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7 thoughts on “Social sciences activities/assignments”
Open Pedagogy Project Urban Sociology Fall 2020 Dr. Parker KCC
Backward Design of Open Pedagogy Project for Urban Sociology – Fall 2020
1. Where do we want to go?
Outcomes: Through engaging in this learning experience students will demonstrate:
a) The impact of data collection choices on a research question and vice versa.
b) The social construction of identity and its relation to human action.
c) The features and dynamics of collective action.
2. What do we need to get us there?
a) The Collective Action Model
b) The Role Power Diagram
c) Overview of problem of Police killings of unarmed Black people.
d) Short history of BLM movement from Ferguson 2014 to now.
e) Videos: Trevor Noah, Killer Mike
Overview:
This project will facilitate student exploration of a central sociological topic: Collective Action. The exploration will be rooted in the Black Lives Matter protests that erupted across the country and the globe. The specific question to be explored will be “Why do people choose or not choose to participate in a collective physical protests?”
Place in the Course:
The project will be introduced as part of Module 3 in the course. Precedes Module 1: Introduction and Module 2: George Floyd: Why this death, at this moment, in this place?
Preparation Steps:
1. Introductory presentation with video clips about the protests.
2. Small group brainstorm: what different groups and behaviors do you see in the various protests? Make a list and then discuss why you think these different groups are there.
3. Review examples of pundits theories regarding the same question.
a. Summarize three different perspectives related to BLM protests with citations on Discussion Board.
4. Debrief – list and discuss groups and their reasons.
5. Brief presentation of the Collective Action Model (CAM).
a. Apply the CAM to an example of a BLM-related event
6. Methodology: how do we know what think we know? Examine our mental model/p-prim: “behavior is the result of motivation and intention.”
7. Sociology – “systems influence behavior” How do we explore this question of why people did or did not participate?
Assignment:
Group –
a. Select a strategy (interview and/or survey), generate a list of questions and develop a participant recruitment strategy.
b. Collect data and create an appropriate data repository (i.e. Google docs, excel spreadsheet)
Individual – Analysis and conclusions.
a. Working paper – 2 – 3 page, informal analysis paper that summarizes key aspects of the data, connections to particular conclusions and the answer to the question – why does this matter?
b. Choose at least one public site – blog, website, etc and write a response to a contrasting opinion/conclusion or an extension and expansion of an opinion that you are in general agreement with. Publish your contribution and submit the link, along with a copy to Blackboard.
3. How will we know when we have arrived?
Assessment:
Assignment Rubric
Novice Emerging Proficient
Working Paper
Social Construction
Student can describe the processes by which identities are socially constructed through the interplay between individual choices and social forces.
Collective Action
Student can the three features of the CAM to a particular instance or ongoing organization of a group of people.
Data-Conclusion
Connection
There is a strong, explicit logical connection between the data reported and the conclusions drawn.
Implications
The student can identify and describe two or more implications of their analysis for other issues or situations outside the boundaries of the study.
Public Contribution
Audience/Voice
The writing displays a tone and style appropriate for the intended audience based on other responses in the thread or string.
Argument
The writing clearly and succinctly uses data and/or arguments that support the intended position.
Implications
The writing identifies at least two implications of the argument that either refute or extend that suggested by other authors in the string or thread.
Student reflection
Each student will prepare a 1 – 2 page reflection on what they learned from this project, which they will post on TurnitIn in peer review mode so that they can read each other’s reflections.
Backward Design of Open Pedagogy Project for Criminal Justice -Fall 2020
What are the desired results or learning outcomes?
At the end of the course, students should be able to:
• Discuss the major issues affecting the criminal justice system (CJS) today
• Explain the components of the criminal justice system
• Describe how the police, the courts and corrections function in CJS
• Explain how different CJS institutions respond to crime problems
• Locate and read original scholarly articles using (virtually) the library resources and web
• Develop hypotheses and research questions regarding how criminal justice system may function
• Identify different ways to study major issues in CJS
How will students demonstrate their learning?
Students will demonstrate their learning by writing critical discussion paper (5 ea), discussion board assignment, and taking exams.
What activities and content will provide students with the skills and knowledge they need to successfully achieve the learning outcomes?
In this course, there are three types of activities. In discussion paper assignments, students are to choose topics within specific weeks, and discuss what it is. This will give students opportunities to think about issues that are more relevant to them. Often I struggle between whether to give topics or assign topics. Every semester, I have several students coming to me asking me to assign a topic for them. I ask them what they are interested in (probing), but this does take some time. Also, some students interpret this as lack of planning. I provide a rough guideline regarding how to choose a topic, but not sure what I need to do better.
