A Grade-Norming Exercise to Increase Consistency and Perceived Consistency in Grading among Public Speaking Instructors

This study reports the results of a grade-norming training exercise in a mid-Atlantic university. The study’s goals were to improve consistency in grading among Public Speaking instructors, and to see whether self-report normative perception behavior and self-efficacy also improved. Four training sessions on speech evaluation were conducted with a group of instructors over the course of one semester. A control group was asked to evaluate speeches independently at the same time period, but its members did not have any training. Results show that the training led to greater consistency in grading over time in the training group compared to the control group. The training group also had higher levels of perceived normative behavior over time, and normative behavior perception was significantly correlated with self-efficacy regardless of group

Who Am I?: Identity in the Age of Consumer DNA Testing

Have you ever wondered about the origins of your ancestors? Are you curious about your ethnicity or race? Have you heard or told stories about your family’s past? Would you like to know the science that can help to uncover some of these mysteries?In Who Am I? Identity in the Age of Consumer DNA Testing, communication scholars Anita Kathy Foeman and Bessie Lee Lawton present readers with the most comprehensive and cutting-edge research on DNA and identity construction. They investigate the modern trend of individuals using direct-to-consumer DNA test results to explore and negotiate their personal and social identities. This book explores the numerous misconceptions that exist with regard to race, culture, and ethnicity, and how DNA kits have changed the ways in which race and ethnicity are understood and acted upon in our everyday lives.Featuring groundbreaking research, illuminating case studies, and a compelling analysis of what makes us who we are, Who Am I? is an ideal book for courses in identity, diversity, and other social sciences, including intercultural communication, sociology, anthropology, and psychology.https://digitalcommons.wcupa.edu/cahfaculty_books/1019/thumbnail.jp