A requirement in the Information Sciences and Technology Program, Speech Communication 100B is a course focused on inter-group communication skills. I considered this class to be very useful, as all the work in my business field will involve the ability of excellent inter-personal communication skills.

My section, section 60, was joined with Information Sciences and Technology 110. IST 110 and SPC 100B were taught in conjunction over a three hour period on Tuesdays and Thursdays (plus an additional two hour lab once a week) for a total of 7 credits. Dr. Steve Sawyer taught IST 110 and Professor Jen Young, who was a graduate student at the time, taught SPC 100B. The focus of IST 110 involves a basic introduction to the Information Sciences field. So in IST 110 / SPC 100B we took the topic (which was similar for both classes) and analyzed it two different ways. We looked at the technological issues in IST 110 and the communication aspects in SPC 100B.

The class involved Problem Based Learning, a style of teaching that brings education away from lecturing and places the emphasis to learn on the student. Developed at Penn State by the Schreyer Institute for Innovation in Learning, PBL requires students to work primarily in groups on problems. In IST 110 / SPC 100B, we had four problems. The responses to those problems are below. Although most students disliked PBL at the start of the class, most, including me, learned from Dr. Larry Spence why Problem Based Learning is an asset and not a hindrance. After taking this course, I now consider myself an advocate for PBL and have actually gone to conferences with both Dr. Spence and Dr. Sawyer promoting the use of PBL in all classes.

Class grade received: A

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