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Science profs, broadcast lecturer showcase unique clusters courses at conference

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Posted on Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Three professors from Westminster College recently presented at the 2023 Broadcast Education Association (BEA) Conference in April, which was held at the international NAB Show in Las Vegas.  

School of Communication Lecturer Bradley Weaver recruited peers from biology and environmental science to present on a panel he moderated about interdisciplinary approaches to service learning.  

Weaver teaches the fall Buzzfeed cluster course with Dr. Patrick Krantz, associate professor and director of Westminster’s Outdoor Laboratory, and the spring semester BirdTok cluster course with Dr. Kerri Duerr, associate professor of biology.  

The trio presented at the BEA Service Learning Showcase and shared video productions of the Buzzfeed students from last fall and their work with Austin’s Place, a Butler, Pa.-based training facility for those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

As part of the Buzzfeed coursework, students—using video documentation—recorded their assumptions about those with ASD prior to visiting Austin’s Place. After their visit, they revisited their submissions and reflected on their newfound knowledge of inclusion, themselves and the young adults in the program.

“My contribution to the panel was an emphasis on how the innovative curriculum we’ve developed in the cluster, Buzzfeed, can serve as a model to drive curriculum change in higher education,” said Krantz. “Specifically, we discussed how the service-learning component embedded at Austin’s Place served as an alternative assessment and allowed the students to demonstrate content pedagogical knowledge.”

The BEA is a professional association for educators, students, and professionals in radio, television and other electronic media. Affiliated with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), BEA’s annual conference is held in conjunction with the NAB Show.

The NAB Show, the largest media-based trade show in the world, attracts around 65,000 attendees. With over 10,000 members, the National Association of Broadcasters is the largest association representing the broadcast industry in the United States. The NAB Show brings together a wide range of professionals from the media and entertainment industry, including broadcasters, content creators, technology innovators and policymakers.

For more information, please contact Weaver at weaverbl@westminster.edu.

Above from left, Patrick Krantz, Bradley Weaver and Kerri Duerr.