This article presents an in-class exercise that teaches students how to call elected officials about a course-related issue of their choice. The goals are to connect classroom learning with real-life action, to show that contacting elected officials need not be difficult or intimidating, and to help students develop a sense of efficacy that can…

An informal research project with high local relevance was developed for a first-year sociology course at an Australian rural university campus. The project developed students' sociological insight by challenging them to investigate "truths" about their own region, rather than immediately pushing them to comprehend new and different…

Presents a learning activity for students in a sociology-of-education course in which they produce their own critical-education autobiography. Describes how to prepare students for the project, the assignments used, samples of student commentary and evaluation, and potential uses and risks of this approach. (DSK)

This article describes how an introductory sociology course was organized and taught in order to promote students' understanding of sociology as the systematic and critical analysis of modern social structure and its impact on the individual. (JDH)

Describes and evaluates a demographic exercise intended for use by undergraduate students in courses on population problems. The exercise, involving demographic events in Japan in 1966, requests students to write a paper on Japan after answering 15 questions. Findings indicate that the exercise facilitates interdisciplinary thinking among students…

How student journals were used in a college-level sex/gender sociology course to facilitate student learning through writing is described. Students are required to formulate journal entries based on an issue or question that they raise for themselves. Learning occurs as students make connections in developing answers to their own questions.…

Presents a learning activity designed to illustrate the concept of positive social deviance to introductory sociology students. Describes the background to the lesson, the assignment, student observations during the activity, student reactions to it, and warnings to instructors considering replicating the assignment. (DSK)

Presents an active learning project for use in teaching social activism and social movements. Discusses students' backgrounds, the course outline, the context of the assignment, the project itself, measures of the effectiveness of the assignment, and limits and problems with it. Notes other topics for which the assignment could be adapted. (DSK)

Describes a sociology major curriculum at Alverno College in Milwaukee (Wisconsin) designed around ability-based and assessment-based learning. Explores the daily teaching practices and curriculum development. States that students learn to evaluate their development. Includes portions of the syllabi and learning assessments from two courses. (NL)

Reports on an experience using a teaching technique designed to promote active learning in an undergraduate social-problems course through student analysis of real social data. Discusses course materials and teaching procedures used, advantages and disadvantages of the approach, and student reactions. (DSK)

The purpose of this paper is to describe and evaluate an active-learning exercise designed to allow college students the opportunity to experience the consequences of stratification by social class. In particular, this activity challenges the belief that success is primarily an outcome of hard work (i.e., the belief in a meritocracy). Data…

Over the past several years, scholars of teaching and learning have demonstrated the potential of collaborative learning strategies for improving student learning. This paper examines the use of computer-mediated communication to promote collaborative student learning in large introductory sociology courses. Specifically, we summarize a project we…

Discusses the use of popular music to illustrate key concepts and topics in a course on ethnic minorities in the United States. Demonstrates that the lyrics of contemporary music can be used to illustrate concepts, theories, and general topics in sociology. Includes analysis of students' responses to the use of music. (DSK)

States that an important goal of introductory college sociology courses is to make the discipline come alive for students and to encourage active involvement in learning. Describes a student project approach in which students interview three people and analyze the data relevant to four theoretical perspectives. (CFR)

Asserts that sport is a pervasive aspect of society. Presents and describes four learning activities designed to help students understand the significance of sport as a social institution. Maintains that, while the activities focus on the institution of sport, they can be used in a variety of sociology courses. (CFR)