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| The Class Talk Show - A Pedagogical Tool (Paper) The following paper by Professor Susan Eisner appears in a 2004 edition of the Advanced Management Journal. Abstract The Class Talk Show is a pedagogical option that may be particularly effective in reaching today’s college students. It is compatible with their frames of reference and their habits for gaining information as media consumers. It develops knowledge and competence valued by educators and employers, is consistent with educational guidelines, and has been affirmatively received. Foundations for the Class Talk Show are provided, steps for constructing it are detailed, and student contribution and response to classroom usage are discussed. Introduction The 21st century presents challenges and opportunities for educators, students, and practitioners. Business communication skills are continually cited as central to career success (Tucker and McCarthy, 2001; Rubin and Morreale, 2000; Scheetz, 1995; Van Horn, 1995). An academic literature review by Wardrope (2002) itemized the need for college graduates to be competent in speaking, listening, persuasion, leadership communication, interpersonal communication, teamwork, and global-cultural awareness. A 1999 Business-Higher Education Forum identified the need for similar skill sets, along with ethics and opportunities to apply theoretical concepts. Similarly, AACSB International standards for business accreditation specify learning experiences that include communication, ethical knowledge and reasoning, reflective thinking, multicultural and diversity understanding, and group and individual dynamics (AACSB International, 2003). In searching for a pedagogical tool that would serve these various factors, I have had repeatedly positive experience adapting for classroom use a vehicle which students frequent in the popular culture of reality broadcasting: the talk show – not the confrontational Jerry Springer kind, but the Oprah supportive type. Modified for the classroom, the Class Talk Show becomes an intensive and dynamic active learning tool. It infuses student experience and participation through a medium in which they are interested and with which they are comfortable. Through the Class Talk Show, volunteer student panelists present their experientially-based perspectives on relevant topics with candor and depth. That, in turn, stimulates questions and disclosure by other classmates. The instructor moderates, ensuring that the experience is safe, serious, focused, and achieves learning goals. Topics conform to those covered in the course textbook. They are scheduled after relevant chapters are read. Assessment is integrated with evaluation of all other course learning. Three full-period exams are given throughout the semester. Each exam contains one essay relating to a Class Talk Show. Feedback regarding the Class Talk Show has been highly affirmative. Students describe it in positive terms ranging from formative to transforming. Their follow up performance in assessment measures linked to talk shows confirm positive educational outcomes. Furthering Educational Objectives The Class Talk Show appears to provide a high-performance, high-engagement, stress-free forum facilitating realization of cognition and skills goals identified above. Subjects are investigated with the immediacy, complexity, and multiple perspectives that peer learning, and real world examples from peers, can deliver. Oral, interview, listening, group, leadership, and critical thinking skills are developed as all prepare, student panelists tell, and student audience members follow up. Experience with the Class Talk Show as a pedagogical tool has found it to be a particularly useful mechanism through which to teach controversial, sensitive topics with which students have had direct experience. In business courses, it has provided a means for frank discussion of subjects including affirmative action and the glass ceiling, sexual harassment, work-life balance, ethical dilemmas, international differences, workplace privacy and safety, whistle-blowing, the war on terrorism, and media impact on values and behavior. Educators may find the Class Talk Show of particular usefulness given concerns that have been expressed regarding how to reach Generation Y students (Paul, 2001), and the ability that it provides to respond to relevant public issues that arise during the semester. The Class Talk Show appears to be one means through which the interest of today’s students is stimulated and learning occurs. Foundations for the Class Talk Show as a Pedagogical Tool Communication and multiple intelligence literature suggest that effective teaching involves reaching students, and that reaching students involves taking their frames of reference into account. Knowing where our students are coming from and meeting them there may increase the chances that students will attend to the information we seek to teach. Today’s U.S. college students are largely drawn from Generation Y, the 71 million Americans born in the post-Vietnam, post-Watergate years between 1977 and 1999. They are linked by the cultural implosion