Strategy Strikes Back

Chair of Military Science, Melissa Ringhisen

Question

What advice would you give to your students, particularly female students, to encourage them to become effective leaders.

Answer

I talk a lot to our students, particularly women about how do you lead. A lot of times we will talk about the struggles that women have with leadership. In the Army, in particular, being aggressive and being very vocal is traditionally how we see leadership but when women do it, it is viewed in a different way…what you are dealing with is a very narrow view of what leadership is in the Army and you are going to have to figure out how to walk that fine line.

Project Description

Develop a podcast based on an interview of a veteran.

Purpose

Understand how the military works from a direct perspective and apply the theories of U.S. civil-military relations to Star Wars and the real world.

Learning Goals

Develop an understanding of how to interview someone.  Develop an understanding of the experiences of veterans.  Apply theories of US civil-military relations to the discussion with a veteran.

Role of Academic Technology

Using a podcast instead of a traditional essay allows the student to tell a story, while also including a discussion of how this fits with what we discussed in class.  It also allows the students to share that story with others through a more accessible medium, especially those who interviewed a family member or a family friend.

Technology

One-button studio
WakerSpace Podcast Room

Target Skills

Developing interview questions; using technology to record and polish the interview

 

Outcomes & Perspectives

Showcase

Student’s Perspective

Instructor’s Perspective

         Last semester I had the students conduct an interview with a veteran but they wrote an essay.  When I read the essays and spoke with students, I realized many of them had interviewed family or family friends and they had heard stories that no one else knew.  Then I was listening to “Story Corps” on NPR and realized that it would be great if the students could do the assignment and then have something they could also share with their family and the person they interviewed which would allow them to really share what they are learning at college in a way that might be good for the students and the families.

Assessment

Overall, I think this was a great project that allowed the students to apply what they learned in class in a concrete way.  It also allowed them to learn more about the experiences of others and how other people see the world.