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A Quarterly Publication of
The American Sociological Association

ABSTRACTS--Volume 30, Number 1, January 2002

ARTICLES

NOTES

IRONIES OF EFFECTIVE TEACHING: DEEP STRUCTURE LEARNING AND CONSTRUCTIONS OF THE CLASSROOM
(Keith Roberts)

This paper first reviews deep structure learning objectives-those capacities and skills that cognitive developmentalist research identifies as prerequisite to critical thinking. After exploring the implications for sociology curriculum, the author briefly summarizes some of the kinds of strategies that foster deep structure learning. The bulk of the paper then examines a number of ironies that exist for instructors who employ strategies that enhance critical thinking. The ironies of effective teaching arise because instructors and students socially construct the classroom and the teaching/learning exchange quite differently.

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BRINGING THE SOCIOLOGICAL INTO THE DISCUSSION: TEACHING THE SOCIOLOGY OF GENOCIDE AND THE HOLOCAUST
(Deborah Abowitz)

This paper illustrates the utility of sociological concepts and theory in teaching about genocide and the Holocaust. Sociology provides the theoretical tools necessary for us to meaningfully integrate research, teaching, and learning in this area. To move closer to explanation and prediction, we need to more fully develop a sociology of genocide and the Holocaust-one grounded, for example, in the study of collective behavior and social movements, in the study of social groups and group dynamics, in the interaction of structure and agency, and in the study of the social constructions of group identity. Examples drawn from several sociology courses are used to illustrate how the "sociological" can be integrated in the study of genocide and the Holocaust and how the study of the Holocaust can be integrated into our study of the "sociological."

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NO PASSPORT REQUIRED: AN ACTION LEARNING APPROACH TO TEACHING ABOUT GLOBALIZATION
(Heather Sullivan-Catlin)

Service learning, the integration of community service and curricular content, is being embraced by sociologists in a variety of teaching settings. One of the primary challenges of service-learning pedagogy is incorporating the community-based experience into the curriculum. This article will center on my strategy for meeting this challenge. My Introduction to Sociology course employs a thematic approach in order to create a fully integrated experiential learning experience. I have used this highly adaptable approach successfully in two types of institutional settings. This article will describe the institutional contexts, course content and objectives, service-learning component, use of themes for integrating service and curriculum, and student outcomes. In addition, I will explore the potential pitfalls of this approach and suggest strategies for avoiding them.

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IS THERE A SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING AND LEARNING IN TEACHING SOCIOLOGY? A LOOK AT PAPERS FROM 1984-1999
(Jeffrey Chin)

This paper builds on the work of Baker (1985:361) who contends that "[t]here is little evidence of cumulative scholarship…during the first decade of the journal," 1973 to 1983. Examination of the papers published in Teaching Sociology from 1984 to 1999 suggests that a scholarship of teaching and learning is emerging. While many characteristics of the papers and the authors remain constant, when compared to the early years of the journal, it is clear that fewer papers contain no assessment at all, and an increasing number of papers contain simple assessment measures.

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IMPROVING THE ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING: ADVANCING A RESEARCH AGENDA IN SOCIOLOGY
(Gregory Weiss)

In the last two decades, formal assessment of student learning in higher education has become institutionalized. This paper summarizes current research and writing about the key components of assessment plans (statement of purpose, goals and outcomes objectives, and assessment mechanisms) and about the work involved in conducting an annual assessment program. We discuss the evolution of assessment within sociology and the paucity of both descriptive and explanatory research on assessment of student learning. We also pose important research questions that sociologists could pursue to enhance understanding of the context, content, process, and effects of assessment. The paper also examines the assessment movement itself: forces that have stimulated the movement, the demonstrated benefits of conscientious assessment of student learning, sources of resistance to assessment, and the general status of assessment in higher education today.

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PREDICTORS OF SUCCESS IN LARGE ENROLLMENT INTRODUCTORY COURSES: AN EXAMINATION OF THE IMPACT OF LEARNING COMMUNITIES AND VIRTUAL LEARNING RESOURCES ON STUDENT SUCCESS IN AN INTRODUCTORY LEVEL SOCIOLOGY COURSE
(Tracy L. Dietz)

The present study is an examination of predictors of student success, including learning community networks and virtual learning tools, in a large enrollment introductory sociology course at a large metropolitan university. Based on Astin's argument that investment in one's academic courses enhances learning and using data collected from students in a large-enrollment introductory sociology class, the author examined students' exam preparation strategies to determine which ones correlate statistically with higher overall scores in the course. Data reveal that the best predictors of success include attendance and whether or not the students read the text. In addition, a positive, although not statistically significant, relationship emerged between being enrolled as a learning community student and a student's grade. No statistically significant relationship was established between the use of virtual learning tools and grade. However, it was determined that most students did use these resources to prepare for class.

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NO PASSPORT REQUIRED: AN ACTION LEARNING APPROACH TO TEACHING ABOUT GLOBALIZATION
( Kathleen Stanley and Dwaine Plaza)

We discuss our experience using an action-learning pedagogical model to teach about the social impacts of globalization. This approach took students out of the classroom and emphasized learning through active listening and the creation of partnerships between students, the teaching team, and stakeholders from farming, fishing, timber, and high tech communities in Oregon. Our hybridized model is based on Freire's (1970) problem-posing approach, and combines experiential learning with the use of field trips, guest speakers, videos, and the Internet. Within this unique pedagogical environment, students were empowered to take charge of their own learning and develop their sociological imaginations through explorations of the myriad ways that global processes impact individuals and communities at the local level.

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WE'RE THE CUSTOMER--WE PAY THE TUITION: STUDENTS CONSUMERISM AMONG UNDERGRADUATE SOCIOLOGY MAJORS
(Michael Delucchi and Kathleen Korgen)

Student consumerism, an attitude that treats higher education as an institution designed to meet pre-established needs, has been and remains a salient topic for teaching sociologists. However, much of what has been written by academics on student consumerism relies on anecdotes and personal observations. In an effort to make an empirical contribution to this discussion, we conducted research to assess the extent to which students approach college with a customer service orientation. The results of our survey of sociology majors in one of the largest undergraduate programs in the United States reveal an undergraduate student culture characterized by a sense of entitlement indicative of a consumerist approach to higher education. We conclude with an appeal to faculty and administrators to reclaim their authority in order to establish a learning culture in higher education.

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Cognitive maps depict the relationships or links among concepts of a given theoretical framework. An effective tool for encouraging students to think conceptually, mapping deepens students' understanding of the whole as they organize its parts into a logical arrangement. Sociological concepts are especially good for mapping assignments because they often relate to each other in various interesting ways. Constructing cognitive maps is like putting together a puzzle-an aspect of the assignment that makes it more like play than work, despite its utility.

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[InterNIC Guide to the Internet - Selected Site]

The Editor of Teaching Sociology is Helen A. Moore.

For articles, notes, and conversations, send manuscripts to: Helen A. Moore, Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0324. Phone: 402-472-6081, Fax: 402-472-6070.

For book, video, and software reviews, send manuscripts to: Laurie Scheuble, Department of Sociology, 211 Oswald Tower, Penn State University, University Park, PA. Phone: 814-865-6949.

For questions about manuscript processing, contact Kathy Acosta, Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0324. Phone: 402-472-6081, Fax: 402-472-6070.

The Webmaster is Pauline H. Pavlakos. Observations on form and egregious spelling may be directed to Ms. Pavlakos.

The Teaching Sociology Web Page is located at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Le Moyne College, the Jesuit College of Central New York.

Page last updated: December 17, 2001