Moody Faculty Spotlight | Rohitash Rao

As a backdrop to this faculty spotlight, I remembered a message from the fall 2023 Moody Shout Out initiative. One student quote stood out to me as a poignant argument for rethinking how we assess mastery of concepts:
 
"You’ve really pushed me and I think you’ve really helped keep me grounded in my thinking. You obviously care a lot and I’m really grateful for how accessible and helpful you’ve been. And the way you grade by only comparing my work to me has probably been the best for my mental health this semester. I tend to unhealthy compare myself to others, especially in tx creative, so the way you grade and critique our work is really good for me" (Anonymous).
 
There are so many testaments to excellence in teaching contained in this one sincere message of gratitude. The student acknowledged the productive struggle to achieve new knowledge and skills. The student knew the faculty member cared about their growth. The student realized this scoring approach is tied to a healthy perspective of using feedback to improve as an emerging professional.
 
I hope this conversation with Rohitash Rao, Assistant Professor of Practice at the Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations, sparks instructional ideas that move toward more student-centered feedback cycles to emphasize what is gained in the learning experience! If you have questions about how this could work in your course, please book a CATE Consultation with Mary or I.
 
- Shelly Furness, CATE Instructional Designer 

Rohitash Rao

Rohitash Rao

What does scoring for growth look like in your courses?

When I was in college, I always found it unfair to be compared to other students. Yes, I know it’s a competitive world, but creatives love being creative because that’s who you are. It’s not because of a job. In the situation of comparison and competition, if done too much, people lose the joy and freedom of being creative. I had to think about how to approach scoring from the goal of students finding their style or vibe. Definitions of style are different and new for each person so again, it’s unfair to compare creativity.

In scoring portfolios, I have a scale from 1-4. The 4 is “your 4,” and your 4 maybe be different than someone else’s 4. You set your own bar. One person’s 4 may be comedy and another person’s 4 may be fashion. It’s like comparing a horror movie to a drama; they are simply different ways of creating. I ask my students “Who do you want to be as a creative?” I let them set up their bar (their 4) and then help them clarify what that means. We collaborate to find the “home run” for each individual.

What do you do that helps students feel that the emphasis is on their growth as a professional?

I continue to build rubrics of creativity as an ongoing conversation with professionals in the field. I like the KISS mantra – Keep it simple, stupid. Students need to create ad messages that are clear (understood by the audience) and clever (something unique that will be remembered). I give them the example of Jerry Seinfeld discussing rooting for a sports team as “rooting for the laundry.” That is, fan loyalty often lies with a favorite city or team rather than individual players. If a player from your favorite team then transfers to another team -although they're the same person you were a fan of before, just wearing a different jersey- now you boo them! Thus, Seinfeld suggests we are ultimately rooting for the clothes; a simple but clever observation that effectively gets the crowd laughing at his joke. 

Additionally, I give students insights based on my experience as a working creative. Another mnemonic device I use is RICE (research, insight, concept, execution) – which helps students understand the process of creating powerful communication. First there’s research – dive into your brand/product history. Then find an insight – think Seinfeld. Then come up with a concept based on your research and insight. And then of course, execute that concept – write the perfect headline along with that perfect visual, create a storyboard or go film the ultimate commercial!  

Does this approach to grading motivate students to improve? Why?

They know something is missing and I support their ability to find the solution. Initially, I have them create a “dream portfolio” of work they admire. It’s a vision board for what they want their career to be. That’s the bar they set and they can see their own work in comparison to this dream portfolio that they set for themselves. 

I spoke to a former teacher who had been teaching for 35-40 years. It was like my private TEDTalk on teaching or meeting with Obi Wan. What he learned over time gave me ideas of what I could do – because it’s stuff that he now wishes he had done differently. It was a full-circle moment for my professor to reflect on his trying to “toughen-up” students by being harsh with critique. I questioned that approach - Is it really better that students were exposed to experiences purposefully to “toughen them up” for the creative industry? 

I decided to keep what works and rethink what isn’t working. I am vulnerable with my students about my works in progress. I discuss my own personal pitches, projects, communication with clients, struggles to figure out style, and my processes of creating. It happens in real time during the semester as I am storyboarding, building, casting, editing, etc. I model for my students that what you put out there is what gets you hired. My tagline in class is “I want to help you get paid to be you.”

I always remember the quote from Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”