Impacts of incorporating active learning pedagogies into a lecture-based course were examined among 266 students across nine research methods course sections taught by one instructor at a large public university. Pedagogies evaluated include lecture only, lecture with small group discussions, and lecture with simulations. Although…

Teaching sociological perspectives on race and ethnicity is challenging due to the predominance of color-blind ideology in our supposed postracial society. Students enter the classroom hesitant to discuss race or acknowledge ongoing racism. To better educate students and bridge the racial distance between them, we developed small-group,…

Previous research has examined the use of nontraditional readings, particularly fiction, as a tool for teaching sociological concepts. Few studies have specifically looked at nonfiction monographs and ethnographies. This paper extends prior research by exploring how in-person and online book clubs using nonfiction texts can be used as a tool to…

The current analysis examines the degree to which a classroom activity using student response systems (SRS) can improve the accuracy of commonly held demographic misperceptions. Overestimation of religious, racial, and immigrant minority population sizes is pervasive in the United States and Western Europe, and such inaccuracies predict more…

The authors provide a brief case study of a three-strategy approach for teaching undergraduate research methods that (1) incorporates active learning assignments and discussion-based learning, (2) integrates a cross-discipline and cross-method faculty guest discussion facilitators series, and (3) focuses on the challenges and rewards of conducting…

Examines the hypotheses that students need to improve communication skills and that an innovative pedagogy is more effective than traditional methods for improving communication skills. Describes the teaching pedagogy and its implementation in an introductory sociology course. Results suggest that this pedagogy is more effective than conventional…

Sociologists can make meaningful contributions to quantitative literacy by teaching sociological research skills in sociology classes, including introductory courses. We report on the effectiveness of requiring a research module in a large introductory class. The module is designed to teach both basic research skills and to increase awareness of…

Describes a group project from a course on rural, countercultural communitarians' attempts to create utopian communities. Explains that the project gives students the opportunity to integrate material from a variety of sources and to apply it to a group term paper. Suggests that the project utilizes experiential methods for learning abstract…

As the global economy becomes more integrated, incorporating international experiences into college curricula becomes increasingly desirable for American students and their counterparts abroad. This paper describes one model for creating an international, Web-based, distance-learning classroom that can be used as a guide for those who might wish…

Recommends a classroom exercise to demonstrate intergroup relations. Possible learning outcomes include conflict resolution, decision-making, trust, and increased understanding of differences between competitive and collaborative behavior. (Author/DB)

Asserts that, although many researchers and teachers have written about the use of cooperative, or collaborative, learning groups, their work has focused on small classes. Reports on a study of informal cooperative group assignments used in a large (225 students) college-level Introduction to Sociology class. (CFR)

Describes methods for teaching applications of social psychology research. Divides class time between lectures on applications, new material, and discussion. Requires students' understanding of how concepts can be applied in everyday life. Uses writing assignments and small-group discussions to promote concept recognition. Includes list of reading…