of instantly accessible multimedia telecommunication – the Internet, MTV, video games, the 24-hour news cycle, Palm pilot, cell phones, and reality-talk show broadcasting. Their shared generational events include the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01, corporate and celebrity scandal, Presidential impeachment, Presidential election outcome determined by Supreme Court, school violence, and an increasingly diverse society (Paul, 2001). Today’s college students tend to be less responsive to traditional lecture methods, do not unquestionably look up to authority/public figures or the media, and are less likely to believe that there is any one right answer. They are more judgmental about ethical behavior than the general public, and most admiring of those that they know. They are accustomed to a variety of global viewpoints and nontraditional families, and feel the need for political reform. The increasing media presence of talk show-reality programming gives them a populist sense that everyone can be heard and can be a star. Having their say and becoming known seem to them both easy and natural (Paul, 2001). The genre of reality-talk TV appears to have particular appeal for younger people (Carter, 2003). CBS’s Survivor drew viewers an average of six years younger than any other CBS show, NBC’s The Mole drew viewers some ten years younger than any other ABC show, and NBC’s Fear Factor helped it attract younger audiences (Downey, 2001). In 2003, Joe Millionaire and American Idol shows brought Fox its highest ratings in five years, resulting in Fox earning first place among the four broadcast networks during February 2003 sweeps. Seven reality shows placing among the 13 highest rated TV programs during February 2003 sweeps (Carter, 2003). As media consumers, the general public tend to pay more attention to local news than to national or international news, which they report understanding less. They pay most attention when something important happens. This tendency particularly holds for younger people, who are highly event-driven viewers. They rarely watch network news on a regular basis, and prefer Fox and CNN as TV news sources (Pew Research Center, 2002). In the first 14 days of the 2003 War with Iraq, 18-34 year olds increased their viewing of CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC five to six times for each station; their viewing of network news showed no change or dropped (Johnson, 2003). Younger audiences access the many information sources available to them. They tend to take an unstructured “grazing” approach in which they “check in” with the news through a combination of cable, radio, magazine, and Internet sources (Pew Research Center, 2002). Turner network ratings chief Jack Wakshlag describes it this way, “Young people … are used to getting what they want, and when they want it. And cable news is providing that” (Johnson, 2003). Similar responses appear to be occurring toward reality programming. A recent survey of younger viewers found half expecting to watch more reality TV next year than they do now; 91% plan to watch Fox’s American Idol next season. Some 80% report being online while watching TV. Young viewers seem to be drawn to shows where they can become participants either in storyline outcome or through Internet linkage between episodes (Albiniak, 2003). Talk shows have become a staple on TV, radio, and Internet – all venues frequented by younger people. Consistent with demographic viewing trends attracting young viewers to reality TV series, real-life talk show topics appear to interest young audiences most (Heath, 1998). An explanation for the trend toward the growth of chat is that such programs may meet the human need to connect with others in this era when people tend to “increasingly feel isolated and adrift from any real community” (Owen, 1998). Talk shows appear to provide an egalitarian, accessible forum leaving viewers feeling that they have found a medium that is centered on, open for, and of interest to them. Many have found including factors similar to these in pedagogy to be effective in increasing educational outcomes. The Seven Principles in Action identified by the American Association for Higher Education advocate student-faculty contact, cooperation among students, active learning, prompt feedback, time on task, high expectations, and respect for diverse talents and different ways of learning (Page and Mukherjee, 2000). AACSB International standards encourage faculty to actively involve students in the learning process, and to facilitate collaboration and cooperation among participants. Standards for students include approaching learning materials with attentiveness and dedication, staying engaged when challenged by difficult learning, and contributing to the learning of others (AACSB International, 2003). The Class Talk Show is constructed upon the above foundations. Course topics explored through it become more understandable, important, and meaningful. Localization of content provides a basis for students to gain national and international insight. Multiple points of view are presented. Questions are continually asked and collectively