Cheri J. Simonds

I'll See You On “Facebook”: The Effects of Computer-Mediated Teacher Self-Disclosure on Student Motivation, Affective Learning, and Classroom Climate

This experimental study examined the effects of teacher self-disclosure via Facebook on anticipated college student motivation, affective learning, and classroom climate. Participants who accessed the Facebook website of a teacher high in self-disclosure anticipated higher levels of motivation and affective learning and a more positive classroom climate. In their responses to open-ended items, participants emphasized possible negative associations between teacher use of Facebook and teacher credibility. Participants offered recommendations for teachers regarding the use of Facebook and other weblog services.

The effects of teacher self‐disclosure via Facebook on teacher credibility

Research suggests that teachers who personalize their teaching through the use of humor, stories, enthusiasm, and self‐disclosure are perceived by their students to be effective in explaining course content. This experimental study examined the effects of computer‐mediated teacher self‐disclosure on perceptions of teacher credibility. Participants who accessed the Facebook website of a teacher high in self‐disclosure reported higher levels of teacher credibility than participants who viewed a low self‐disclosure Facebook website. Implications for classroom pedagogy, technology use, and areas for future research are discussed.

The Effects of Teacher Clarity, Nonverbal Immediacy, and Caring on Student Motivation, Affective and Cognitive Learning

The present study examined the effects of teacher clarity, teacher immediacy, and teacher caring on student motivation and affective and cognitive learning. Participants (233 undergraduate students enrolled in a freshman-level communication skills course at a large midwestern university) read descriptions of a hypothetical instructor who was described as being either low or high in nonverbal immediacy, teacher clarity, and teacher caring. Results revealed significant main effects for each independent variable and several significant two-way interactions. Data suggest that teacher behaviors, especially teacher immediacy and teacher clarity, play complimentary roles in enhancing student learning.

Classroom understanding: An expanded notion of teacher clarity

The purpose of this paper is to expand and clarify the construct of teacher clarity. In doing so, this paper summarizes the findings on teacher clarity, points out two neglected areas, and presents an instrument that incorporates both content and process clarity. This study posits that clarity must be incorporated as a goal of general classroom understanding which includes content and process messages and that teacher clarity is a relational variable. The development of this instrument will allow future scholars to measure teacher clarity as it relates to other communication variables from a relational perspective. Also, the items on this expanded instrument will help teachers to become aware of and identify, more inclusively, the behaviors that constitute teacher clarity.

Fear in the Classroom: An Examination of Teachers’ Use of Fear Appeals and Students’ Learning Outcomes

This study examined the impact of teachers’ use of fear appeals and efficacy statements on student affective learning, motivation, likelihood of taking a course with the instructor, and likelihood of visiting with the instructor for help. The results suggest that fear and efficacy interact to more positively influence students’ perceptions of these variables compared to the use of fear alone. Pedagogical implications as well as suggestions for future research are discussed.

Challenge behavior in the college classroom

This paper addresses the concept of student challenge behavior and seeks to provide a conceptual framework, report preliminary data, and develop a valid, reliable, and interdisciplinary instrument for measuring challenge behavior in the college classroom. Challenge behavior is seen as a mediational strategy that students use to negotiate the conventions of the classroom culture. Challenge behavior may be motivated by uncertainty and is manifested by behaviors that are contrary to teacher expectations. By creating an instrument to identify student challenge behavior, teachers are able to monitor these challenges and adapt their communication practices accordingly.

Communication and Teacher Education: Exploring a Communication Course for All Teachers.

In recent years, teacher education programs have increasingly come under fire. One of the major criticisms of the current state of teacher education in the United States is that many pre-service teachers are not receiving training in speech communication. Given that such training is essential to the day-to-day functioning of teachers, we argue that communication educators as well as those in the education discipline must begin to promote communication training for all teachers. A communication course for teachers is of particular relevance in light of the recent decision of several national accreditation agencies to adopt communication standards for teachers. In this essay, we describe goals, objectives, units, activities, and assignments for a comprehensive communication course for all teachers.

Study IX of the basic communication course at two- and four-year U.S. Colleges and Universities: a re-examination of our discipline's “front porch”

ABSTRACT This study gathered longitudinal and descriptive data on the nature of the basic communication course, continuing a tradition dating back to 1968. Now in its ninth iteration, convenience sampling and hard copy distribution of the survey instrument resulted in a total of 188 respondents (21 from two-year schools, 167 from four-year schools). This study reports and discusses data in the following categories: (a) general description of the course; (b) course administration; (c) assessment, standardization, and assignments and grading; (d) course content and pedagogy; and (e) media, technology, and online teaching. General reflections are provided about the results in light of changing landscapes in the U.S. educational system and recent research and other activities of communication scholars related to the basic communication course. Recommendations are offered for future scholarship about the communication disciplines “front porch.”

Securing the Future of Communication Education: Advancing an Advocacy and Research Agenda for the 21st Century

In the late 1980s, noted communication scholar Cassandra Book laid out a comprehensive rationale and agenda for communication education research specifically focusing on pedagogical content knowledge for Communication courses in K-12 education. It has been 25 years since Book published her call for those in our discipline to pursue research interests in communication pedagogy. The purpose of this essay is to evaluate the progress, or lack thereof, that scholars in our discipline have made in this area and to provide suggestions for advancing a communication pedagogy advocacy and research agenda for the 21st century.

The Use of Application Essays as an Effective Tool for Assessing Instruction in the Basic Communication Course

The assessment of student learning in general education courses is of critical importance in higher education. This study examined the utility of a particular writing assignment, application essays, as a course assessment tool in a basic communication course. Application essays are one page compositions asking students to describe a communication event and to use a single concept from class to analyze that experience. A content analysis of 369 application essays contained in 140 student portfolios coded (a) categories of communication events, (b) categories of course content, and (c) the quality of the linkages between them in the student writings. In general, students focused on mass media events, and utilized concepts developed early in the class. Seventy percent of the conceptual connections were appropriate. Results were used to subsequently modify the application essay assignment to encourage more diverse topical coverage.