Since, as a journalist, I have been back in the college teaching world for only two years, I am asking my academic peers the same question. What I hear most often is one word: "time." Especially in state schools, we are increasingly tuition-driven, which means that our classes are getting bigger while faculties are staying more or less static. Too many committees, they complain (but then they willingly join a bunch of them). Too little money for faculty development (and yes, even with some Poynter help I am footing some of this seminar bill). For my part, what I think colleges need to do is build more two-way bridges to high schools. Why are some students so much better prepared for college than others? How can we learn from our high school teaching peers what works with so-called millenials?" (See Frontline this month.) And how can we help high schools do a better job of teaching the basic skills students need to survive (let alone excel) in college? The educational world seems deeply divided between secondary and post-secondary territory, and I would love to see the internet help bridge that gap.
Charlotte wrote:What I hear most often is one word: "time."
Too many committees ...
Too little money for faculty development ...
Need to ... build more two-way bridges to high schools. Why are some students so much better prepared for college than others?
This is a GREAT list, Charlotte! I think most educators will immediately say YES to the first three. The fourth one, high schools, is not on everyone's radar -- and it should be.
We have seen (at the University of Florida) that in spite of the students' incredibly high GPAs from high school (3.9 freshman average!), their writing skills leave MUCH to be desired. We also see an increasing lack of knowledge about basic civics and government.
I'd agree. I sometimes give civics-related "basic knowledge" questions on quizzes, and am regularly surprised by the answers. Of course, the same is true about questions related to math or geography. On the other hand, I also wonder if we were any better, or if I just have a faulty memory (OK, I know I have that). A saying I like: "The older I get, the better I used to be."
I would say that college educators in this field need a broader view of how the study of media fits into the academy, and, conversely, more respect within the academy. We can't focus only on skills. We have to teach skills AND critical thinking skills. They're not opposite; they're two sides of a coin. If we can't teach students to critically analyze media as well as to produce it, then we're aren't fulfilling our obligation as educators.