answered. Findings are conveyed through sources credible to students. Students are given the opportunity to engage with others in a familiar venue they regularly frequent, and in which participation is a valued norm. Core Planks A European consortium interested in fostering quality in broadcast talk shows issued a comprehensive report identifying key elements that talk shows should contain. Its findings are consistent with the foundations described above. The talk show the study proscribes is a forum for expressing public concerns, providing the audience with a voice, and encouraging the audience to participate in the dialog. Inclusion and joint problem solving are norms. Detachment and confrontational win-lose norms are discouraged (Quality in Television Talk Shows, 2003). The construct modeled in talk radio which has been criticized for creating a culture of anger, cynicism, and divide (Owen, 1998), and for transforming media into escapist infotainment leaving viewers “too entertained to be outraged” (Shales, 2002), is not recommended. Rather, the core planks described in Figure 1 are recommended (Quality in Television Talk Shows, 2003): Figure 1. Recommended talk show elements. Common Experience Issues are identified and discussed, in a framework of social cohesion. Sense of Involvement Participants are respected, in a framework of empathy. Dialogue Peers and experts provide information, in a framework of collaboration Empowerment Participants conclude, in a framework of responsible decision-making. Constructing the Class Talk Show The above planks become the basis for the Class Talk Show. Topics with which students have personal experience are selected by the instructor. They are scheduled at intervals paced to move and not block overall course cognition. Students volunteer to be panelists. By sharing their experiences in the Class Talk Show, they become the mechanism through which real world examples transform terminology into actionable comprehension. The instructor serves as host, and in that role both ensures respectful dialog and accesses learning opportunities that arise. An instructor can use the eight steps detailed in Figure 2 as a basis for constructing a Class Talk Show facilitating engaged student learning: Figure 2. Constructing the Class Talk Show (CTS). Step 1: Select appropriate topic and scheduling.· Choose CTS topic with which students have first-hand experience.· Schedule CTS at intervals rather than all at once.· Conduct the first CTS early in the course as it will be an ice-breaker for open discussions.· Hold CTS on sensitive topics until after students have had a positive CTS experience. Step 2: Prepare students for CTS as a feature of the course.· Describe CTS in the syllabus.· Include CTS in the schedule of course assignments.· Explain CTS purpose, format, and procedures in class.· Announce the topic at least a week before CTS, and give a handout with CTS questions.· Instruct all students to prepare as if they were to be panelists. Step 3: Reduce factors discouraging, and provide incentives encouraging, student participation.· Specify CTS will be respectful and supportive; all views will be appreciated and heard.· State that panelists will be welcomed, not interrupted, and not put on the spot.· Allow students to volunteer to serve as panelists, and provide bonus points for doing so.· List all CTS topics together so that students can make informed choices.· Give all students the chance to serve as a panelist once before letting any serve again.· Acknowledge all volunteers to the class for their initiative and contribution. Step 4: Provide a comfortable forum, state the guidelines, and ensure they are applied.· Establish a positive, civil gone by greeting and thanking panelists for participating.· Provide panelists with chairs from which to speak facing the class (they speak seated).· Determine and announce panelists’ speaking order; have panelists introduce themselves.· Tell that each panelist speaks for five minutes, and that questions will be taken afterward.· Stand behind panelists so they are not inhibited; note and respond to class reactions.· Interject while a panelist is speaking only if s/he freezes or falters and needs support. Step 5: Extract the main points and connect them to course material.· When a panelist finishes, ask him/her to re-state main points and lessons to be learned.· Follow up with any clarifying questions that strengthen connection with course material.· Summarize course concepts illustrated by each example presented by panelists. Step 6: Encourage non-panelists to contribute.· After panelists speak, ask if anyone else has an experience to share; if so, have it told.· Solicit questions from class for panel; let no one dominate; keep it non-confrontational. Step 7: Foster collaborative problem solving· Break the class into buzz groups; assign a panelist to lead each group.· Ask each group to answer the CTS questions, and to report course lessons learned.· Share all answers with the class as a whole.· Commend the class for the learning they have collaboratively achieved. Step 8: Give assignments in which students can synthesize their learning.