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Using Hot Topics to Engage Students - DE Oracle
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An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
Using Hot Topics to Engage Students
Claudine Weatherford
Management and Education Consultant
School of Undergraduate Studies
Published: March-April 2009
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Facilitating-student-communities
Introduction
"Hot topics" include just about any news- or buzz-worthy subjects, cutting edge ideas, insights and
innovations, current events and trends, or controversial/debatable issues—the "hotter," the better. This
article discusses the value of hot topic classroom discussions, how to present them to your students,
and strategies for incorporating other hot topic activities into your classes to help keep students
engaged throughout the term.
The Value of Hot Topic Discussions
Hot topics are relevant to our UMUC students who are confronted (some would say, bombarded) with
daily news of information and issues that often deeply affect their lives. Instructors can use the
classroom to create a bridge between real-world issues—i.e., hot topics—and classroom dialog that will
help students learn to spot accurate information, form reasoned opinions, and make good decisions.
Doing so will help students become engaged in brisk discussion that helps them prepare to expand into
other course topics and assignments.
Students' interest is sparked by current events—what they read on the Internet, see on TV, hear on the
radio, discuss with co-workers, and argue about with friends and family. Capturing that spark and
channeling it into a discussion or debate can help learners gain a deeper understanding of the topic as
well as master important critical thinking and group dynamic skills. The best discussion topics are those
that are relevant to the discipline being taught. Some examples of hot topics that I have used in my
BMGT classes include privatization of social security; the housing bubble and subprime mortgages;
illegal immigration from a U.S. business perspective; and car manufacturer "bridge" loans (substituting
"bridge" with "bailout" stirs up even more discussion).
Launching Hot Topic Discussions in Face-to-Face and Online Classrooms
In face-to-face classes, start with a brief warm-up before the actual hot topic discussion. Instruct your
students to keep an eye out during the week for topics that are relevant to the course subject and that
evoke a strong response and opinion. For example, in my fall BMGT 364 (Management and Organization
Theory) class, students had much to say about AIG's billions of dollars in government bailout—and even
more to say about the more or less $500,000 spent by the company on executive retreats. To ensure a
lively dialog, I asked half the students to put themselves in the shoes of the company executives and
try to come up with a rationale for what might appear to the tax-paying public as an arrogant,
inappropriate expenditure in the middle of a bailout. This activity added fuel to the fire and increased
the topic's heat.
Online discussions can be equally energizing, but they require a little more preparation. To use a hot
topic for a group discussion online, I require that students research the topic and develop their own
two-paragraph opinion. I also outline the participation expectations in the introduction to my Hot Topics
Using Hot Topics to Engage Students - DE Oracle
conference, noting particulars such as how many credible sources students must research and list in
their responses, the number of responses they are expected to give, and when they should post their
responses. The example below shows one way you can introduce a hot topics assignment to your online
class:
Hot Topics Assignment Example
Welcome to Hot Topics!
The main goal of the Hot Topics conference is to increase understanding of current and important
ongoing business and management issues to help stay on top of a dynamic work and economic
environment. The Hot Topics online discussion will provide:
Opportunities to partially fulfill the BMGT 110's primary conferences Participation requirement
Practice in researching current and ongoing key events—particularly contentious or trendy issues
—related to today's ever-changing world of business and management
Structured yet flexible opportunities to communicate and interact energetically by effectively articulating
viewpoints and listening/responding constructively during a discussion
I have provided a list of topics below that are available for investigation, commentary, and discussion.
The trigger questions under each topic should jump-start your thinking and help you begin. The topic
list also includes "Your Turn," a discussion thread designed for you to add a topic not already posted but
that, in your opinion, deserves greater understanding and discussion.
Directions: The Hot Topics discussion is a "mini-research" assignment. Your postings are expected to
show an earnest effort to learn about important and interesting issues by uncovering facts and expert
opinions expressed in well-grounded sources. To complete this assignment, you must:
Choose and respond to at least two hot topic questions before the end of the term. This includes posting
original commentaries as well as responding-agreeing, disagreeing, and/or providing new ideas-to your
fellow students' postings.
Include at least two (2) references for your data and information.
Provide at least two (2) examples supporting your claims and strengthening your opinions.
Use the APA-style citation posted under Course Content.
