Engaging Online Students Though a Zoom-Based Journal Club Experience

This year has been an exceptional year for teaching. We are just transitioning out of a COVID19 time period and our students are ready and eager to engage with faculty!

Before the semester began, I made the decision to travel to a Texas State Park. I realized that I write best papers when I am sitting outside in camping chair, cooking lunch with a foldable cookstove, and surrounding myself with the most amazing bug spray ever.

So, while I was "in nature", I thought about some out of the box strategies that I could use for the upcoming semester. One of these strategies was centered around one of my husband's experiences during his graduate program at Texas A&M University - The Journal Club. Now, keep in mind - I teaching in the Communication Department and journal clubs are primarily held in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields (STEM).

So, I jumped into the Journal Club game HEAD FIRST and I decided to integrate the experience on my syllabus. My graduate students did not have any experience with a journal club and I had to demonstrate and explain the purpose of the activity. ALL of my students are online and this meant that the best way to explain the journal club was to demonstrate how it works. So, here's my demonstration video...

After the students viewed the video, they were able to select the days and the associated articles that they wanted to highlight in the journal club. The students had to present two times and they had to attend at least one session. Each session has two facilitators and they basically divide the article in half. Many of the students have attended more than three sessions. Here are the articles we reviewed this semester...

Tuesday, August 24, 2021	5pm - 6pm	Using a Media Campaign to Increase Engagement With a Mobile-Based Youth Smoking Cessation Program
Tuesday, August 31, 2021	5pm - 6pm	CONTEMPORARY HOUSING DISCRIMINATION: FACEBOOK, TARGETED ADVERTISING, AND THE FAIR HOUSING ACT.
Tuesday, September 7, 2021	5pm - 6pm	Don't put all social network sites in one basket: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and their relations with well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tuesday, September 14, 2021	5pm - 6pm	Fan Engagement in 15 Seconds: Athletes’ Relationship Marketing During a Pandemic via TikTok
Tuesday, September 21, 2021	5pm - 6pm	Online to Offline: The Impact of Social Media on Offline Sales in the Automobile Industry.
Tuesday, September 28, 2021	5pm - 6pm	Innovation in Later Life: A Study of Grandmothers and Facebook.
Monday, October 4, 2021	11am - Noon	Article - TBA
Tuesday, October 5, 2021	5pm - 6pm	Social media information sharing for natural disaster response
Tuesday, October 12, 2021	5pm - 6pm	News on Facebook: How Facebook and Newspapers Build Mutual Brand Loyalty Through Audience Engagement
Thursday, October 14, 2021	8pm - 9pm	Navigating the New Era of Influencer Marketing: How to be Successful on Instagram, TikTok, & Co.
Tuesday, October 19, 2021	5pm - 6pm	TWEET TO THE TOP? SOCIAL MEDIA PERSONAL BRANDING AND CAREER OUTCOMES.
Monday, October 25, 2021	11am - Noon	FASTER, HOTTER, AND MORE LINKED IN: MANAGING SOCIAL DISAPPROVAL IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA ERA
Tuesday, October 26, 2021	5pm - 6pm	Who Posted That Story? Processing Layered Sources in Facebook News Posts.
Tuesday, November 2, 2021	5pm - 6pm	Reality check: How adolescents use TikTok as a digital backchanneling medium to speak back against institutional discourses of school(ing).
Tuesday, November 9, 2021	5pm - 6pm	We (Want To) Believe in the Best of Men: A Qualitative Analysis of Reactions to #Gillette on Twitter
Thursday, November 11, 2021	8pm - 9pm	Small Business Still Missing the Boat on Social Media and Internet Advertising.
Tuesday, November 16, 2021	5pm - 6pm	Chapter 1: Introduction to Social Media for Professional Development and Learning in Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy.

Overall, it is a great learning experience for them and I will definitely integrate it next year. The students are reflecting about the articles and are highlighting how the articles have implications for many fields. 

In fact, the Rural Communication and the Texas Social Media Research Institutes are hosting Texas Social Media Conference MONTH in November. You are welcome to attend our Journal Club sessions via Zoom, chat and network with others through our Thursday night Twitter chats, and hear some AMAZING presentations! I will post registration soon. In the meantime, check out the month-long schedule.

Texas Social Media Month - November 2021 (Draft) by jennifertedwards

Have any questions? Contact me.

***

Enjoy!

Check out my book - Retaining College Students Using Technology: A Guidebook for Student Affairs and Academic Affairs Professionals.

Remember to order copies for your team as well!

Interested in a specific student success topic or do you need a speaker for an upcoming conference? Contact me via direct message on Twitter or join our Student Success and Retention Institute - Learning Community on Facebook!

Thanks for visiting! 

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
Professor of Communication

Executive Director of the Texas Social Media Research Institute 

& Rural Communication Institute

My Social Media Channels!
Remember to Follow Me on Twitter! @drjtedwards
I Always Post Higher Education Videos on YouTube
Find Me on Instagram
Engage with Me on Facebook!
Watch My Videos on Twitter Live - http://www.periscope.com/drjtedwards/
Email Me! I am PR Friendly! - jennifertedwards@gmail.com

Three Examples of Interactive Syllabi (Designed with Open Educational Resources from a University Library)

Last week, I had the opportunity to present at the Open Education Conference. It was virtual and the content was definitely interesting! 

My session was held on Monday, October 18 • 3:45pm - 4:25pm and it was titled, "Designing an Interactive OER Syllabus as an Equitable Practice". 