· Include questions stemming from content covered in CTS on regular course exams.· Assign, or give bonus points for, written memo reports reflecting CTS learning. Example: Using the Class Talk Show in the Business, Government, and Society Course The Class Talk Show may be a natural fit with the first year required business course. The annual survey of college freshman conducted by UCLA reports the first college year as bringing many changes in student behavior and attitude, and academic struggle for many. Less than half of first year students feel successful in getting to know their professors. Some one-third of first year students feel intimidated by their professors. The survey concludes that the academic self-confidence of first year students is falling, and that helping them to adjust academically is an important challenge. At the same time, first year students appear to adjust well socially; many make close friends (Notebook, 2002). The Class Talk Show may provide a vehicle through which students can overcome some of the academic hurdles they face. They can apply the social skills they possess in a forum they are culturally familiar with through customary media habits. At Ramapo College, the first year required course for business students is the business, government, and society course. Business and Society by Post, Lawrence, and Weber (2002) is the primary textbook. The syllabus details course assignments, including the Class Talk Show as shown in Figure 3: Figure 3. Syllabus description of the Class Talk Show. For many, effective learning is peer-based and experientially grounded. To enrich your learning in this way, the class will hold several Talk Shows in which student volunteers share their experiences on contemporary issues relevant to the course. From the first, Talk Shows have been a special and memorable feature of this course. Volunteer panelists are chosen in advance, and receive extra credit. All students read assigned chapters, and prepare as if panelists. No additional research is required. Every effort is made to allow each student a chance to serve as a panelist at least once. Dialog is respected and supported. Exams include Talk Show learning. In a typical 15-week semester, my syllabus for the business, government, and society course schedules six Class Talk Shows corresponding to topics covered. Class Talk Shows topics and questions for the Spring 2003 semester appear in Figure 4: Figure 4. Representative Class Talk Show topics and questions. Class Talk Show 1: Business, government, and society post-9/11/01.Q: Consider the events triggered by the attacks of 9/11/01, and answer each question:· How have business, government, and society been affected?· How have you been affected?· What is the most important question you have about events triggered by the attacks?· What do you conclude? Class Talk Show 2: 21st century business, government, and society outside the United States.Q: Answer each question for a country other than the U.S. you know well, and then for the U.S.:· What is the economic problem there?· What system has been used primarily to solve it – tradition, command, or market?· What system should be used to solve it?· What would someone visiting for the first time be most surprised to find about life there?· What do you conclude? Class Talk Show 3: Ethical dilemmas in business.Q: Select one workplace ethical dilemma you have encountered, and answer these questions:· What is the ethical dilemma?· Why did the ethical dilemma occur?· What form of ethical relativism contributed, if any?· Why should parties involved be ethical?· What ethical action should be taken to resolve the dilemma?· Does that recommended action pass the unanimity test? Class Talk Show 4: Workplace privacy, safety, testing, downsizing, and whistle blowing.Q: Select an employee and employer conflict you have encountered, and answer each question:· What is the conflict?· What is the employee perspective? What is the employer perspective?· How should this conflict be resolved?· Is whistle blowing justified? What are the consequences of whistle blowing?· How can privacy rights and responsibilities of both employee and employer best be met?· What do you conclude? Class Talk Show 5: Workforce diversity, equal employment opportunity, and sexual harassment.Q: Select one experience you have had regarding workplace diversity, and answer each question:· What are the opportunities and challenges of a diverse workforce?· How can the opportunities be maximized and the challenges be minimized?· How did adults balance work and personal life when you were young? With what results?· Will you make similar choices?· What do you conclude? Class Talk Show 6: Media impact on behavior, values, and choices.Q: Consider your experience as a media consumer, and answer each question:· What impact has media had on your behavior?· What impact has media had on your values?· What impact had media had on your academic, career, and personal choices?