Keith Adler

On the falsification of rules theories

The introduction of pluralistic alternatives for communication theory is accompanied by a responsibility for specification of falsification criteria. This essay examines four necessary links in the falsification of rules propositions from an action perspective. The criteria suggested are an extension of the “covering law” criteria, which are adapted to a recent empirical conception of rules.

An Evaluation of the Practical Syllogism as a Model of Man for Human Communication Research.

Arguments for the use of the practical syllogism for rules theories entail a claim that the practical syllogism represents an alternative model of man for scientific research. This analysis evaluates that claim by: (1) examining the structure of the practical syllogism and its accompanying logics; (2) comparing the logics of the syllogism with logics of human behavior; (3) identifying the contraints upon research by the action theory assumptions of the syllogism; and, (4) projecting these constraints upon three areas of substantive research ‐ mass, interpersonal, and organizational communication.

Student Interaction Boosted, Enhanced in Televised Course.

A major criticism of televised courses is the lack of student-teacher interactions. Many educators argue that this deficiency hampers learning because of the need for immediate feedback. Cer ta in ly , many complaints by students are related to the absence of the lecturer. Empirically, however, Klapper showed that the absence of the lecturer did not affect performance or student evaluation of a televised course.’ Scholars of mediated instruction suggest that other types of interactions may substitute for s tuden t t eache r in te rac t ion : interactions with course content, the environment, other students and additional materials of learning.2 This article describes an attempt to deal with studentteacher interaction problems and shows how other types of interactions were maximized in a televised advertising course.

Be Cautious of High Technology in Advertising

tool to beginning searchers. It is, however, not a tutorial, It does not lead or prompt the user, and so should be considered an adjunct to an existing course. The information stored in DIATOM is not updated information, but is suitable as a practice tool for end-user training. One commercially available system (In-Search) claims to allow an untrained user to conduct a data search of DIALOG after only 30 minutes of familiarization,using an IBM PC. While research librarians question that claim, they do feel that it is a useful aid to the inexperienced searcher. However, the costs of the software is

Educators Using High Technology Must Set Objectives.

250, and while it makes the use of online more efficient, it still does not significantly reduce the cost of familiarization of end users. It does, however, provide an excellent means to demonstrate for classroom purposes the techniques of online searching, particularly as the demonstration disk costs only

Coping with administrative overload in large classes

5, and allows a simulation of online procedures without any actual connect time or online charges.

DOCTOR-PATIENT COMMUNICATION: A SHIFT TO PROBLEM-ORIENTED RESEARCH

Setting objectives for the introduction of high technology in instruction may be as important as the need for behavioral objectives. With the rapidly developing computer and information technologies, and universal calls for computer literacy, there is an escalating trend toward the use of computers in the advertising classroom. For some programs, the introduction will be slow and methodical; for others, the changes will occur at a furious pace. Whatever the pace, the introduction of technologically advanced learning aids requires careful planning to provide improved academic performance.

Degree Upgrades: A New Service, a New Market and a New Strategy for Higher Education

This paper describes how a telephone answering device was used to reduce administrative overload in a large televised course. After installation, the device resulted in about a 20 percent decrease in administrative questions asked by students in the classroom. In a census of student opinion, very positive student evaluations of the answering device were obtained. Further extensions of the device to other teaching applications are examined.