Class is in Session
How can we generate interest in the advertising profession among our students? What activities can we incorporate into our lesson plans that will lead to richer conversations and deeper understanding? Where can we find new ideas about how to refresh the information we teach and how we teach it? The answer? We can share our ideas and experiences with each other here! If you have an activity, resources, etc. you'd like to share with others who teach in the advertising discipline, please send them to Robin Spring (Teaching and Pedagogy Chair) at springro@gvsu.edu.
Teaching Ideas
What Do Industry Professionals Have to Say About DEI?
Six advertising professionals with DEI experience were invited to share their insights during the AEJMC Advertising Division 2020 Teaching Pre-Conference. Here's what they had to say.
Ideas for Teaching DEI
Deconstruct
an ad
Deconstructing an ad is a simple and effective way to teach students about diversity issues. Questions like what assumptions does the ad make about race, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, and so on can spark conversation. Find more information about this exercise here.
Submitted by Suman Mishra/SIUE
Request preferred pronouns
This is more of a prep thing, but I always send out a Form ahead of time asking for preferred pronouns. Additionally, I ask them to let me know DEI issues they may have faced in the classroom (or professionally) that had either a positive or negative impact on them. It lets the students know that they are entering a classroom where these issues are important and sets the tone for how things will be handled in my class and throughout the semester.
Submitted by Jess Collins/VCU
Train
problem-solvers
I have a few assignments where the purpose is to connect with a diverse audience and/or solve problems affecting diverse people and cultures. One example is asking the students to write down topics or causes that they are passionate about. Typically, those are close to home for them personally or community wise (VCU has a very diverse student population). A typical execution is to create a video, be it a spot or just content that raises awareness and gets people to do something about their specific topic.
Submitted by Marcel Jennings/VCU
Bring In
Recent Grads
Last year I started inviting students who had just graduated the semester before (or had an internship) to tell my students about their experiences in finding jobs, moving, salary decisions, resumes, etc. A majority of my students are people of color and many identify as LGBTQ or have visible or invisible disabilities. As early career professionals and having just recently experienced these big steps, they have stories that are important and empowering for future graduates. They encounter conversations and events that we might not have thought about. These are some of the most life-changing conversations we’ve had in the classroom.
Submitted by Sara Champlin/UNT
Roll the dice
I think it’s important to explore ideas and people different from yourself. The more we know about others, the more familiar, the less threatening. I have used a GIFT teaching idea in the classroom that has students assume a different identity with the roll of the dice. Then, they look through that lens and see if the advertising you are seeing could be relevant to that person. Then, explore how could the ad or campaign be altered to be more inclusive. In order to do this, the student would have to seek out a person (or people) with their “newly assigned identity” and get to know them better. In other words, encourage learning about cultures different than your own.
Submitted by Peg Murphy/Columbia College Chicago