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PAPER PROPOSAL THEMES

Civic Engagement
This theme will assess and evaluate the active learning techniques that are aimed at enmeshing students into their local and global communities. What is the impact of these technniques upon civic participation, class participation, or political knowledge and student learning? Examples of paper topics include examination of service learning courses, interning and externing programs, and experiential learning requirements.

Core Curriculum/General Education
Political science course offerings are often a part of an institution's core curriculum requirements. How does political science contribute to and enhance undergraduate general education curriculum? Papers in this theme will evaluate such topics as: assessing the impact of political science courses in developing reasoning and communication skills, and exploring techniques for teaching non-majors effectively.

Diversity, Inclusiveness, and Equality
This theme will focus on issues of difference, diversity and equality--as they relate to pedagogical, classroom, department and institution-wide matters--from multiple perspectives. Topics may include, but are not limited to: incorporating diversity topics into a political science curriculum and course content; the ongoing changes in the demographics of students on campus; and challenges faced by faculty in teaching diversity in politics.

Graduate Education and Professional Development
This theme explores the unique challenges facing faculty guiding the development of graduate students, and building and sustaining excellence in graduate programs. Paper topics can include an analysis of program structures and pedagogical approaches, the effectiveness of comprehensive examinations, teaching assistant preparation, and the function of subfield reading lists in the curriculum. Additionally, this theme addresses professional development topics such as how to best mentor and advise students on post-graduate education, dissertation preparation, and portfolio construction. Finally, junior faculty development topics can also be addressed: career preparation, preparing for promotion and tenure, and the importance of service.

Integrating Technology in the Classroom
The use of technology has increasingly permeated the political science classroom. This track will address the challenges and opportunities of incorporating all forms of technology into the political science curriculum and the classroom. These include, but are not limited to, online teaching, clickers, podcasts, blogs, wikis, video casting, and narrated Power Points in all aspects of the political science curriculum.

Internationalizing the Curriculum
With increasing globalization, this track will focus on fostering students' capacities to understand, engage, and learn from cultures, ideologies, religions and political systems from around the world. Papers can also focus on efforts by departments and faculty to internationalize curricula and programs. Examples of possible topics include the role of international affairs in the political science curriculum, rethinking the introductory course in American politics, and the role of study abroad programs.

Program Assessment
What methods and strategies are effective in assessing undergraduate and graduate programs in political science? How can we use assessment techniques to improve the quality of our programs? Papers will consider the utility of standardized tests, exit interviews, or student evaluations, as assessment instruments; the role and effectiveness of capstone courses; or the function of portfolios.

Simulations and Role Play
Simulations and role play exercises help political scientists and students model the decision making processes of real-world political actors. Examples of these teaching techniques and strategies include Model United Nations, Model European Union, in-class self designed simulations, and on-line role playing exercises. Papers in this track will address such topics as: in what way can simulations and role-play expand student learning opportunities in political science? Which formats are most effective? and How do we measure the effectiveness of simulations?

Teaching Research Methods
Political science research methods courses are an increasingly common component of the political science curriculum, not only in graduate programs, but also undergraduate programs. This track will address how political science faculty encourage the learning of research methods. Examples of proposals can include problem based techniques, project based research, team teaching research methods, data analysis and interpretation, etc.

Teaching Political Theory and Theories
Political Science is unique among the social sciences in maintaining the interdependence of the study of political theory/philosophy and the empirical/historical study of political life. Yet, oftentimes theories of all types are treated separately in the political science curriculum, suggesting that teaching political philosophy and theories of political science pose different challenges for both teachers and students in the discipline. This track invites submissions concerning teaching theory (including political philosophy and other theoretical approaches) to students, including the following themes: Does teaching political theory present special challenges? If so, what are they, and how can these challenges be overcome? What are best practices for incorporating theory into empirically-focused curricula? and What are best practices for incorporating empirical data into theoretically-focused curricula?

WORKSHOP THEMES:

Civic Education and Engagement
This theme will explore active learning techniques available to engage students with their local, state and/or national communities. Workshops will feature evidence of the effectiveness (and positive impact upon student learning and engagement) of civic education and engagement exercises in political science courses.

Classroom and Program Assessment
How do we assess our effectiveness as teachers as well as the effectiveness of our students as learners? These workshops will look at different innovative methods and strategies for assessing programs, lesson-plans, pedagogical exercises, student performance, class materials or faculty effectiveness in political science classrooms.

Integrating Technology in the Classroom
As all forms of technology have become increasingly intertwined in our everyday lives, the same holds true for the political science classroom. Technological innovations have occurred in all areas of teaching and learning. Workshops will focus on demonstrating methods (through interactive exercises) that faculty can use to more effectively integrate technology into the classroom in the areas of course management and innovative pedagogical techniques and exercises.

Professional Development
This theme will explore the pedagogical approaches and techniques that can be used to effectively encourage the professional development of graduate students and junior faculty. Workshops presenters may address teaching portfolio preparation, promotion and tenure issues, mentoring and advising both undergraduate and graduate students on post-graduate education, dissertation preparation, best practices in teaching and research agendas, new faculty development and career preparation.

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)
How well do new pedagogical approaches aimed at improving teaching and learning in the political science classroom work? These workshops will highlight best practices and innovative approaches to our understanding of teaching and learning. Proposals should address how the workshop will discuss and (interactively) demonstrate innovative pedagogical techniques that are aimed at improving learning and teaching or tips for publishing SOTL articles.

Open Call
If your workshop proposal doesn’t fit into one of the above workshop themes, please submit your proposal under the open call category. Open call proposals, but still be relevant to the goals of the Teaching and Learning Conference, which is to promote greater understanding of cutting-edge approaches, techniques, and methodologies for the political science classroom. Workshops are interactive and should present the participants with an opportunity to acquire a new pedagogical outlook or knowledge on a particular topic within teaching and learning.