Teaching Domestic Violence through Guest Speaker Panels

This study examines the relationship between the use of guest speaker panels, student learning, and retention in undergraduate courses at a regional Midwestern university. The study included a sample of 95 undergraduates who participated in the fall of 2013 and spring of 2014, with one experimental and two control groups. The guest speaker panels included former victims of domestic violence, criminal justice professionals who work with domestic violence court cases, and professionals from social service fields who work with domestic violence court cases. The research concludes that guest speaker panels are effective in imparting knowledge and altering perceptions