During the session, I talked about my interactive OER syllabus and I had the opportunity to network with some amazing colleagues. One of the amazing faculty members from my institution attended as well - shout out to Dr. Trina Geye!

I am passionate about open educational resources and I like fact that OERs can save students money. This is very important for our Texas college students. Open Educational Resources are equitable resources!

Here are the notes from the presentation:

I know some of you are wondering WHY I incorporate OERs instead of textbooks for my courses.... This is why...

• Day-One Access/No-Cost (Equitable)
• Easier for the Student
• Mobile Access
• Linkable to Canvas
• Easier for the Professor (Updates/Changes)

I always emphasize partnering with the library to find additional educational resources. Here are some starting points!

• Podcast Links
• Guides from Prior Semesters (Student Approved Work)
• YouTube Videos
• Database Article Links
• E-Books
• Lib Guides

As you transition from semester-to-semester, I always recommend this checklist for "refreshing" your OER syllabus:

• Check Your Links
• Check for More Relevant Resources
• Develop a Pre and Post Semester Checklist
• Integrate Your OER Endeavors with Research

In fact, here's a copy of my OER syllabi:

Fundamentals of Human Communication (COMM 1311) - Open Educational Resources Syllabus

Intercultural Communication (COMM 3332) - Open Educational Resources Syllabus

Organizational Communication (COMM 4304) - Open Educational Resources Syllabus

I also design a syllabus and Canvas tour for my students to help them become more familiar with the content.

Students in my classes (both graduate and undergraduate students) REALLY enjoy the free resources and they are also "more up-to-date" than a traditional textbook.

Have any questions about OERs? Contact me.

***

Enjoy!

Check out my book - Retaining College Students Using Technology: A Guidebook for Student Affairs and Academic Affairs Professionals.

Remember to order copies for your team as well!

Interested in a specific student success topic or do you need a speaker for an upcoming conference? Contact me via direct message on Twitter or join our Student Success and Retention Institute - Learning Community on Facebook!

Thanks for visiting! 

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
Professor of Communication

Executive Director of the Texas Social Media Research Institute & Rural Communication Institute

My Social Media Channels!
Remember to Follow Me on Twitter! @drjtedwards
I Always Post Higher Education Videos on YouTube
Find Me on Instagram
Engage with Me on Facebook!
Watch My Videos on Twitter Live - http://www.periscope.com/drjtedwards/
Email Me! I am PR Friendly! - jennifertedwards@gmail.com

Contacting Currently Enrolled Students Who Have Not Registered for the Upcoming Semester

At this time of the semester, many people are wondering if students who attended last semester will attend this semester. Yes, I have been there before! 

So, I decided to create email and text campaigns to help remind/nudge students to register for the upcoming semester. This EVEN works during the first week of class as well. Think about the students who left the semester with an "A" or "B" grade point average and never enrolled in the subsequent semester - you need to reach them!

Purpose of the Campaign: Contacting Currently Enrolled Students Who Have Not Registered for the Upcoming Semester

Problem: Many college students need several reminders to register for the next semester.

Time of Year: October/November & March/April

Timeframe of the Campaign: Four Weeks

Target Group: Students

Step 1 - During the first week of the campaign, send a text message to the students who are enrolled this semester, but who are not enrolled for the subsequent semester. 

Sample Text Message - Are you planning to come back for the spring? Reply Y (Yes), M (Maybe), H (Holds), or S (Need to Schedule. Appt).

Step 2 - During the second week of the campaign, remove the students who have already registered. Then, send another text message to the students who are enrolled this semester, but who are not enrolled for the subsequent semester. 

Sample Text Message - Classes are filling up fast! Are you returning to [Name of University] for the Fall? Text - Y (Yes), M (Maybe), N (No), ? (Questions), H (Holds). - [Name of Administrator that Many Students Know.

Step 3 - During the third week of the campaign, have the faculty and academic advisors call the students in their department or college who have not registered.

Step 4 - During the fourth week of the campaign, have the faculty contact the students who have not re-enrolled in the subsequent semester. 

Step 5 - Assessment - Examine the number of students who were not registered before the campaign, then measure the students who registered each week until the end of the fourth week. pre-campaign 

Additional Comments: When the students reply, you can begin tagging the students on Microsoft Excel or through the Student Success Technology with the following tags.

Y - Tag - Will Register in [Next Semester - Semester and Year]

M - Tag - May Enroll in  [Next Semester - Semester and Year]

N - Tag - Not Returning in [Next Semester - Semester and Year]

If you have any questions about this campaign, please contact me - [Your Name]or [email address].

Try this campaign! Also, there are more campaigns available in my book - Retaining College Students Using Technology: A Guidebook for Student Affairs and Academic Affairs Professionals.

Remember to order copies for your team as well!

Interested in a specific student success topic or do you need a speaker for an upcoming conference? Contact me via direct message on Twitter or join our Student Success Communication and Technology Institute on Facebook!

Thanks for visiting! 

Sincerely,

Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
Higher Education Speaker and Researcher

My Social Media Channels!
Remember to Follow Me on Twitter! @drjtedwards
I Always Post Higher Education Videos on YouTube
Find Me on Instagram
Engage with Me on Facebook!
Watch My Videos on Twitter Live - http://www.periscope.com/drjtedwards/
Email Me! I am PR Friendly! - jennifertedwards@gmail.com
My Research Interests: Customer Service and Social Media, Higher Education Retention, and Millennials at Work