Instructor: Cindy Royal, Ph.D.

Week of May 7

Description
This week, there is no video. I have a round up of articles about curriculum, skills and emerging issues. We’ve covered a lot of ground over the last 10 weeks! As we head into the in-person portion of the Bootcamp on May 14, we’ll want to keep curriculum in strong focus. The challenge in this dynamic, digital world is keeping up with changing topics AND being able to teach them. This is no easy task. In addition to the specific skills a student learns in a program, I feel that a certain mindset must emerge to cope with and be successful in this environment. I will be interested in your thoughts.

Articles about Texas State’s Curriculum

Developing a New Major in Digital Media Innovation at Texas State

Why Texas State’s Digital Media Degree is Attracting Female Students

How to Create a Social Media and Analytics Class

Developing a Digital Core in Mass Communication Curriculum

 

Articles I’ve Written on Curriculum Issues – these articles track some of the thinking over time that went into our curriculum changes

Journalism Schools Need to Get Better at Teaching Tech Where the Girls Are – I have long written about the opportunity (and responsibility) to teach tech skills to women in our disciplines with high percentages of women

At the Intersection of Journalism, Data Science and Digital Media: How Can J-Schools Prep Students for the World They’re Headed Into – Amy Schmitz Weiss and I separately tackle issue regarding digital curriculum.

We Need a Digital First Curriculum to Teach Modern Journalism –  some early writing on curriculum issues

Why Universities Need to Embrace Coding Across the Curriculum – I make the case that coding should be taught broadly across the university, not just in computer science, because all disciplines have problems that can be addressed via programming.

 

Other Articles on Emerging Tech, Skills and Curriculum

Teaching Data Journalism: A Challenge for Every University , Data-Driven Journalism, 2018

Four Takeaways for Virtual Reality in Journalism and Education , MediaShift, 2016

Why Journalism Students Need a Baseline Understanding of Coding , MediaShift, 2015

The Future of Education: How A.I. and Immersive Tech Will Reshape Learning Forever , Medium, 2017

Superpowers: The Digital Skills Media Leaders Say Newsrooms Need Going Forward, Tow Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism

Global Journalism Education in the 21st Century – I contributed a chapter in this on Coding the Curriculum

Knowing the Difference Between Teaching Digital Skills and Digital Literacy and Teaching Both, International Literacy Association, 2016

Perspectives of Digital Literacies, International Literacy Association, 2016

Discussion
In the #pedagogy channel, there are several issues I’d like you to have on your mind as we progress through the Bootcamp next week.

• Which of the topics that we have discussed in the Online Modules would you like to explore in more detail? Pick one to focus on and why.
• What are the challenges and opportunities you see in integrating these topics in curriculum at the places where you are studying and working (or wish to work)? Address at both the undergraduate and master’s level. What programs do you think are the most innovative in their approaches to digital curriculum?
• And how about doctoral education? Now that you have been through these modules, how do you think doctoral programs should change? What are the challenges? And what are the risks if they don’t? Think about both short-term and long-term effects. As PhDs, how can we be responsible to our students in providing them the best foundation for future success through our own preparation?

Congratulations on making it to this point in the Bootcamp! We are looking forward to seeing you all in San Marcos and delving further into all these topics.