· What do you conclude? Each of the course’s three full-period exams includes one essay question based on a Class Talk Show. Figure 5 contains an exam question based on the Ethical Dilemma Class Talk Show: Figure 5. Essay question based on The Class Talk Show. Our third Class Talk Show explored ethical dilemmas experienced by students, and conducted a follow up analysis in groups led by talk show panelists. Select one ethical dilemma presented in the Talk Show, and analyze it using the ethical criteria from Chapters 5 and 6 of Post. Identify the ethical dilemma, tell why it occurred, explain which form of ethical relativism may have contributed to the problem, show why those involved should be ethical, recommend an ethical action to take to resolve the dilemma, and show that the action passes the unanimity test. Include an introduction, and a thoughtful conclusion explaining what you learned from this analysis. Student Contribution and Learning I first experimented with The Class Talk Show several years ago when, as a new instructor, I noticed a tendency of a few students to be extroverted in class while many others remained self-contained. This seemed most notable when topics were controversial; those who saw themselves as in the minority particularly appeared to opt out. I hoped that if I could find a way to put those feeling self-conscious up front in an area where they could shine, their comfort level might increase. We would then be able to fully include and benefit from them in class. That first Class Talk Show was far more rudimentary than the ones it has spawned since. I met after class with those who had lived in countries other than the U.S., and told them they had experience we all could gain from. They were invited to start the next class by describing what we would be most surprised to find about life in the non-U.S. country, and what they had been most surprised to find about life in the U.S. All agreed to do so. With their ensuing service as panelists, dynamics in the class changed. Dialog became lateral, novel perspectives were solicited, reticence disappeared, and we collectively undertook an unspoken yet ongoing collaborative search for knowledge and understanding. The Class Talk Show was born. Many students who now enroll in this course have heard about The Class Talk Show from others. The contribution it makes to their education is one they recognize and value. It is not unusual to have stimulated such interest by mid-term that an extra Class Talk Show must be scheduled to accommodate all volunteers. The conclusion of an essay by a first year student is representative. His essay analyzed Class Talk Shows on three topics: workplace privacy, equal employment opportunity, and media. Excerpts appear in Figure 6: Figure 6. Excerpt from representative student essay on the Class Talk Show. We held a series of Talk Shows intended to present a better understanding of the readings. But the Talk Shows did so much more. Through the real-life examples the panelists gave, we were able to see how concepts from the reading applied to the real world. We have come to see that the world in which we live is very complicated and intricate. Because of the Talk Shows I have analyzed in this essay, I can now pose these questions: 1) Is business justified for setting up surveillance devices and violating employee privacy when so much profit is lost annually due to employee theft? 2) What more can government do to make sure businesses are being socially responsible by not hiring based on factors other than that which relate solely to the applicant’s ability to do the job? 3) What can media do to better represent the human race and eliminate the preconceived stereotypes that are in place now?” Moreover, I can now answer these questions. Several colleagues have reported positive spillover to other classes. They have noted the active contribution to class discussion, capacity for critical thinking, and support offered to peers by students who – when asked – say that their learning has included the Class Talk Show. A further asset of the Class Talk Show is its ability to access teachable moments that unforeseen current events present, through the habit for frank and supportive dialog it has established and developed. In the Spring 2003 semester, for instance, public attention shifted to war with Iraq. The extent to which students are affected by seeing classmates, family, and friends sent overseas on military assignments is a concurrent experience and too soon to truly measure. But students came to class and asked, naturally, if we could discuss the War. Their questions suggested that, for many, sophisticated debates regarding the rightness of military action were beyond their ability to enter into. Their need to know was of a far more fundamental nature. Their questions ranged from “Where is Iraq?” to “What right does the Security Council have to be involved, and why do the permanent members not include smaller countries?” to “Why can the United States have weapons of mass destruction but Iraq cannot?” Against this backdrop, the Class Talk Show may be an especially timely tool. The issues and events we teach about that to many students may have once seemed far away, secondary, and of little meaning – all characteristics which the Pew Research Center correlates with low interest by young people – may be becoming to students immediate, personal, and primary realities that are important for them to understand. The Class Talk Show provides a forum in which the commonality of our students’ interests become known to them, questions are commonplace and welcome, and answers are sought and assessed together. Representative experiences contributed by panelists appear in Figure 7. They illustrate the learning potential the Class Talk Show affords: Figure 7. Representative experiences contributed by Class Talk Show panelists Class Talk Show 1: Business, government, and society post-9/11/01.