Journalism Skills
Faculty members: Lisa Taylor, Gavin Adamson
Type: Learning Objects
Description: The topics for these six new modules were chosen after extensive consultation with our undergraduate faculty members.
The teaching that takes place in these modules is of two kinds:
- Technical training that can be returned to several times over the space of a journalism curriculum so that learning outputs are reinforced.
- Areas in which our students present the greatest divergence in competency—for example, some students enter university with solid numeracy skills, while others are unable to calculate a percentage change. Given the unevenness of knowledge from one student to the next, we concluded that the most effective and efficient way for students to learn these skills was at their own pace through self-paced and interactive online learning modules, rather than simply being expected to keep up with their peers in a lecture hall or lab.
These six modules can be used as stand-alone learning objects, or provided as a “set” of modules to enhance an introductory level course provided as a hybrid model. Each of the modules’ primary topics will be addressed in three to five minute videos that situate the learning outcomes in the journalism context. In each case, the end of the video begins a formative, self-assessment phase by asking the student to problem solve. Next, multiple-choices and true-false quizzes deliver more formative assessment, offering tips and full solution options.
Please note that modules will open in a new tab.
Grammar and Syntax
Analytics for Journalists
Front-End Development for Journalists
Spreadsheets for Journalists
Math for Journalists
iNEWS
Please note that audio will automatically play in the presentations. Please use the controls available to pause the slide, should you require more time or the use of adaptive technology.
Each module is available as an accessibly formatted Microsoft Word document (.doc).
- (word file) Module 1 Topic 1: Parts of Speech
- (word file) Module 1 Topic 2: Common Punctuation Errors
- (word file) Module 1 Topic 3: Making Sentences Agreeable
- (word file) Module 1 Topic 4: Misplacing Your Modifiers
- (word file) Module 1 Topic 5: Commonly Confused Words
- (word file) Module 2 Topic 1: The Basics
- (word file) Module 2 Topic 2: Audience Acquisition
- (word file) Module 2 Topic 3: Audience Behaviour
- (word file) Module 2 Topic 4: Editorial Decision-Making
- (word file) Module 3 Part 1: What is Front-End Development and Why Should Journalists Care?
- (word file) Module 3 Part 2
- (word file) Module 3 Part 3
- (word file) Module 4: Spreadsheets for Journalists
- (word file) Module 5: Math for Journalists
SCORM packages are used to import content into a Learning Management System.
- (archive file) M1 Topic 1: Parts of Speech (opens in new window)
- (archive file) M1 Topic 2: Common Punctuation Errors
- (archive file) M1 Topic 3: Making Sentences Agreeable
- (archive file) M1 Topic 4: Misplacing Your Modifiers
- (archive file) M1 Topic 5: Commonly Confused Words
- (archive file) M2 Topic 1: The Basics
- (archive file) M2 Topic 2: Audience Acquisition
- (archive file) M2 Topic 3: Audience Behaviour
- (archive file) M2 Topic 4: Editorial Decision-Making
- (archive file) M3 Part 1: What is Front-End Development and Why Should Journalists Care?
- (archive file) M3 Part 2
- (archive file) M3 Part 3
- (archive file) M4: Spreadsheets for Journalists
- (archive file) M5: Math for Journalists
Author Biographies
Lisa Taylor, LLM, JD
Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director, School of Journalism
Lisa Taylor is a former lawyer and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation journalist who teaches journalism law and ethics. She is the co-editor of *The Unfulfilled Promise of Press Freedom in Canada* (University of Toronto Press, 2017), a Senior Fellow with Ryerson University’s Centre for Free Expression and a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists’ ethics advisory committee.
Lisa previously lectured at King’s College School of Journalism and Mount Saint Vincent University, both in Halifax. She regularly leads professional development workshops at CBC locations across Canada. In 2015, Lisa received the Faculty of Communication and Design’s Dean’s Teaching Award at Ryerson University.
Gavin Adamson, BA, MJ
Associate Professor, School of Journalism
Gavin reported at Winnipeg Free Press as a sports reporting intern during his first gig. He spent a couple of years in the Sun chain (now Postmedia) as a general assignment reporter. He spent many years producing business news for Bloomberg News and Transcontinental Media. He has several documentary credits on the CBC, Global TV and the former iChannel, including a piece about wait times in the Ontario health-care system.
His research interests include audience engagement, and news and mental health.
Dr. Nicole Blanchett, BAA, MPC, PhD
Assistant Professor, School of Journalism
Dr. Nicole Blanchett is an Assistant Professor at Ryerson School of Journalism. At the time of publication, she was a journalism professor at Sheridan College's Faculty of Animation, Arts & Design.
Her current research focuses on journalistic role performance, the use of audience data in newsrooms, and the changing boundaries and definitions of journalism.
She is a contributor to J-Source and judge for the Canadian Association of Journalists’ Awards. Blanchett was a news producer and writer at Citytv in Toronto. Her master’s thesis for Royal Roads University focused on participatory journalism, and her doctoral research at Bournemouth University observed the impact of metrics and analytics on decision making in four newsrooms in Canada and Europe.
© 2015 Lisa Taylor, Gavin Adamson, Ryerson University. Journalism Skills is made available for public use under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND) license (external link) .