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Monthly Archives: August 2011
Archaeology
Though I suspect that this activity is applicable much more broadly than an introduction to methods class, next week I will be trying an exercise I call the Archaeologist’s Quandary. Class size : 10-50 students Time required: 30 minutes at the … Continue reading
Posted in Exercises, Nina Kollars, Research Methods, Uncategorized
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Confronting Citizenship
Ninety percent of my incoming students in my introduction to American Politics course cannot pass the US Citizenship test. This may not surprise those of us who teach it, but it sure surprises them, and is therefore one of my … Continue reading
Posted in Amanda Rosen, American Politics, Exercises
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More on Solving the Reading Problem
Many of us are familiar with the think-pair-share exercise in which a class is given a question and, after a short period of time to think about it, students pair up to discuss their answers. Two downsides to think-pair-share: students … Continue reading
Leaving the Room Open to Unexpected Learning
Several weeks ago while playing a few rounds of the prisoner’s dilemma I came across an opportunity to learn from my students. The game went in this way: Students were to play one round of the Prisoner’s Dilemma (rat out … Continue reading
Solving the Reading Problem: The Weekly Critique
Amanda Rosen One of the most common complaints that instructors have is that students do not complete the readings. No matter how interesting or unique or provocative they are, many students fail to crack their books at all prior to … Continue reading
A is for ‘awful’ or ‘awfully good’?
One of the joys of the teaching process is that you tend to get your feedback at a point when you can’t really do anything with it until the next time you run the class. You might argue that students … Continue reading
Getting to know you, getting to know all about you…
This exercise comes from Resli Costabell, who of the most energetic and sparky people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. It’s all about breaking down the barriers when you’ve got a group coming together. When people arrive for the first … Continue reading
Getting the class ready and prepared
A slightly different one this time. Colleagues (around the world) often remark on the problems of getting students to prepare for class. To be frank, it’s not hard to work out why: the lecturer’s holding a class and can’t chuck … Continue reading
The Agrarian Society Card Game
I sometimes model life in a poor agrarian society with a deck of cards. I divide students into “peasant households” – one, two, or more students, but each household functions as a single decision-making unit. Each household receives the same … Continue reading