· Financial analyst worked at World Trade Center during the 1993 bombing.· Marine served in Afghanistan during the post-9/11/01 war.· Worker was downsized and unable to find re-employment post-9/11/01.· Employee worked at Arthur Andersen during Enron disclosure.· National Guard member enlisted to pay for college and was sent to guard a NY bridge.· Soldier awaiting deployment to Iraq. Class Talk Show 2: 21st century business, government, and society outside the United States.· Panelists had direct knowledge of Brazil, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, India, Iran, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kosovo, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and United Kingdom. Class Talk Show 3: Ethical dilemmas in business.· Theft by co-employees was ongoing.· Lack of hygiene occurred frequently behind the scenes at fast food restaurants.· Cash receipts were not reported so that managers could pocket all the cash.· Service station co-workers did not do work that customers ordered and paid for.· Worker donated overstock of bankrupt business to charity without telling manager. Class Talk Show 4: Workplace privacy, safety, testing, downsizing, and whistle blowing.· Illegal substances were consumed at work.· Insider trading was observed by co-worker.· Parents were laid off and unable to find work.· Faulty and unsafe equipment was commonplace.· Employee e-mailing negative comments re: boss was detected by electronic screening.· Cameras were installed in dressing rooms and rest rooms at work.· Employee theft was revealed by undercover cameras. Class Talk Show 5: Workforce diversity, equal employment opportunity, and sexual harassment.· Male’s mother was sexually harassed at work.· Male felt females created a hostile work environment.· Female was sexually harassed at work, sued, and lost the case.· Male manager was falsely accused of sexual harassment.· Male single parent raised a daughter.· Female was raised by two working parents. · Male nurse received preferential treatment over female nurses and felt uncomfortable.· Manager hired only one race.· Manager hired only attractive, young women. Talk Show 6: Media impact on behavior, values, and choices.· Video games became an obsession blocking studying and resulting in antisocial behavior. · Media triggered copycat violence by family members, customers, students, and campers.· Media triggered eating disorders.· Media promoted materialism.· Media stimulated interest in pursuing careers in medicine and law.· Media enhanced patriotism post-9/11/01. Linkages A recent article found that business educators are interested in responding to relevant current, but may find themselves constrained by the traditionally slow pace of academic adaptation (Hindo, 2002). At the same time, an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education discussed an increased faculty interest in teaching, reaching and interacting with students, and enhancing the community environment on campus (Wilson, 2002). Coincidentally, a survey of college students identified the importance of student centeredness, campus climate, and instructional effectiveness (Elliott and Healy, 2001). Communication skills are highly valued by employers, but fear of public speaking tops the list of American phobias (Fischoff, 1995). Debating has provided a traditional forum in which speaking, critical thinking, research, social, self-esteem, and confidence are competencies built. But respondents to the nationwide survey that identified these benefits cited the time involved in debate participation and its resulting impact on academic and social life as deficits, along with the financial cost (Williams, 2001). The Class Talk Show would seem to provide a forum compatible with the desired objectives noted above (timeliness, flexibility, interaction, community, and communication skills), while minimizing the negatives (academic, social, and financial costs). Moreover, it offers the opportunity to convert deficiencies to strengths (overcome fear of public speaking, build self-esteem, and enhance confidence). Student feedback and behavior have reflected these positive outcomes resulting from their experience with the Class Talk Show. Such comments as “I was going to drop this class when I saw the required oral presentation of the final project, but by the time we did it talking in class was natural,” “I am doing better in my other classes because I am not afraid to ask questions and can comfortably express myself,” and “This class seems like a family; I have made friends here I will keep for life” are routine and frequent. One student spoke of asking his parents