MATTER OF TIME Assessing improvement knowledge and critical thinking skill of undergraduates in the first and last year in Communication Degree MARTA PÉREZ ESCOLAR Universidad Loyola Andalucía martaperez@uloyola.es PURIFICACIÓN ALCAIDE PULIDO palcaide@uloyola.es

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION This experimental study examines the student learning outcomes in the Communication Theory -first year- and in the Public Opinion -last year- courses.

INTRODUCTION This experimental study examines the student learning outcomes in the Communication Theory -first year- and in the Public Opinion -last year- courses. The distribution of courses and subjects that is reflected in the curriculum for the Communication Degree at University Loyola Andalucía (Spain) has been designed in order to improve student learning in every academic year.

INTRODUCTION Following this approach, the main objective of this research is to assess the students learning outcomes in order to find out whether or not undergraduates have improved their knowledge of «asymmetry in the distribution of power» and other related issues like, for example, privileged access to information, elitist theory or individual rights, among other perspectives.

INTRODUCTION Theory of communication, that belongs to the first year, and aims to enabling students to identify the principal communication and mass media theories and to understand the role of media and communication in the current society.

INTRODUCTION Theory of communication, that belongs to the first year, and aims to enabling students to identify the principal communication and mass media theories and to understand the role of media and communication in the current society. Structural functionalism and Bourdieu’s principles of habitus and cultural capital represent two of the most relevant paradigms:

INTRODUCTION • Structural functionalism is a framework for building theory that describes societies as complex systems in which each part works together to promote stability. This approach is oriented toward regulating and maintaining current social order.

INTRODUCTION • Bourdieu’s principles of habitus refers to the individual’s preferences, perspectives, choices, skills, disposition, reasoning, and so on. Habitus has been accumulated over the past and it addresses the future. This structured principle introduces how people feel and understand the social reality and the world around them and how they react to it.

INTRODUCTION On the other hand, Public opinion, which belongs to the last year, is focused on giving tools for analyzing the purpose of public opinion in the social and political landscape, but also aims to motivate students to turn into communication strategists who knows how to create powerful messages that motivate opinion.

INTRODUCTION On the other hand, Public opinion, which belongs to the last year, is focused on giving tools for analyzing the purpose of public opinion in the social and political landscape, but also aims to motivate students to turn into communication strategists who knows how to create powerful messages that motivate opinion. In this sense, students learn about mass communication theories, theories of public opinion, political and social movements and Marxism, among others.

INTRODUCTION In sum, both subjects deal with the idea of «asymmetry in the distribution of power» or «asymmetry agentivity» as a cross curriculum concept inside the syllabus framework:

INTRODUCTION In sum, both subjects deal with the idea of «asymmetry in the distribution of power» or «asymmetry agentivity» as a cross curriculum concept inside the syllabus framework: • Theory of communication means the first stage in student’s development in which undergraduates become knowledgeable of social structures, human culture, mass media theories and political power.

INTRODUCTION In sum, both subjects deal with the idea of «asymmetry in the distribution of power» or «asymmetry agentivity» as a cross curriculum concept inside the syllabus framework: • Theory of communication means the first stage in student’s development in which undergraduates become knowledgeable of social structures, human culture, mass media theories and political power. • Regarding Public opinion, students are expected to acquire in depth knowledge at the end of the course about political models, citizen behaviors and social organization.

METHODOLOGY

METHODOLOGY The search for distinguishable differences in learning outcomes between students enrolled in Theory of Communication and Public Opinion was conducted using a quantitative methodology: a database in the statistical programme SPSS was created and an ad-hoc content analysis template has been designed as well, to study the main features of information we have collected.

METHODOLOGY The search for distinguishable differences in learning outcomes between students enrolled in Theory of Communication and Public Opinion was conducted using a quantitative methodology: a database in the statistical programme SPSS was created and an ad-hoc content analysis template has been designed as well, to study the main features of information we have collected. Data collection was carried out in November 2018. At the beginning, participants were N=150 undergraduate students at Universidad Loyola Andalucía (Spain) enrolled in both communication courses -Theory of Communication and Public Opinion-. However, the final sample consists of n=103 students, since 47 questionnaires were considered invalid.

METHODOLOGY This analysis compares student learning outcomes in terms of the subject, specialization, gender, age, nationality and the number of correct and wrong responses.

METHODOLOGY The assessment of student learning outcomes was a multi-step process: first, we decided to project a film because movies are useful assessment instrument. The selected film was In Time, since we were conscious that this thriller shows a dystopian society in which ethical dilemmas converge as well as social and communicative theories.

METHODOLOGY Then, we asked students to fill in a questionnaire that was specifically designed for this research and included ten closed-end questions. For each question, students had to choose the correct answer from a multiple-choice list.

METHODOLOGY Then, we asked students to fill in a questionnaire that was specifically designed for this research and included ten closed-end questions. For each question, students had to choose the correct answer from a multiple-choice list. The purpose was to connect the plot of the film with theoretical knowledge, so undergraduates were asked to response questions related to asymmetry in the distribution of power, structural functionalism, Bourdieu’s principles of habitus, mass communication theories -like Agenda Setting or Spiral of Silence-, theories of public opinion -like the elitist theory-, political and social movements -capitalism or communism, for example-, human rights, and Marxism.

CONCLUSION

CONCLUSION The main results show there are statistically significant differences between first-years students learning outcomes and last-year students learning outcomes. Paradoxically, first-year undergraduates have achieved better results in the questionnaire. When we designed this questionnaire, we included a greatest number of questions related to the Opinion Public course, so fourth-year students were expected to get better results. We believed last-years undergraduates not only had embraced the knowledge they learnt previously, but also they had been learning new concepts during this last year and thus, they had a big advantage over first-year students.

CONCLUSION However, the results we obtained contradict this assumption: first-years students achieved better results in those questions related to Theory of Communication as well as to Public Opinion. This information demonstrates student learning has fail because the evolution of knowledge has not perceived: undergraduates of the Communication Degree at University Loyola Andalucía has not improved their learning in these subjects and themes.

CONCLUSION It is not possible to assert whether or not the reason of this problem is based on the teaching methods, the distribution of courses and subjects in the Communication Degree or because of the students’ ability to memorize these kind of lessons. Nevertheless, from a critical point of view, we do affirm undergraduates who are about to finish the Degree and to integrate into work life show a lower level of knowledge about concepts, like «asymmetry agentivity» and other communication theories, than when they started the Degree at the University.

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