A series of studies have found gender bias in student evaluations of teaching. Evidence from several observational studies show that women are evaluated lower than men. These findings are supported by experimental studies aimed at isolating the effect of a possible gender bias from other differences between male and female teachers. In this paper,…

Student evaluations of quantitative methods courses in political science often reveal they are characterised by aversion, alienation and anxiety. As a solution to this problem, this paper describes a pedagogic research project with the aim of embedding quantitative methods by stealth into the first-year undergraduate curriculum. This paper…

The idea that "film is an extraordinarily powerful teaching tool" (Champoux) is explored in relation to the film "5 Fingers" that presents an account of the true story of the reproduction and sale of top secret documents held by the British Ambassador in Ankara, Turkey to Nazi Germany by Elyesa Bazna, code named Cicero,…

Over the last 20 years, independent filmmakers have produced insightful documentaries of high profile political campaigns with behind-the-scenes footage. These documentaries offer inside looks and unique perspectives on electoral politics. This campaign season, consider "The War Room"; "A Perfect Candidate"; "Journeys With George;" "Chisholm '72";…

Reality television programming has become a pervasive part of popular culture. Although such programming may seem to be mindless entertainment, it can serve as a tool to introduce political lessons in the classroom. This article examines how the concepts of alliance behavior and strategic voting can be explored by using the television program…

This project posits that incorporating political humor into the classroom can have a positive effect on learning in higher education. Specifically, we present preliminary findings from a quasi-experiment in which a humorous, "mock" textbook titled America (The Book) (Stewart, Karlin, and Javerbaum 2004) was incorporated into Introduction to…

James Rosenau, the author of a new type of textbook for undergraduate political science courses, proposes to use the inquiry approach and dramas to generate student interest. (Author/KM)

Describes how faculty-produced 35 mm slides can be used to enhance student interest in political science in undergraduate college level courses. Emphasis is placed on copying existing photos and on fieldwork where political events are photographed. Information is presented on copyright law, photographic equipment, and slide program technique.…

Describes an interdisciplinary approach to the introductory psychology course which integrates philosophy, political science, and English. The article describes organization and content of the course and emphasizes material most relevant to psychology. (Author/JR)

Science fiction can be used for introducing and analyzing political concepts at the undergraduate level for either a specialized theory-oriented course such as Political Science Fiction or an Introduction to Political Science course. (Author/RM)

Intended to aid teachers in presenting spatial modeling to students over a series of lectures and then applying it at various points during a political science course, this paper describes and explains the use of spatial models for understanding voting behavior based on microeconomic theories. (ND)

The importance of studying Athenian democracy is emphasized. Suggestions and source materials for teaching Athenian democracy are presented, and a teaching method is detailed. (SW)

Describes a collection of 50 political cartoons by American cartoonists depicting famous events and issues from 1754 through 1960. Indicates that the cartoon and information packet should be effective on secondary and college levels. It can be ordered from J. Weston Walch, Publisher, Box 658, Portland, Maine 04104. (Author/DB)

Inquiry approach is applied to a revised social studies curriculum in which grades are assigned on the point system; political science, science, and anthropology are added to course content; and, new texts and extensive audiovisual aids are utilized. (DS)