We propose: a rethinking of core classes
We see major inefficiencies in the school's core classes, those that every student must take regardless of emphasis area. We see students spending years learning repetitive information in theory classes, only to be rushed through their practical newsroom experiences in their last few semesters on campus. We see lower level classes in which the bar is not set high enough to demand achievement, allowing students to skate by because their work is not published. We see large lecture classes that don't facilitate the type of participatory learning that journalism students crave.
The curriculum committee has shared that the Missouri School of Journalism operates with two major deficit areas: information gathering and multimedia reporting. Similarly, professor Lee Wilkins expressed at the ASNE Ethics and Values Forum that students must learn to not only be fact gatherers, but also learn how to provide substantive analysis to day's news.
The news writing course as it is currently structured tries to accomplish too much, flying through the basics of information gathering and of multimedia. We support the plan to add a new fundamentals of multimedia course to the curriculum. This would allow news writing to focus on information gathering and give students the additional multimedia skills they want.
The core classes that students and alumni we interviewed found least useful were history of American journalism and cross-cultural journalism. We believe that these topics are still important to teach, but they could be presented more efficiently. We propose that these classes be condensed, freeing credit hours for students to take more hands-on classes.
For specific information about our proposals for changing the core curriculum, please visit each of the tabs within this section of the Web site.
The curriculum committee has shared that the Missouri School of Journalism operates with two major deficit areas: information gathering and multimedia reporting. Similarly, professor Lee Wilkins expressed at the ASNE Ethics and Values Forum that students must learn to not only be fact gatherers, but also learn how to provide substantive analysis to day's news.
The news writing course as it is currently structured tries to accomplish too much, flying through the basics of information gathering and of multimedia. We support the plan to add a new fundamentals of multimedia course to the curriculum. This would allow news writing to focus on information gathering and give students the additional multimedia skills they want.
The core classes that students and alumni we interviewed found least useful were history of American journalism and cross-cultural journalism. We believe that these topics are still important to teach, but they could be presented more efficiently. We propose that these classes be condensed, freeing credit hours for students to take more hands-on classes.
For specific information about our proposals for changing the core curriculum, please visit each of the tabs within this section of the Web site.
