This article contains an annotated version of a comprehensive final examination given to an intermediate graduate level college course in data analysis. The author thinks a final examination in a data analysis course ought to test students' abilities to evaluate contemporary empirical political research. (Author/RM)

This paper examines the undergraduate beginning political science course offered in colleges and universities in the United States--what it has been, what research reveals it is, its relationship to the undergraduate curriculum, and its role in the discipline of political science as a whole--and especially speaking to the relationship between…

Suggests that political behavior instructors develop Q instruments because the atmosphere of experimentation, focus on self analysis and comparisons with peers, sense of group effort to extract meaning from Q-sort results, and intensity of debate produces rapid learning of major concepts usually presented in lectures. (Author/ND)

This is a report on a study conducted at Knox College that investigated two factors involved in undergraduate political science performance: 1) usage of the discipline's fundamental skills, and 2) directed counseling and selected course offerings. (Author/ND)

Contains a review of previous research, description of an individualized instruction course developed by the authors, explanation of the research design of their experiment, the results, and the theoretical and practical implications of the experiment. (Author/ND)

A simulation of the U.S. Supreme Court procedures and activities, designed to maximize gains in the areas of teaching, research, prediction, and motivation, is described. Instructions given for implementing the Temple University model in the classroom include suggested variations for particular situations. (SM)

This article offers a perspective from which to consider the dimensionality of data used in teaching social science concepts. The perspective is based on consideration and analysis of the dimensional nature of areal space. Tips are offered on using the procedures designed to describe and adjust the indices of empirical property space so that they…

Examines Alexis de Tocqueville's views about human existence and political liberty. (RKM)

Reports the result of an experiment in a college level American Social Policy course to determine the effectiveness of a simulation as a teaching method which increases cognitive learning. Results are negative. Students attending lectures scored somewhat higher than students involved in the simulation. (Author/RM)

Some of the skills, orientations, and awarenesses which are helpful in learning about politics and which can be learned through consideration of political happenings are described. (Author/KM)

This paper analyzes what is involved in patterning part of an introduction to politics along the lines of physical sciences, and it presents contents and results of a course in which the author did this. (Author/ND)

Topics under examination in this article are: what we evaluate and why, humane and scientific evaluation, a plan for classroom visits, and the department as a medley of teaching excellence. (ND)

A program at Le Moyne which involved undergraduate students in a professional type social science empirical research project is described in this article. Information is given on how students conducted a survey to measure the existence of polarization within the general population, and between college students and the general population;…

The use of documents and the analysis of definitions are recommended as a means for adding zest to an introduction to public administration course to obtain student interest and motivation. (Author/ND)

A discussion of research to determine the effect on students of reading literature in an international relations course. Results show that in nearly every case, those who read fiction perceived the course topics as more complex, more interesting, and more difficult. (Author/RM)