Rethinking Inclusion and Diversity in Communication Education Research

Opening lines: scholarly inquiry and learning outcomes in communication

“…"Diversity matters" continued: student learning outcomes in communication Diversity, privilege, and social justice have received a significant amount of attention in pedagogical research (Frey & Palmer, 2014;Hendrix, Jackson, & Warren, 2003;Hendrix & Wilson, 2014;Orbe, & Allen, 2008;Simmons & Wahl, 2016). Similarly, these issues received a significant amount of attention in the NCA Learning Outcomes in Communication (LOC) project.…”

“…Communication research can influence the ongoing conversations related to diversity in higher education, but researchers must rise to the challenge: encouraging educational communities to facilitate researchgrounded campus conversations focused on diversity; holding colleagues accountable for advancing diversity in scholarly practice. These efforts can result in more ethically centered and inclusive partnerships exemplified in research journals and educational contexts (Hendrix & Wilson, 2014;Simmons & Wahl, 2016). In pedagogy and practice, our attention to diversity must be continuous (not episodic) and authentic (not cosmetic).…”

“…Diversity matters in communication education (Orbe, 2016;Simmons & Wahl, 2016), and diversity matters as we envision and embrace the LOCs. Communication research can influence the ongoing conversations related to diversity in higher education, but researchers must rise to the challenge: encouraging educational communities to facilitate researchgrounded campus conversations focused on diversity; holding colleagues accountable for advancing diversity in scholarly practice.…”

“…In many instances, students are given peripheral exposure to topics of diversity that are tacked on to the end of a unit. This unproductive approach inevitably leads to a tokenization practice that mirrors the problematic tradition of ghettoizing diversity topics (Hendrix & Wilson, 2014;Simmons & Wahl, 2016). Further, diversity research within communication education scholarship is, at best, limited.…”

“…As called for in Frey and Palmer (2014), Orbe (2016), Rudick and Golsan (2016), and Simmons and Wahl (2016), teacher training must include diversity issues, communication activism, and social justice. Scholarship could explore the challenges related to learning to teach towards LOCs focused on diversity.…”