Communication Pedagogy for the Real World

In the United States, a gap exists between what is taught in university journalism and mass communication courses and what journalists and media managers expect. The media professionals and academics often debate over whether communication programs should be more theoretical or practical, general or specialized, rigid or flexible. Over the years, great efforts have been made to improve the dialogue between these two important sectors of the field. In Taiwan, there is also a long-standing disagreement about what should be included in the communication courses within the academies. This article addressed several approaches (e.g., internships, experiential learning, and closer collaboration with media professionals) that Taiwan academic communities might learn from their American counterparts in making connections between theory and practice. Keywords: communication education, communication pedagogy, internship, experiential learning