I recently finished my second year of teaching online journalism to undergraduate students. For me, that means that I have reached a point where I am not perpetually scrambling to prepare for the next class period and have an occasional moment to reflect on how and when some “education” might be taking place.
As I shift to my summer schedule, I wanted to take note of a few general lessons I’ve learned. Most of these are things I came to through trial-and-error, often with instruction from my students.
Lecturing is not the best way to teach that “news is a conversation”
Higher education and journalism are biased toward a “one-to-many” mode of communication; the web is not. In order to understand how journalism works in a digital age, a course on interactive news has to be participatory, conversational and collaborative. In my experience, this can also mean unpredictable and occasionally chaotic, but it is a lot more fun than lecturing everyday.
Follow smart people
My blog roll (see “Sites I Like and Use” on the sidebar) and my Twitter account are my key sources of information on what is happening in the profession and in teaching. If I don’t know something, I turn to those who do.
Don’t assume students are active web users
There is a difference between “passive” and “active” web users. Despite growing up with the Internet, some of my students navigate the web like they watch TV; they surf and consume. Or they only know how to participate within a defined structure like Facebook.
Don’t skimp on HTML and CSS
An assignment to build a simple web page can fill my email box with complaints. Then at the end of the semester, students say they want to learn more coding. So each semester, I give them more.
Raw audio interviews are gold
At the suggestion of veteran online journalism professor Mindy McAdams, I now require students turn in unedited audio recordings of interviews. They take a time to review, but they provide invaluable insight into a student’s interviewing and reporting techniques. I can hear the leading questions, the lack of a follow-up question, or the student reporter who does not allow the subject enough time to tell the real story. I can also tell if the student is interviewing a friend or relative.
Online tutorials are useful, but need follow-up
I use “how-to” online tutorials to free up class time and allow students to learn at their own pace. However, I’ve found that students will rush through them — or skip them entirely — unless they are followed up with some kind of review or assessment.
Experiment first, become an expert later
I used to spend a lot of time explaining a new piece of equipment or software before giving assignments. Now I cover a few basics and get students using it as soon as possible. I cover the more advanced techniques after they have some experience practicing.
The audience can be the best editor
I require that my students publish their work for an online audience (see a previous post It’s Not About the Blog). Despite the potential risks of this practice — like making mistakes in a public forum or having to endure spam and trolls — an online audience can provide a level of feedback that I cannot. Last semester, a student created an interactive map of all of the schools in his town. Eight minutes after it was published online, a reader contacted the student to say one school was missing.
Allow students to pursue a passion
I often ask students to report on subjects that they are passionate about. Some students respond, “I don’t have any passions.” I tell them to use my class as an excuse to find that new passion. Then, over the course of the semester, I urge students to cover the topic as a “beat,” developing story ideas, cultivating sources, and digging deeper into the subject. It is satisfying to watch a student turn a hobby into an area of expertise. And reporters in the field routinely seek out students who have built up an online portfolio of work on a specific subject and quote them as sources.
Push beyond “write what you know”
While I allow students to write about things that interest them, I also require students to go places and cover subjects that do not interest them. I have found that it is essential to give very specific requirements (i.e. no quotes from anyone 17-25 years old) to get students to move out of their comfort zones.
Expect resistance to convergence
I have instituted convergence projects which require my online journalism students to work alongside broadcast journalism and photojournalism students. I underestimated how intensely students can identify with their particular specializations and can resent having to work with “those TV people.”
Storytelling is hard work
I can teach someone to edit an audio clip, crop a photo or compress a video. Or they can Google it and teach themselves. Teaching students to recognize, report and tell a compelling story is a real challenge, but that seems like a central goal of journalism education.
Students don’t remember PowerPoint presentations
I have now been teaching long enough to get an occasional “thank you” e-mail or note from a former student. While they often mention the content of my courses and how it helped in grad school or on the job, it is clear that interactions and conversations outside of the classroom are as meaningful — and often more significant — than the information I try to convey in the classroom.
