“Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.”
President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Who am I....

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Justin Louder is the Director for the Texas Tech University Ethics Center and is an Adjunct Instructor for the Integrative Studies Program for University College at Texas Tech University.  He came to Texas Tech in 2010 from Angelo State University where he had worked since 2005.  Justin earned a B.A. in Communication and Psychology from Angelo State University, a M.A. in Communication from Angelo State University, and his Ed.D. is in Instructional Technology with a minor in Higher Education Administration from Texas Tech University. His research is on social learning and social exchange in the online learning environment, specifically looking at instructor support, student collaboration and communication, and overall learning in the online classroom.

Before going to work in higher education Justin worked as a legislative intern for US Congressman Charles Stenholm and Texas State Senator Robert Duncan.  During his masters program Justin developed, produced, and hosted several weekly television shows on a wide range of topics including police chief elections, ceramic art, an award winning show on the San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo, Goodfellow Air Force Base and the US Department of Defense Fire Training Academy, and Methamphetamine abuse.

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From the Daily Toreador after the massive dust storm last fall. I did not take this picture, I just thought it was neat.

Teaching Philosophy

The most inspiring teachers I remember from my undergraduate education were those that made the subject matter come alive with popular culture references but were able to interweave research, theory, and practice throughout the conversation.  One professor in particular was able to teach in such a way that he made communication theory come alive with discussions over the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld. When I had to sit for my master’s comprehensive exams and had to discuss communication theory I knew I understood the content when I too was able to discuss Seinfeld, Family Guy, or Friends and make it relate and explain the theory.

I aspire to be that kind of professor; someone that is able to relate any class discussion in such a way as to make it relevant to my students, whether they be Millennial learners or a baby boomer returning to school after a long absence.  But if you can reach each learner during the same class and they walk away with an understanding of the content and a greater appreciation to the world around them, then I have done my job.

Today more so than any other time I our history we are teaching such a diverse group of students from the millennial learner, the baby boomer, the immigrant, the digital native to the digital immigrant and those that are so overwhelmed by the technology that they feel they will never be able to learn.

A classroom, online or in class, needs to be a place to encourage academic discourse and push a student to think beyond what they may be comfortable with or what they learned in high school.  A university, college, or any institution of higher education must be a place to push a student to critically think, evaluate, and decipher new and exciting information.  But it must also be a place for discovery outside of the classroom.  Students should be encouraged to question the instructor and make the instructor think beyond the book and accept the student’s opinions and values.  On the other hand, instructors need to question students in such a way as to make them think beyond what they are reading in a book, online, or see on tv.

I strive to be an instructor that is open, available, and honest with my students.  A instructor that values discourse but keeps control over the conversation happening in my class.  I hope that my students leave my class with a greater appreciation of what they learned, themselves, and their classmates.  We are all lifelong learners and the higher education classroom is just one more stop through this journey.