ERIC Number: EJ1034507
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1551-2169
EISSN: N/A
The Promise and Potential Pitfalls of a "Learning-Centered" Approach to Creative Social Inquiry: Lessons Learned from an Undergraduate Seminar on Authoritarianism through Literature and Film
Junisbai, Barbara
Journal of Political Science Education, v10 n3 p331-351 2014
Political science faculty have access to a wealth of innovative pedagogies thanks to a comprehensive literature on teaching and learning in the discipline and related fields. Yet, from among the hundreds of documented possibilities, how does one go about deciding which to incorporate into a given course? Few articles have much to say in response to this basic question, as most begin with a particular method, assignment, or assessment in mind and proceed from there. Drawing on the work of Fink (2003) and Wiggins and McTighe (2005), among others, I argue that, instead of taking the choice of activities as the starting point in course design, teachers--and, by extension, students--would be better served by first contemplating the desired results of the course and only thereafter devoting consideration to content and instructional methods. In making this claim, I reflect critically on my experience teaching a writing-intensive first-year seminar on comparative authoritarianism using "learning-centered" and "backward" course design. My experience speaks to both the potential pitfalls associated with the learning-centered model and the enormous promise that it represents.
Descriptors: Student Centered Curriculum, Curriculum Design, Course Content, Teaching Methods, Instructional Design, Political Science, College Freshmen, First Year Seminars, Writing (Composition), Authoritarianism, Literature, Film Study, Scaffolding (Teaching Technique), Writing Assignments, Course Evaluation, Feedback (Response), Educational Benefits
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A