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This research explores how integrating course modality changes through blended learning technologies impacts the framework of public speaking curriculum. Public Speaking is a unique area of study, as it involves a large number of student performances, requires a small class size, and incites increased communication apprehension in students. Authors of this study incorporated a blended learning course change to tackle these challenges. Through quantitative assessment comparing student knowledge, performance/skills, and communication apprehension between a blended course modality versus traditional face-to-face classes, more is understood regarding the impact of modality on public speaking pedagogy. Results of this study demonstrate how a blended learning modality of instruction is able to enhance the quality of instruction, specifically by increasing student knowledge, improving performance/skills, and lowering communication apprehension. Challenges of hybrid modality are also discussed.

The purpose of this study is to better understand how physicians utilize social media technologies to facilitate patient communication and the motivations and barriers towards doing so. Additionally, it explores how power distances influences physician’s willingness to utilize social media as a resource in health communication by conducting in-depth interviews with physicians in the United States and in the Phillippines, based on divergent power distance scores from Hofstede’s (2010) research. Qualitative analysis of transcripts revealed two major themes : 1) hesitancy in utilizing social media in doctorpatient communication for diagnosis and treatment; and 2) the role of social media for marketing, education, and communicating with hard-to-reach patients. These findings suggest that although physicians understand the many possible benefits of utilizing social media for health communication, there are many other factors to consider. Cultural issues should be taken into account as future social media health communication programs are developed.

An estimated 34 million people globally are living with HIV, with Sub-Saharan Africa being the most severely affected area, with nearly 1 in every 20 adults diagnosed (UNAIDS, 2012). Botswana experiences one of the highest adult prevalence rates in Sub-Saharan Africa, with almost 100,000 children, in a country of only two million people, having lost a parent to the virus (Botswana Country Report, 2010). Makgabaneng is a serial radio soap drama that addresses critical HIV/AIDS awareness and behaviour change issues in Botswana. This study aims to understand how fans of the programme understand the storyline that presents narratives where female characters are portrayed as educated, independent and confident individuals. Results of 42 in-depth interviews with self-defined fans of the drama show that males are constructed as uneducated, irresponsible and dependent in society. It is recommended that Makgabaneng address this inequity by creating a more balanced number of positive and negative female and male characters.