You have a generous amount of time to complete this assignment; however, I recommend that you
begin participating in the discussions early to take advantage of the responses and interchange of ideas
and opinions throughout the semester. Complete your Hot Topics discussions no later than August 11,
11:59 pm EST. Review the late assignment policy to make sure you understand its implications.
Hot Topics and Trigger Questions
aGhASt About Gas?
So, just how much a barrel is oil these days? How much are you paying for gas at the pump? What
explains the high price of gas carried on the shoulders of consumers? What do you think about big oil
company profits? What does this hot topic have to do with the delicate balance between capitalism and
the role of government in a free-market economy, such as found in the U.S.? What are other nations
doing about the cost of gas?
Credit Schmedit!
Why all the hubbub about the U.S.'s credit woes? Some experts even use the phrase "global credit
crises." So what's going on? Summarize the main issues and take a stand about how critical credit is to
the U.S. and global economy.
Mortgage Fraud?
The media is bristling with reports about mortgage lending practices. What's this all about? What's your
opinion on the events and outcomes related to this topic?
Your Turn!
Using Hot Topics to Engage Students - DE Oracle
Additional Hot Topic Assignment Ideas
Consider these others strategies for introducing hot topics in the classroom to further engage students:
Hot Peppers: Instructors can open a new topic with a warm-up or attention-getter that I call "hot
peppers" to enliven routine course content to make it more relevant to students' current lives and
understanding of the world. Topics might include a brief introduction to basic text subjects, such as
investment banking, followed by a discussion on the more interesting and pertinent late-breaking news
about Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, and Citigroup.
Update Textbook Materials: Instructors can find outdated textbook examples, such as case studies or
publishers' supplemental online learning activities, and fill in the gaps where needed until the textbook
is updated and republished. For example, a company profile in the BMGT 110 textbook focusing on
Starbucks' ethical behavior and social responsibility offers an opportunity to identify and understand
today's business challenges: Will Starbucks' corporate officers continue the company's trends in
corporate social responsibility as the company's stock plummets in 2008 and possibly 2009? Students
can also contribute to researching and updating these materials.
Ask Students: Instructors may want to ask students for their ideas for hot topics. Give a brief
explanation of "hot topics" and then ask students to review either the textbook topics or syllabus to
come up with some ideas for what they would like to discuss during the semester. Provide some
examples to help them get started.
Resources
The following resources will provide you with more ideas and some instruction for developing hot topic
assignments:
Haugen, L. (1998). Suggestions for Leading Small-Group Discussions. Retrieved
from http://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching/small_group.html (http://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching
/small_group.html)
Hertzog, J. (2006). Hot topic debates: A class activity and assignment. In S. Sweet, M. Pitt-Catsouphes,
J. Mumm, J. Casey, & C. Matz (Eds.), Teaching work and family: Strategies, activities, and syllabi.
Washington DC: American Sociological Association. Retrieved from http://wfnetwork.bc.edu
/activities_entry.php?id=6372&area=All (http://wfnetwork.bc.edu/activities_entry.php?id=6372&area=All)
Pace, D. (2003). Controlled fission: Teaching supercharged subjects. College Teaching, 51, 42.
San Diego State University Library & Information Access. Subject Guide for Hot Topics Supersites.
Retrieved from http://infodome.sdsu.edu/research/guides/hot/supersites.shtml
(http://infodome.sdsu.edu/research/guides/hot/supersites.shtml)
About the Author(s)
Claudine Weatherford is an adjunct professor of business and management for UMUC's School of Undergraduate Studies. She
has over 25 years of experience planning, developing, delivering, evaluating, and managing face-to-face and technology-enabled
training, education, and development programs. For the past 10 years, Dr. Weatherford has served as a distance
learning consultant to colleges and universities, government agencies, and businesses; she has also taught knowledge
management at University of Mary Washington's College of Graduate and Professional Studies. More recently, her work has
expanded to include adventure travel management and ecotourism, taking her to Nepal, India, Tibet, and Africa.
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Comments
Brad Knott -- Apr 13th 2009
Good article! It was interesting and helpful. I use hot topics all the time in my
Employment Law for Business course that I teach online. I typically attach a
newspaper article, or two, and ask the students to comment. I do not require
participation in every hot topic conference but tell them this is a chance to make up
for lost ground in the participation category. The conferences are open for two weeks.
I like the idea of requiring students to cite to a source.
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