—Teaching statement

My teaching is directly tied to my research in technology transfer and the ways that experts communicate ideas to audiences with varying needs and interests. Traditional definitions of technology transfer often assume a smooth shift of ideas from research lab to marketplace. But the practice is anything but. In fact, the “valley of death” is a metaphor often used to describe the gap between the lab and the marketplace, implying that expert knowledge is in some ways cut off from the outside world. In many ways, that gap is filled by students, who move from their undergraduate and graduate programs into the workforce. For me, teaching is about getting students to think about the ways that knowledge circulates and is communicated in different contexts and for different purposes so that they can effectively engage with various discourse communities in their future professional lives.

My teaching philosophy comes from my professional experience managing complex writing projects that have involved a number of people and organizations. When working with creative teams, my underlying expectation is that everyone brings something to the table, so my job is to figure out how to use our resources to not only complete the project, but to do it well. In the classroom, that leadership means directing course content and activities by modeling professional communication practices, designing activities that encourage students to explore concepts such as audience and occasion, and providing feedback on ways they can develop their skills.

What does this mean in practice?

In the classroom, I focus on the ways working professionals convey information to multiple audiences with different needs and goals. As a class, we examine a variety of workplace examples for audience,  purpose, and context. For instance, in a technical communication class, I ask students to bring in examples of technical communication the first week of class to look at how it meets the needs of various audiences given the purpose and situation. Students have brought materials ranging from software manuals to company logos. The purpose of this activity is not only to show the variety of forms and strategies used to communicate technical information, but also to engage students in the materials and concepts.

But, how do we get students to understand the importance of good communication skills? While technical and business communication textbooks begin with such a discussion, it doesn’t automatically resonate with students. In a business communication course, I had students investigate the idea by doing research on workplace communication in their field. They interviewed a workplace professional and examined an organization’s website for what and how it communicated to its audiences. The students’ reports then provided a context for issues we examined throughout the semester relating to researching, writing, and designing texts and to questions about credibility, accessibility, and relevance.

Because each class is different, I also have to adjust my own presentation to meet their needs, dividing class time into chunks. These chunks give me flexibility to adjust a lesson plan for each class. For instance, in a typical class, I give an overview or discuss a concept, then as a class or in small groups, we analyze examples or workshop a text. Students then present their findings in an online forum, oral presentation, or written document. Throughout the class, I ask and answer questions, comment on work-in-progress, and relate what we do to our overall goals and assignments. Within each of these activities, I can concentrate on working with the students individually or as a whole, creating a dialogue about specific strategies for writing and collaboration.

This dialog extends to grading as well. For each assignment, I ask students to write me a short memo or email about their work, describing aspects they really like and what more they would have done given more time. In these memos, students not only articulate their writing strategies, but they also start a dialog with me. More often than not, we agree on the strengths and weaknesses of their work, and the memo lets me respond with specific strategies and suggestions for moving forward with the next assignment. I also take seriously student evaluations and encourage them to give me feedback for the next semester. Throughout the semester, I keep the lines of communication open so that students know they can talk with me. I also learn their names, arrive early for scheduled classes, hold regular office hours, respond to emails, and in general have an open door policy.

Why is teaching important to me?

In asking students to think the ways knowledge circulates in discourse communities, no day is the same, just as no two classes are alike. That’s what I love about teaching—the unexpected insights, the thoughtful discussions, and the sense that we are accomplishing something that matters to our professional development, including my own.