this Guy Know What He is Talking About?

Team Exercise 1

First do individually . . .

• Draw a vertical line down a paper

• list Negative Thoughts about . . .

• then list Positive Thoughts about . . .• COMM 250,

• Research Methods

then do as a team (use the “official” form)

Housekeeping / Logistics

Tasks for EVERYONE:• “Circle” the number on the Class List

• Fill in your information on the Team Roster

• Sign TEAM attendance sheet (1st half, 2nd half)

Tasks for each TEAM:• If not going to Hemlock Overlook, your team will

need to pick a time to meet between Wed. & Mon.

• Choose a team name (soon)

• Team Photos will be Taken in Class Next Wed.

Housekeeping – After Class

Tasks for EVERYONE:Sign up for your TA’s LISTSERV

Tasks for each TEAM:• Download MS Word file from Website, then E-

mail Team Roster to your TA

• Prepare for TP1, TP2

• Choose a Team Name

Semester Activities

• Thinking

• Shifting Paradigms

• Learning Teams

• Learning Research

• Doing Research

Do we need science?

• What Science Provides: a systematic examination of the world a relatively “objective” examination of the world our technology now has huge consequences:

global warming, nuclear waste, acid rain, smog, television content

the truth is . . . no one is in charge we’re making changes on a massive scale and no one can predict the effects

The Nature of Science

The Goals of (Traditional) Science: description prediction control

Examples Economics Weather

How Do We “KNOW” Things?

• Experiential Reality Firsts Hand Experience Done There; Been That !

Agreement Reality Second Hand Knowledge Tradition and/or Authority

Both Can Assist or Hinder Inquiry Science: A Special Standard for

“Agreement Reality”

The Research Process

• Conceptualization

• Planning & Designing Research

• Methods for Conducting Research

• Analyzing & Interpreting Data

• Re-Conceptualization

Types of Research:

Experimental

Survey

Textual Analysis

Naturalistic Inquiry