Traditionally, informative speeches are relegated to be passive. The classic scope of informative speeches does not consider "live" or "lived" rhetoric. After teaching public speaking for most of my career, there are times when one needs to reinvigorate assignments. This assignment challenges how we utilize memory and place to…

We present a two-assignment series that developed students' sociological imaginations and that could be done in a face-to-face or online course. The series used the Sociological Images blog and students' own visual images (e.g., photographs) to meet course learning goals: (1) link sociological theories and concepts to social events/trends, (2)…

The implementation of the learning management system (LMS) in the New Normal period was investigated in this study. A qualitative research design with a descriptive approach was used to explore two main themes: the advantages of using LMS applications and the disadvantages of using LMS applications. The data collection technique used was a written…

Courses: Visual Rhetoric, Visual Communication, Multiplatform Journalism, Advertising, Journalism, Public Relations. Objective: This unit activity requires that students analyze and produce imagery with the help of semiotic theory. Students will: (1) learn to connect theory with practice holistically by simultaneously practicing visual analysis…

This article explores the use of an interview assignment using photovoice to help students gain a deeper understanding about their reactions to others' grief and loss processes with the goal of facilitating their effective work with those who are grieving. Photovoice is a participatory research method and tool using images to explore narratives.…

In this semester-long activity, I describe how to create a collaborative cabinet of curiosities that engages critical methods of inquiry as an alternative summative assignment. Courses: Communication Pedagogy, Gender and Communication, Performance Studies. Objective: The objective of this assignment is for students to identify and analyze how…

The main focus of the study was active learning in courses in which field trips traditionally has been important, by the use of 360° photos and videos -- known as either 360° or spherical media. The aim of the project was to generate knowledge about how rich media content can enable students to actively explore situations or localities and to…

Much has been written about the benefits of interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity for addressing environmental issues, but how do we teach such collaboration? Here, we describe our experiences attempting to foster collaboration between undergraduate students from sociology, environmental studies, and photography. We describe and reflect on a…

Images are powerful. They help make the abstract concrete and allow the viewer to share the perspective of the photographer, giving the photographer a platform to communicate what may be difficult to express with words. Educators, institutions, accreditors, and students are seeking diverse and inclusive university environments, yet we often lack…

This chapter describes how photography can inspire and cultivate sociological mindfulness. One set of assignments uses self-portraiture to highlight the complexity of visual representations of social identity. Another uses photography to guide sociological inquiry. Both sets of assignments draw on the Literacy Through Photography methodology,…

University instructors have increasingly turned to flipped classrooms as a way to promote engaged, student-centered learning. At the same time, scholars across disciplines have shown the power of visual assignments for developing critical thinking and achieving higher level learning. In this article I discuss a flipped class design that uses…

This paper describes an innovative assignment in which students associate marketing concepts with artwork from a specified photographic exhibit. During the encoding process, linking various topics with pieces of art activates high-involvement learning, creative elaboration, and analytical reasoning. Consequently, students experience higher levels…

Our high school optics course finishes with an assignment that students usually appreciate. They must take pictures of everyday situations representing optical phenomena such as reflection, refraction, or dispersion, and post them on Instagram. When the photos were presented to the class, one student revealed an intriguing photo, similar to Fig.…

Barriers to cross-cultural instruction challenge even experienced educators and their students. To increase cross-cultural competence and bridge learning gaps, professors in two countries adapted the Photovoice methodology to develop shared visual vocabularies with students and unearth hidden assumptions. Results from an anonymous evaluation…

This article presents the major findings of a longitudinal study on the use of photograph-based assignments to improve higher-order thinking and language skills among second- and fifth-grade students using an intervention framework and a convergent mixed method (quantitative and qualitative) approach. The method promoted oriented study skills for…