Written responses, summaries, and critiques of articles are only a few examples of media-based assignments. I have students explore and review web sites related to the courses I teach. Students can assess not just the content but the visual or numerical aspects of articles and sites, as well. Evaluation of material from the popular media can help prepare them to evaluate more complex material, such as articles from professional journals, writings on psychological theory, and grant proposals. Speaking Across the Curriculum.
Articles are great as the focus for individual or group presentations or debates.
Students can do oral presentations from their critiques, prove or disprove points from an article, or debate ethical dilemmas. She recommends sources such as Time , Parenting and Atlantic Monthly to garner information on topics including child welfare, day care, television viewing, and spanking. Other issues that lend themselves to this type of pedagogy and have recently received considerable media attention are teen violence, overuse of psychotropic medication, euthanasia, and culturally-sensitive books and curricula. Students can also create clipping files, portfolios, and reaction logs in following an issue of interest over an entire semester. They can look at events as they develop, examine how the issue is covered, contrast coverage in different sources, and compare points of view.