WTAMU’s Common Reader and Service Learning in the Basic Speech Course

• In Event: Service-Learning Discussion Circles: Building Bridges with our Students in the Community

Abstract

For the past five years, West Texas A&M University has chosen a common reader to be used in core classes taken by first year students. In the basic public speaking course, we have implemented three common reader assignments that require students to link principles they are learning in the course to specific chapters or sections of the common reader. In the last five years, our students have read Suskind’s A Hope in the Unseen, Bronson’s What Should I Do with my Life?, Wiesel’s Night, Eggers’ What Is the What and Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns. Beginning three years ago, the Communication department included video documentaries that featured the topics covered by the common reader. In 2009-2010, the documentary, Afghan Stories was shown in conjunction with the common reader discussion assignments. As students explored how we defined culture, both from reading A Thousand Splendid Suns and viewing Afghan Stories, we began to see a connection with their cultural understanding and their service learning experiences.



All students enrolled in SCOM 1315 must completed between 5 and 10 volunteer hours for area organizations. Based on their experiences with their community service hours, they create a persuasive speech focusing on that organization or the underlying societal need the organization is addressing. Cultural sensitivity may be difficult to measure. However, the connection being made between the common reader assignments and their service learning have increased their engagement in the course.

Author

• Trudy Hanson, West Texas A&M Univ