This is a collection of interviews of scholars and artists conducted by Figure Ground Communication group. The interviews focus on reflections of teaching and communications. There is a focus in some of the interviews on the impact of social media on education and communications. This material was reviewed from the perspective of teacher education since it was submitted in that category. Another discipline, like communications or philosophy might see it quite differently.
Type of Material:
Collection
Recommended Uses:
Education professors could assign interviews to be read and discussed, or questions to be used in student-led interviews. This is a useful faculty development resource.
Technical Requirements:
Browser.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
* To examine the viewpoints of a variety of educators and the genesis of their approach to teaching
* The goals vary with the particular interviewee but the idea of a philosophy of higher education seems to be consistent.
Target Student Population:
Graduate students and professors in higher education.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
None.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
The variety of interviewees allows for disparate viewpoints.
Concerns:
There does not seem to be any way to search for a particular topic. Tags would be helpful. Some of the interviews are transcripts, while others are videos. A podcast format would have allowed for a much better appreciation of the context of the interview.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
Some of the interview questions were excellent and would provide a model for students doing interviews with other educators. The site provides honest and candid answers about education and communications. There is a variety of approaches. This might be a good site for those considering a career in higher education to explore.
Concerns:
There is no way to search for a particular topic. It is not always clear who the interviewer is and what his or her background and credentials might be. Links to the subject's work and background would be useful in determining the credibility of that interviewee. In some of the interviews, background material was provided, but it was not standard. Dates are not provided for the interviews in all cases.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
Navigation has two main tracks: scholars and artists. It is easy for users to start accessing the interviews. The site is open source. The interviews are available for print and for download which allows users to spend more time with the material.
Concerns:
The site is not interactive and there are discrepancies between places where it is said you can comment, and yet there is no place to do that. Some broken links make navigation difficult. There are issues with consistent quality. A taxonomy for the site would make it far more usable. This is not text that can be read quickly and easily digested. The intended audience is not clear, although the material seems to be focused at the graduate level and above.
Creative Commons:
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