 | "It's not just about writing anymore... Communication these days involves digital media of all kinds..."~ Dr. Lillian Bridwell-Bowels Director, CXC at LSU |
I love love love it when leaders model the behavior and communication styles they seek to see in their student bodies.And when Universities organize themselves in ways that maximize student learning and link what they learn in the classroom to life beyond college, regardless of one's major.
It seems clear that digital media is not a fad and is certainly not the sole province of the young. Twitter and Facebook accounts are everywhere in corporate America. Everything from Morning shows to department stores encourage their markets to "follow them on twitter" or "find us on FaceBook." YouTube is also a major platform for corporate advertising and marketing a new type of marketing and PR is emerging that harnesses Web 2.0 technologies.
One university that remains on the cutting edge of preparing it's students for this new style of communicating is Louisiana State University (LSU) with their Communication Across the Curriculum (CXC) program. Launched in 2005 and designed to expand the writing across the curriculum programs that have become standard in higher ed, the CXC program has a useful video that explains this innovative, university-wide program, and peer-reviewed article/webpage was published based on the nuts and bolts of CXC.
Just like the writing across the curriculum programs, CXC emphasizes honing students' communication skills. As LSU's Vice Provost of Academic Affairs aptly puts it,
"Whether your in science or the arts, you really need to be able to communicate if you're going to be at the top of your field."
Blogging is one example of the ways in which mutimedia and social networking meld to advance carreers and build knowledge. Indeed, many folks at the top of their field are bloggers. Blogging is fast becoming a legitimate way to further your career, whether academic or otherwise. Blogging (well at least good blogging) of course requires strong written and research skills. But blogging standards also suggest that images, video, and other multi-meida elements are helpful for getting information across effectively. That and comments are a crucial aspect of blogging.
The CXC program is built upon solid, university-wide policies, including encouraging faculty to incorporate 2 out of 4 modes of communication (writing, speaking, visual and technological) in assignments. The goal is to have students leave LSU with a portfolio that showcases real, transferable communication skills to grad schools and potential employers.
CXC fundamentally impacted the way I assign research assignments. I have a digital media requirement in my historical research projects. Now only does it develop different communication skills, it also fosters more creativity than traditional written assignments. However, It occurs to me that an entire university must mobilize to make these programs truly effective.
Thanks for sharing information about this program. Sometimes in the lower grades it feels like we are moving away from "communication", with all of the focus on how to take the reading test. Obviously reading and comprehension is critical to communication, but understanding, interpreting, and utilizing audio and video based information is simply critical in the modern classroom. I find that I can get better writing from students when they know a video, audio, or other technological tool will be part of the presentation process.
ReplyDelete"Moving away from communication"...yes, I can see that. As exciting as the CXC program is, I am haunted by the notion that it takes the entire institution to do it properly. Without institutional support, it seems that students' educational experiences can become fragmented as one teacher does one thing and another does something else.
ReplyDelete