Another type is designed to increase active learning and contribute to the content building. Students are to submit one exam question per week. The exam question needs to be written by the student, and multiple choice format. Students can submit up to 8 questions (which will add up to 8%). If the student does not provide a correct answer, no credit will be given.
The last type of activities are exams and quizzes throughout the semester.
Backward Design of Open Pedagogy Assignments /Corrections/ Fall 2020
How incarcerated women cope with imprisonment? Bibliography assignments (Open Pedagogy Assignment)
1. What are the desired results or learning outcomes?
After completing this assignment, students will be able to:
• Have knowledge of the major challenges that incarcerated women face
• Explain how incarcerated women cope with imprisonment
• Identify methods that women employ in coping with imprisonment
• Propose and analyze correctional policies to assist women in prison adjustment
2. How will students demonstrate their learning?
The students will demonstrate their learning via bibliography assignment
• Bibliography assignment: Students will identify scholarly research on incarcerated women and coping with imprisonment. This will be a group activity and students will be adding articles throughout semester
3. What activities and content will provide students with the skills and knowledge they need to successfully achieve the learning outcomes?
• Schedule of activities and assignments
• Students will be provided with the list of readings on incarceration and prisons
• Library activity: learning how to conduct library search, using the Criminal Justice Abstracts database
• Critical discussions in class
• Groups activities that focus on different aspects of life in prison
Backward Design of Open Pedagogy Assignments /Corrections/ Fall 2020
How incarcerated women cope with imprisonment? Bibliography assignments (Open Pedagogy Assignment)
1. What are the desired results or learning outcomes?
After completing this assignment, students will be able to:
• Have knowledge of the major challenges that incarcerated women face
• Explain how incarcerated women cope with imprisonment
• Identify methods that women employ in coping with imprisonment
• Propose and analyze correctional policies to assist women in prison adjustment
2. How will students demonstrate their learning?
The students will demonstrate their learning via bibliography assignment
• Bibliography assignment: Students will identify scholarly research on incarcerated women and coping with imprisonment. This will be a group activity and students will be adding articles throughout semester
3. What activities and content will provide students with the skills and knowledge they need to successfully achieve the learning outcomes?
• Schedule of activities and assignments
• Students will be provided with the list of readings on incarceration and prisons
• Library activity: learning how to conduct library search, using the Criminal Justice Abstracts database
• Critical discussions in class
• Groups activities that focus on different aspects of life in prison
Upon completion of this assignment, students will be able t: explain Japanese Internment; critique America’s treatment of this minority group; analyze the violations of the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights.
Reflection Paper
OER textbook reading, lecture on America’s involvement in World War II with accompanying Powerpoint notes
Video about Japanese Internment that includes interviews of living victims of internment
Cinematographic ethnography. Analysis of a film to understand social inequality.
We select a film whose plot deals with racism or social inequality. Using this outline, they have to analyze the movie showing how this social relation of racism or inequality has been constructed in the group. They have to present and discuss the results of their analysis.
Outline.
Observation and take note. Not only the plot, the topic or the aim of the film.
1. What kind of group/culture/society are we observing?
2. When and where? Time-space context: history.
Present, past, future.
Where – Is the place relevant?
When – historical approach. The importance of the past/present or future.
3. Different characters and roles.
4. Language. Words, Expressions, Body Language.
5. Social relations.
6. Social concepts.
7. Symbols, music, etc.
Asset Based Pedagogy
During the Spring Semester students worked together to complete their projects. Many students didn’t have the Adobe Programs that they needed and had when working in class face-to-face in the classroom. It was very interesting how students became very creative in finding alternative programs or ways of completing their project and they shared their ideas with the class. Many were really able to share their expertise.
Universal Design for Learning
While in the classroom I always tried to keep my classroom environment flexible. While we are required to give short lectures, I work at letting students have the floor during the presentation. Students like working in groups or having input in the design of each other’s projects. When presenting new material, it was important to present it in different ways such as auditory and visual. Lots of videos that review difficult task and material that explained “Digital Media.” A question and answer time at the end of the class to clear up confusing information. Office hours are important for this as well. While I get students with special needs on occasion, there are students that are not identified as such in my class. I allow them certain flexibility when I determine this exists.
Open Pedagogy and Backward Design
I usually show past students projects and ask student how the were developed. I get interesting answers and programs that can be used to complete them. My next project is to have students find a simple photograph and create a photograph or layout using shapes, colors and layers in Adobe Illustrator. It is amazing how similar the two layouts become.
I think anything students can problem solve is a Backward Design principle. I also like to have students correct the 1st draft of research project. Students are great at organizing and giving constructive information of their classmate’s papers.