Are students who willingly sign up for a 9 a.m. course more disciplined that those that choose the 10:30 section? In my experience, the answer is a resounding YES. For several years, I've taught two sections of a course in PR and social media. In-person classes pivoted to online during COVID. During the height of the outbreak, many courses were offered as "asynchronous," meaning that students did not meet but completed all work on their own. I adopted a hybrid approach: students meet with me via Zoom for 75 minutes just once per week and then complete work according the schedule. One section meets at 9 a.m. and the next one at 10:30 a.m. Attendance, meaning in the Zoom with your camera on, is mandatory. The Early Birds At the halfway point in this spring semester, the early birds/9 a.m.'ers are doing quite well. Only one student is struggling to pass; another has been hospitalized and may soon drop the course. Otherwise, all is good: assignments are completed and submitted on time, and completed with energy, creativity, and proper editing. In our flipped classroom, students discuss the readings and their analyses. Every week there are live, in-class presentations It's an active class. The Sleepy Heads
By sharp contrast, the 10:30 a.m.'ers are drowning. Not all, of course, as there is a solid one-third of the 20 students who are on top of their work and exhibiting the same energy as the early birds. The rest, however, are racking up absences (that will lower their semester grade), submitting work late without any communication with me, and often ignore instructions, even submitting work that doesn't remotely address the instructions. And then, some simply don't do the assignments at all. On a key research memo that lays the foundation for their group Social Media for Social Good campaign, eight --yes, that is eight out of 20 -- just didn't do it. Just didn't do it. What's the Difference? The syllabus is the same. The detailed weekly schedule is the same. My slide/powerpoint lessons are the same. The assignments are all the same. The students with their unique habits and interests, are, of course, different. And...some signed up for the 9 a.m. and some signed up for the 10:30 a.m. So what does that tell us?
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Below is a wholly-AI created blog post, which ChatGPT authored for me as an example for my students on the strengths and weaknesses of AI's content creation. I can't wait to see their submissions and the analysis and discussion we'll have in class. Title: The Viral Magic of Practical Value: A Lesson from 'How to Shuck Corn' Introduction: In the vast realm of online content, the magic ingredient for capturing hearts and going viral often lies in the realm of practical value. A shining example? The unexpected success of the 'How to Shuck Corn' video. Let's delve into the reasons behind its meteoric rise and explore how practical value can be your ticket to viral content success. The 'How to Shuck Corn' Phenomenon: What turned a seemingly mundane corn-shucking tutorial into a viral sensation? The answer lies in the video's practical value. It addressed a common problem in households everywhere with a simple, relatable solution. This real-world usefulness sparked engagement, making it a shareable gem across various platforms. Why Practical Value Spurs Engagement:
Prepping for a new semester of a social media class, I asked Chat GPT and several alternatives to compile a list for me of the "word(s) of the year" by various dictionaries. ChatGPT, of course, was unable, since its knowledge base doesn't extend into 2023. Bing and Bard came up with lists but agreed on only Miriam Webster's and the Oxford Dictionary's words. Here's Bing's list:
The Cambridge Dictionary has chosen “hallucinate” as its Word of the Year 2023. The word refers to the experience of seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not actually there. The choice of this word is based on a year-long surge in interest in generative artificial intelligence (AI) 1. Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year for 2023 is “authentic”. The term refers to something that is genuine, real, or true. The word saw a substantial increase in 2023, driven by stories and conversations about AI, celebrity culture, identity, and social media 2. Collins Dictionary’s Word of the Year for 2023 is “AI”. The abbreviation stands for “artificial intelligence”. The choice of this word is based on an explosion of debate, scrutiny, and prediction about AI 3. Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year for 2023 is “Rizz”. The word is derived from the word ‘charisma’, which means “compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others.” It refers to someone’s ability to attract another person through style, charm, or attractiveness 1. Dictionary.com’s Word of the Year for 2023 is “hallucinate”. The word refers to the experience of seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not actually there. The choice of this word is based on the year-long surge in interest in generative AI 3. I hope this helps! Yes, Bard, it helps. Thank you! #MasonCOMM PR Team Says “Ready to do it again!” Sadler-Ramirez duo competed in the first ICCO University PR World Cup While Leeds-Beckett University won the Gold Medal in the first ICCO University PR World Cup, the #MasonCOMM duo of Rylee Sadler and Alexander Ramirez says that they were winners, too. “It was fun, in a crazy kind of way,” said Rylee. “It tested how well we could brainstorm and produce a plan under pressure, like we were on the job.” Alex said it was an invaluable experience and that he’s ready to take on other competitions like this one. Student teams from around the globe gathered for an online briefing to learn that their client was the World Wildlife Fund. Next Sadler and Ramirez met online with their Singapore-based mentor, Heather Seet, and, 72 hours later they submitted a full-blown plan and video pitch. Seet, who won the 2021 Next Gen PR World Cup, said the #MasonCOMM team had “good nuance of thought in the presented strategy and in the way they built a multi-step campaign.” She also said that the plan could easily have been put together by a young professional instead of undergrad students. Professor Suzanne Lowery Mims, who sponsored the team, applauded their spirit of adventure and creativity. “Their pitch included a true ‘big idea’ but one that could be implemented in a results-oriented, disciplined PR manner. #MasonCOMM could not be more proud of their participation in this competition.” Mason is a member of the Public Relations and Communications Association @PRCA and sits on its International University Advisory Group. The ICCO University World Cup is a PRCA-led initiative. The ICCO