Public Relations Matters » COMM 244L

Persuasion Using Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

Barbara Nixon — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:14:12 +0000

In my Honors Speaking class, we’re discussing using Monroe’s Motivated Sequence as a way to persuade listeners. This tried-and-true process has five steps:

Attention
Need
Satisfaction
Visualization
Action

I discovered this short video this morning which explains the process well:

This one-page handout offers additional details on Monroe’s Motivated Sequence.

Up on My Soapbox

Barbara Nixon — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:26:34 +0000

Though I do agree that there’s no such thing as a “dumb question,” I feel the need to briefly get up on my soapbox this morning. I promise I won’t be up there too long.

Students this semester, especially but not exclusively those in my online classes, are asking questions. That’s a good thing. It means they’re engaging.

However, they are questions that would be easily answered without asking me directly if they’d do two simple things before asking:

Read the information I write for them (through e-mail, on my blog and in BlackBoard/GeorgiaVIEW)
Listen to what I tell them (face-to-face, or in synchronous sessions or recorded and posted either on my blog or in BlackBoard/GeorgiaVIEW)

In at least 75% of the cases (and I really am tracking it this semester), the questions that they’re asking have already been addressed. Clarification questions? I welcome those. But basic questions like “how do I know what I’m supposed to include in my blog?” Those are a horse of a different color.

There. Now I can step off my soapbox and get back to helping my students become independent learners.

(NOTE: Ever wonder where the expression “on a soapbox” came from? Wikipedia to the rescue.)

Cross-posted from my Becoming Learner Centered blog.

Arrive, Survive and Thrive in Prof. Nixon’s SEU Spring 2010 Classes

Barbara Nixon — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 22:15:07 +0000

An Open Note to All of Prof. Nixon’s Students at Southeastern University:

We’re almost off and running in our Spring Semester classes at SEU. The syllabi will be e-mailed to all my enrolled students, and I’m also posting links to them (on Scribd) here when they are available.

So that we can make the most of this semester, please (Please, PLEASE) take some time to read through the blog posts I’ve included here. I promise you, it will be well worth your time. (How often do professors let you get inside their heads, letting you know their tips for success and their pet peeves?)

Additionally, here are a few more tips:

When communicating with me via e-mail (or Facebook), always put your course number (such as COMM 4333) in the subject line to help me immediately identify who you are and frame your questions or comments. Do your best to write in full sentences, paying attention to standard English grammar and spelling. Always sign your e-mails with your first and last name, as your SEU e-mail address will not make that readily apparent to me.
When submiting an assignment in BlackBoard, always put your last name as part of the file name, and also include your name in the document itself. Papers submitted without your last name as part of the file name cannot earn full credit.
If an assignment is due inBlackBoard, the only way to get full credit for the assignment is to submit it in BlackBoard. (E-mailing an assignment to me can be risky; I receive 250+ e-mails a day, and there’s a chance I will not even see it in my inbox.)
Follow me on Twitter, if you really want to get inside my head. (What’s Twitter?)

Let’s make this a great semester together!

(PS: If you’re one of my SEU students reading this post, please leave a reply to this post so that I can know you have read it. If your reply doesn’t show up immediately, no worries — I may need to approve it before it appears, if you’ve never commented on my blog before.)