Monthly Archives: October 2012

The Digital Natives Are Not Restless

Posted on October 31, 2012 by

Somewhat related to Simon’s post about the use of new social media: Hurricane Sandy unexpectedly provided me with experimental environment in which to test student use online communication platforms. I’m currently teaching online courses for our master’s degree program in international … Continue reading →

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Using New Social Media in Learning & Teaching

Posted on October 30, 2012 by

Last week, my colleagues and I presented to our Faculty on the School of Politics’ use of new social media (NSM) in our learning & teaching. This covered our work with Twitter, Facebook and blogging, plus some brief excursions into wikis. … Continue reading →

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Cali-forn-i-ay!

Posted on October 23, 2012 by

This week, I got the happy news that my paper has been accepted for the APSA Teaching & Learning conference in Long Beach, California, in February. Obviously, it will take some time to come to terms with having to fly … Continue reading →

Posted in and Simulations, Simon Usherwood | Tagged | 1 Comment

Swimming With Sharks

Posted on October 23, 2012 by

I’m now watching the “debate” between Barrack Obama and Mitt Romney. Most of us academics bemoan the lack of a serious, detail-filled discussion of policy in these media events, but there’s something to be said for being able to quickly … Continue reading →

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Any Questions?

Posted on October 16, 2012 by

We’re back in full swing now for classes and one issue that’s been playing on my mind of late is that of interaction and, more particularly, students asking questions. Or rather, not asking. When I ask if there are any … Continue reading →

Posted in Large Classes, Simon Usherwood | Tagged | 2 Comments

What’s The Big Idea?

Posted on October 12, 2012 by

When I’m frustrated about some aspect of my teaching, I have to remind myself that my students are not younger versions of myself. I don’t think I’m alone in this —  we tend to forget we come from the small … Continue reading →

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Learning Occurred! Well, Maybe

Posted on October 12, 2012 by

As I’ve mentioned before, I conduct a pre- and post-test in my intro to US Politics course that is part citizenship test, part true-false questionnaire about issues in US politics.  The first part allows me to assess if learning may … Continue reading →

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Active Learning in an Eight-Week Class

Posted on October 11, 2012 by

I thought it might be useful to document the types and numbers of active learning exercises I use in a typical class. Active learning can become so ingrained that it becomes an essential component of lesson planning, and that has … Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Amanda Rosen, and Simulations, Assignments, Exercises, Exercises & Projects, Feedback & Reflection, Group Collaboration | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Framing and Re-framing

Posted on October 9, 2012 by

Yesterday I had a class with our new undergraduate students, to discuss ‘feedback, assessment and academic integrity.’ It was one of those titles that comes out of a convoluted discussion mid-way through the summer when putting together module handbooks and … Continue reading →

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True and Useful

Posted on October 7, 2012 by

I recently reviewed Teaching Politics and International Relations, edited by Cathy Gormley-Heenan and Simon Lightfoot. The book is an interesting discussion of the need for studies of the study of politics to determine what should be taught; specific teaching, assessment, … Continue reading →

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