is the International Communications Consultancy Organisation represents 3000+PR firms in 82 countries worldwide. Rylee Sadler, Class of '24, is a Communication major with a minor in Japanese, which she'll strengthen when she studies abroad in Japan. She has interned with @WashingtonExec, spent years as a surf instructor, and takes an active role in campus organizations. Alexander Ramirez, also active on campus, will graduate in 2023 with a major in Social Work and a minor in Communication. He is also an actor and is interning in social media and UX design for @Stride, Inc. It takes an adventurous spirit and a whole lot of time management to enter a global PR competition in the last few weeks of a semester. That's precisely what drove #MasonCOMM's team of Rylee Sadler and Alexander Ramirez to accept the challenge. And now, they are in it. A 7 a.m. EST briefing call kicked off the inaugural ICCO University World Cup Competition 2022. Ten teams from five countries received the rules and the "brief" outlining the client and its objectives. Now, the student teams have three days to turn around a campaign pitch. Video pitches and slidestack PDFs must be submitted by noon, Nov. 17. Winners will earn a paid agency internship and prominent exposure via industry websites and podcasts. "This is the real deal. The ICCO is giving students the chance to see how they respond under time constraints and stay true to the discipline of PR. At the same time, they get to apply academic lessons on aligning strategy to meet measurable objectives," said #MasonCOMM Professor Suzanne Lowery Mims, who sponsored the team. "Plus, they are a creative pair. I know they'll also have fun with it." Mason is a member of the Public Relations and Communications Association @PRCA and sits on its International University Advisory Group. The ICCO University World Cup is a PRCA-led initiative. The ICCO is the International Communications Consultancy Organisation represents 3000+PR firms in 82 countries worldwide. Rylee Sadler, Class of '24, is a comm major with a minor in Japanese, which she'll strengthen when she studies abroad in Japan. She has interned with @WashingtonExecutive, spent years as a surf instructor, and takes an active role in campus organizations. Alexander Ramirez, also active on campus, will graduate in 2023 with a major in social work and a minor in communication. He is also an actor and is interning in social media and UX design for @Stride, Inc. Results will be announced Nov. 23. This is cool. I was invited to serve on PRCA's new International Advisory Group and that's blossomed into a relationship for George Mason University and PRCA. I'm proud that Mason has now joined PRCA, the world's largest professional public relations body, representing more than 30,000 PR professionals in 35 countries.
PRCA membership benefits extend to all Mason students, faculty, and staff for the duration of employment and undergraduate or postgraduate courses. To access all the membership benefits, students and staff members must register on the PRCA website, by using their university email address. The mission of new advisory group is to strengthen ties between PR, academics and students, so I am excited about this (because I like to think of myself as a human bridge to the real world for my students!) The advisory group is made up of 30 university faculty from around the globe, including Great Britain and Western Europe, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, and the Americas. While I am deeply honored by the invitation to join the group, I believe that the panel and #MasonCOMM is best served by having a full-time faculty member and scholar. I'm thrilled that our Professor Sergey Samoylenko will sit on the new group. Writing a blog proved to be an effective early assignment in our Writing for PR course. Mimicking Buzzfeed's listicle style seemed to help our writers to organize thoughts into distinct points. The strongest submissions all used authoritative sources as well as specific examples to support their lessons learned. I made seven conclusions after reading and editing 21 blogs! #1: AP Style. You have to master pages 64-70 in our “Pathways” text. AP Style errors in your blogs included improper date/time, periods inside quotation marks, its vs. it’s, and wrong words (their vs. there.) Surprise: you CAN use a number in a headline. AP Style dictates that you spell out all numbers under 10. However, numbers should be used in headlines. #2: Avoid cliches. Be precise. “…outside of your comfort zone” is an overused cliché when describing lessons learned. More than half of your blogs used this phrase, and in some cases, more than once in the piece. Yes, it does communicate that feeling but tended to sound a little trite? #3 Credit photos: Do not get in the habit of just copying and pasting in an image you find online. DO get in the habit, as many of you did in your blog, of using free images but respecting licensing – Unsplash. #4 Write for the reader. Once you finish a draft, read it for clarity of meaning and ask yourself: did I explain this clearly enough? Will someone who doesn’t know me understand this? In several blogs, I couldn’t quite understand your lessons because you didn’t explain fully at the outset, for example, what your job was. #5 Don’t “talk.” Write. Sentences that run on are often the result of “talking,” not writing. Good news: this is easy to fix by “pruning.” Just like branches on a tree, lop off those meandering phrases and tighten your sentences. Ask yourself: what am I trying to say here? Then just start with your noun, verb and direct object. #6 Paint a full picture. Adding detail helps the reader understand your message. Identify a lesson but then support it with specific examples of what experience led you to that lesson. It helps the reader identify with the writer. #7 Have something to say. Include authoritative sources to support your points. It adds to your credibility. Writing for PR is the process of creating a credible, persuasive message. Technology is evolving faster than anyone dreamed in terms of video. TikTok was just a whisper 18 months ago but usage has flown off the charts -- and providing some very entertaining posts during the pandemic's long days, weeks and months.
PADLET is a nice app to help with online teaching the pandemic. In our PR & SM course, we use it as a Sharing Wall so we can all learn from each other. Students can post images, upload files and even record a video right on the page. Even better is that that video CAN be downloaded to be used on a resume or YouTube page. ..to prove it, that's what I did. |
Suzanne Lowery MimsTeaching PR and launching careers = best job in the world. Archives
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