Teaching Philosophy and Pedagogical Interests
Teaching Philosophy
In 2008-2009 I taught COMM 403: Mass Communications Law at Penn State University. I have also completed Penn State's graduate-level course in teaching and pedagogical methods. This teaching philosophy was created for COMM 403, and is a mix of academic teaching experience, corporate teaching experience, current research interests, and future academic career goals.
Intro: My personal teaching philosophy is based on my experience as a trainer in the corporate environment, and the teaching styles of the graduate school professors with whom I have built working relationships. These combined experiences have given me a personal teaching philosophy of helping students understand complex material, with language and examples that are more easily grasped by the layperson. Read more...
Pedagogical Inquiry
I have conducted substantial research on media law courses at Big Ten universities and other schools with widely acknowledged media law programs. The Challenges of Teaching Media Law to Undergraduates is the capstone project arising from this pedagogical research.
For my full research paper on this topic, contact me at cramer520@yahoo.com.
Learning Activity and Course Objectives
I have also designed a Learning Activity with Grading Criteria for an undergraduate media law course, and Course Objectives for the syllabus of the course. The items below are fictitious but have inspired exercises and syllabi in my Mass Communications Law courses.
Learning Activity Intro: Look up the case New York Times Co. v. Sullivan on LexisNexis or Westlaw and read the case fully. At the beginning of your paper, record the full name of the case and its citation, including the case number, year, and the court in which the case was heard. The main body of your paper will be a complete IRAC analysis of the case. Read more...
Course Objectives Intro: The objective of this course is to help students explain and interpret the many legal questions that news media professionals face in reporting news and information to the public. The knowledge gained in this course will be especially useful for students planning to work in journalism, advertising, or public relations, as well as any student seeking to learn more about matters of media law. Read more...