Wesleyan Students Earn Top Presentation Award at Georgia Communication Association Conference

MACON, GA — Competing alongside graduate students and Ph.D. scholars, Wesleyan College’s Abbi Adams and Isabella Argudin earned the Top Presentation Award at the 2026 Georgia Communication Association Conference. 

     Titled “Hedbanz of Hermeneutics: An Examination of Recent Schools of Criticism and Their Differing Characteristics,” the award-winning presentation transformed literary theory into a hands-on learning activity. Originally created as a collaborative classroom project, the game adapts the familiar “headbands” guessing format to help participants review major schools of literary criticism such as Marxism, Feminism, Psychoanalysis, and Ecocriticism.

     The interactive format encouraged participants to think critically about how various schools of criticism define meaning, approach texts, and differ from one another. By turning literary theory into a game-based activity, the session demonstrated how creative, experiential learning can deepen students’ understanding of complex academic concepts.

     Adams, a junior English major with a minor in Secondary Education, explained that the project began as part of ENG 210: Critical Lenses, taught by Dr. Regina B. Oost, Cobb Alumnae Professor of English.

     “We were given an assignment to create a game or activity that students could use to review the different literary critical lenses we learned in class,” Adams said. “So we developed Headbands of Hermeneutics, which uses the headbands-style guessing game but focuses on schools of literary criticism.”

     The presentation also addressed how interactive learning strategies can enhance engagement in today’s classrooms. Adams noted that the project explored gameplay learning as a pedagogical approach that encourages collaboration, discussion, and deeper engagement with course material.

     For Argudin, a senior Art Management major, presenting the project at a professional academic conference was both exciting and unexpected.

     “We realized we were one of the only undergraduate groups presenting in front of graduate students and Ph.D. scholars,” she said. “We were really excited to share this project because it took a lot of effort and time to create, and it was rewarding to bring that experience outside of Wesleyan.”

     During the interactive session, conference attendees asked questions about how the activity could be adapted for larger classrooms and different learning environments. Adams and Argudin even demonstrated how the game works, allowing participants to experience the collaborative learning strategy firsthand.

     When the award winners were announced at the conference’s closing ceremony, the students were stunned.

     “It was completely unexpected,” Argudin said. “We were so surprised and so happy.”

     The students received a certificate and a cash prize in recognition of their outstanding scholarship, creativity, and presentation. Their work reflects Wesleyan’s commitment to experiential learning and undergraduate research, where students collaborate closely with faculty to develop innovative academic projects that extend beyond the classroom.

      Adams noted that the opportunity to lead the project and present it publicly reflects the trust Wesleyan professors place in their students.

     “Dr. Oost made it clear that this was our project.  She gave us the framework, but the decisions and development were ours,” she said. “Wesleyan gives students the responsibility and support to take on challenges like this.”

     Students interested in pursuing their own research are encouraged to contact Dr. Melissa C. Williams at mwilliams@wesleyancollege.edu, as she plans to offer an EXP course next fall designed to help students develop and prepare research submissions for academic conferences.