Students are experts at sizing up instructors, but many do not extend this analysis to non-instructor audiences, which can reduce their effectiveness in new communication situations. Audience, therefore, is a crucial threshold concept not only in Rhetoric and Composition, but in any discipline that values communication skills. How can instructors…

The 1974 book, "The Uses of Mass Communication: Current Perspectives on Gratifications Research" introduced the concept of a "division of labor"--that certain media work better than others in meeting audience gratifications. Since the division of labor concept has not been subjected to empirical testing, a study elaborated an…

This guide is intended for use in teaching a graphic communications systems. The course has been designed to provide students with an opportunity to assess audiences; design, produce, and deliver printed and photographic messages; and analyze the impacts of these messages. The first two sections discuss the guide's development within the framework…