Article Topics
My thoughts and the thoughts of talented others on digital strategic communication, digital & media literacy, information design, education & instruction, and the field of human communication.
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A (Caesar) Shift for the Traditional Classroom
Cryptography (the study of “secret writing”) might be a topic you’d hear about in the halls of MIT, the Naval Academy, or training sites at Langley. Here at Queens University of Charlotte, students are getting a taste of the basics of secret writing, codes, and ciphers using Simon Singh’s popular The Code Book as a guide. Over…
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“Well, this class makes me think”
On the third week of class this semester, I walked in to hear my students talking about a class that one of them slept through. Of course, I inquired: “Which class are you sleeping through this term?” The answer: chemistry. I responded: “I haven’t seen you sleep through any of my classes. Should I be…
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Rethinking the Classroom
The collaboration surrounding the James L. Knight School of Communication and the 2012 Democratic National Convention has been highlighted on the national level. Dr. John A. McArthur, an associate professor in the Knight School of Communication, had an article published in the Journal of the Association for Communication Administration in its recent issue. The article,…
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Proxemics and Park Benches
A leisurely stroll down a city street. An open space emerges in the streetscape. A quick glance into the plaza reveals grass, rocks, trees, benches. A decision awaits. Do I keep walking? Do I sit? The nature of objects in public spaces can dictate (or at least influence) the choices that we make. Adherents to…
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Second Screens for Successful Online Teaching
This summer, I’ve been teaching an intensive 7-week online course in Public Relations and Strategic Communication. The nature of our online class has meant that my students have been engaged in an extraordinary amount of PR writing for the web. Many have learned, through practice, the values of writing for the audience and the vehicle…
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30 Questions for a More Localized Media Release
Making any story a local story is one of the great challenges of both journalism and public relations work. This semester in my Integrated Strategic Communication course, students were working on media releases and feature stories. Seitel’s The Practice of Public Relations notes that most media releases either struggle to be well-written, localized, or newsworthy (and…
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Tiny Radio in Class: Podcasting Returns to Campus
The article below was featured in Campus Technology Magazine and online on May 15, 2013. Tiny Radio in Class: Podcasting Returns to Campus By Dian Schaffhauser When 99% Invisible blew through its fundraising goal on Kickstarter by four times, the “tiny radio show about design” brought renewed attention to the lost art of audio podcasting. It also piqued the…
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Exploring the Relationship Between Student-Instructor Interaction on Twitter and Student Perceptions of Teacher Behaviors
The latest issue of International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education features a research article by Dr. John A. McArthur and Kristen Bostedo-Conway. The article – “Exploring the Relationship Between Student-Instructor Interaction on Twitter and Student Perceptions of Teacher Behaviors” – examines the use of Twitter as a classroom tool. The abstract reads:…
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Unusual Commencement Speech offers $100,000 through Flash Philanthropy
The following column was featured on the national blog of the Social Media Club on May 4, 2013 University professors hear a lot of commencement speeches. But one I heard this weekend was unlike any other I’ve ever experienced. By combining the power of digital media, passion for philanthropy, and mobile technology,graduating students at Queens…
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Which Social Media Fits You?
“We wanted to create an interactive and fun way to connect people to their social media – and show how it can cause some introspective reflection,” remarked Taylor Nelson, one of the designers of the project. “It was a short, simple, and sweet way to interact with people on campus. And the quiz took less…
J.A.McArthur 