for a newspaper in preparation for a Class Talk Show, and watching his parents start to cry. It was the first time in his twenty years that they had known him to show interest in the news. Discussion Forty years ago, H. Marshall McLuhan’s work on the social impact of technology led to his contention that “the medium is the message.” In doing so, he called attention to the push-pull between content and the mode through which it is exchanged (Kostelanetz, 1967). More recently, linguist Deborah Tannen described a culture of argument that she finds problematic to be transforming public communication. She reports a trend toward conversations becoming contentious debates in which people speak at each other, rather than collaborative discussions in which people speak with each other. Issues become over-simplified into two polarized sides. The focus shifts from engaging in dialogue to being on the winning side (Levinson, 1998). Educators continue to grapple with these concerns. The purpose of instruction is to teach, not to entertain. The message should not succumb to the medium, but a message must reach its audience to be heard. Additionally, learning is a process through which search for knowledge occurs, and findings are shared. By nature that process is collaborative, thorough, and thoughtful. It includes nuances and shades of gray among the ground that is explored. These are key tenets to incorporate when using the Class Talk Show. The instructor sets the tone that prioritizes content. Establishing seriousness of purpose, delving beyond stereotypes, analyzing hypotheses deeply, considering varying perspectives, connecting the experiences shared by students to course material, and synthesizing the learning messages are central. The Class Talk Show is introduced as one of several pedagogical features to be used, and is described procedurally. It is not dwelled on as a medium, spotlighted, promoted, or glamorized. When positioned, instead, as a learning tool, the Class Talk Show becomes as typical as playing videotape, accessing the Internet, hearing student presentations, facilitating group discussions, or positioning chairs in a circle during class. A limitation of the Class Talk Show is the possibility that a class lacks the background to be able to contribute experiences to all topics an instructor might want to use it to cover. Polling students on relevant experiential background early in the course can guide the instructor in selecting relevant topics that connect with student experience. Directions for panelists can be extended to include experiences they have observed or heard about from those who encountered them directly, such as a parent. The chances are strong, though, that most classes will have students who do have work experience. An estimated 77.1% of students at four-year colleges, and 84.2% of students at two-year colleges, are employed full-time or part-time (Public Agenda Online, 2003). For me, the Class Talk Show was the means through which I began to more fully recognize and draw upon this student experiential background. An additional consideration is whether the Class Talk Show is more suited to some business disciplines than to others. One might postulate that it lends itself least to more quantitative fields. On the other hand, several of my colleagues who teach accounting and finance make non-quantitative subjects such as ethical dilemmas, legal compliance, diversity, globalization, and career management key course topics. As with other pedagogical options, it may be that the topical orientation of the instructor, and the teaching methods that s/he is most comfortable with, are the best determinants of when and whether to use the Class Talk Show. The application of the Class Talk Show to the business, government, and society course example described in this article falls naturally into a six-topic construct. My Principles of Management and Entrepreneurship courses sed it in a three-topic configuration. The thematic nature of other courses may suggest other constructs, such as one Class Talk Show at mid-term and a second at end-term as a tool to integrate each part of a course. Conclusion As an educator, I have seen the Class Talk Show consistently provide a mechanism for open, stark, inclusive, and constructive conversation. Students become a group of peers who have come to learn through and with each other. I consider myself fortunate and privileged to be among them. With each new Class Talk Show, my knowledge deepens through their experiences and eyes. Ability to reach them and teach them increases. When these characteristics are factored in with the foundations for the Class Show identified in this paper – student frames of reference, elements of quality talk shows consistent with the Seven Principles in Action and AACSB International standards, and student contribution and reception – the Class Talk Show may be a useful and timely tool for teaching and learning. Educators whose interests and goals are compatible with these considerations may find the Class Talk Show a pedagogical option to consider. References Albiniak, P. (2003, May 5). 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