9: Teaching and Learning in Political Science

Vicki L. Golich, California State University San Marcos, vgolich@csusm.edu

In A Teacher Is Many Things, Earl V. Pullias and James D. Young (1968) note that university faculty are critical to "the making of the future. It [is our] responsibility to discover and to assimilate an avalanche of information and to transmit it to a similar avalanche of students. Even more challenging, however [is our] responsibility to seek for [our]selves and to help others to obtain and apply wisdom enough to use our pyramiding knowledge for the preservation of our [society] and the improvement of [our] condition" (xi). Their call for institutions of higher education to "improve the human condition" has been echoed by many. For example, Nannerl O. Keohane, in Higher Ground: Ethics and Leadership in the Modern University (Keohane 2006) argues that colleges and universities are "intergenerational partnerships in learning and discovery, with compelling moral purposes that include not only teaching and research but also service to society." Harold Shapiro, in A Larger Sense of Purpose: Higher Education and Society, argues that the ultimate obligation of any contemporary institution of higher education is to influence the moral development of its students - their ethical judgments and behaviors as members of society (Shapiro 2005).

For 2009, Teaching and Learning in Political Science Section seeks proposals that address this moral imperative as it collides with the challenges faculty confront with teaching the "GenMe" (Twenge 2006) student body - characterized as "schooled in the church of self-esteem, vying for spots on reality television, promoting themselves on YouTube" (Rosenbloom 2008) - and the increasing complexities affecting politics at all levels. We seek a full range of papers, posters, formal panels, and roundtables that address effective, best practices for engaging students in deep and meaningful learning, for imparting the imperative of civic connections, and for sharpening the skill sets - critical thinking, writing, speaking, listening, and collaborative team work - required for success in the 21st century workplace.

The most successful proposals will be those which engage the conference theme directly - Change and Complexity in the Contemporary Era. We welcome an exploration of a wide range of topics, which include curriculum design; pedagogical choices - case studies, debates, lecture, and service learning; experiential learning - study abroad, field or community-based research, and internships; assessment of learning - exams, projects, research papers, and digital products (e.g., short films, web pages); technological enhancements - film, conferencing with students geographically distant (either domestically or internationally), web-based research. Please think creatively.

Works Cited

Keohane, Nannerl O. Higher Ground: Ethics and Leadership in the Modern University. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2006.

Pullias, Earl V., and James D. Young. A Teacher Is Many Things. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1968.

Shapiro, Harold T. A Larger Sense of Purpose: Higher Education and Society (The 2003 Clark Kerr Lectures). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2005.

Twenge, Jean M. Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled--and More Miserable Than Ever Before . New York, NY: Free Press, 2006.