Across all the courses I teach, I aim to demonstrate that communication questions are relevant to students’ everyday lives, and that communication processes are not simple or binary.
I focus on sharing theoretically dense or methodologically complex information in ways that are accessible and foster a sense of ownership and confidence in evaluating nuanced communication phenomena.
Snapshot of Recent Courses
- Intro to Strategic Communication
- This intro-level undergraduate course meets a general education requirement for social science. Students break down the communication campaign process, applying persuasion theories and secondary research to design effective strategic messages for various organizations.
- Communication Research Methods
- This mid-level undergraduate course introduces quantitative and qualitative research methods in communication. Students identify the various types of research methods employed by the discipline, apply data analysis skills in Excel and JASP, and gain scientific literacy in evaluating the results and claims of research studies.
- Ethical Applications of AI in Communication
- This graduate-level seminar applies communication and interdisciplinary theories to analyze applications and ethical implications of AI in communication contexts. Students understand the architecture of LLMs and the ethical implications of that design in practice, such as bias, privacy, and deception.
Representative Student Comments
Assignments were challenging in the best ways. They reflected the course and got your brain involved
She is a very good instructor, she clearly shows that she loves what she does and wants everyone to understand and she also puts her extra time into those who feel behind and makes sure everyone is up to date
She is so sweet and enthusiastic, I’ve taken her twice now and I’d take her again if I could
I will take this content far within my career
Teaching & Research Intersections
How my graduate seminar on AI in the communication industry informed grant-funded research.
From teaching…
When preparing my graduate seminar, my interdisciplinary background helped me prepare materials on how AI worked, theories of human-computer interaction, and select research articles applying AI in novel ways. Yet, I found myself continuously wondering how industry professionals were using and perceiving AI. I wanted the seminar to be grounded in applicable skills and perspectives directly from industry. I needed some data! So, I surveyed my department’s Advisory Council, made up of over 60 communication professionals at all levels. That data informed the selection of ethical issues and practical skills that were discussed and developed in the class.
To research…
The informal survey and subsequent discussions revealed interesting patterns of cognitive conflict about AI use, ethics, and skills. Thus, the information gathering I did to inform my teaching led to the development of a new research direction. Myself, and two other faculty members in my department, won a college-wide QEP (Quality Enhancement Plan) grant to conduct a national survey of communication professionals’ use of and perceptions of AI. This data is currently being analyzed and prepared for publication 🙂
Elizabeth E. Riggs PhD 