Key features of open video repositories (OVRs) are outlined, followed by brief descriptions of specific websites relevant to the social sciences. Although most were created by instructors over the past 10 years to facilitate teaching and learning, significant variation in kind, quality, and number per discipline were discovered. Economics and…

Defines the reflexive dimension of teaching sociology, a dimension which explicitly recognizes that personal experiences and values significantly shape the perspectives transmitted to students. Posits five characteristics of reflexive teaching, identifies sources of resistance to such teaching, discusses how the author includes the reflexive…

Considers role of sociological perspective in drug education curriculum. Examines sociological perspective from broad foci of structure and process; with each focus, examples of sociological approach to drug use are offered. Sample course outline for "Drugs and Society" is presented, suggesting ways in which sociological issues discussed could…

Defines a nonsimulation game as a game dealing with a mathematical or scientific topic which is superior to the typical simulation in that it provides an optimal mix of competition and cooperation. Describes two variations of Allen's 1969 Equations nonsimulation game, which may be used to teach various statistical concepts. (JDH)

States that regardless of the content or level of a statistics course, five goals to reach are: (1) overcoming fears, resistances, and tendencies to memorize; (2) the importance of intellectual honesty and integrity; (3) understanding relationship between deductive and inductive inferences; (4) learning to play role of reasonable critic; and (5)…

States that the teaching of logit regression analysis is much neglected in statistics courses within sociology. Claims that logit regression allows the researcher to evaluate the impact of a set of predictor variables on a dichotomous dependent variable without the problems associated with discriminant analysis, weighted least squares regression,…

A team of outstanding Mexican American women educators from the Southwest designed these course outlines for college and university levels focusing on "la mujer Chicana" in history, literature, sociology, and higher education. This curriculum guide includes materials aimed to stimulate the student's examination of the Chicana in finding…

Describes a teaching technique which integrates the conceptual content of sociology with applied fieldwork. Topics include recruiting students and clients, forming student teams, and conducting the project. Discusses implications for teaching within such a program. (JDH)

Shows how an introductory social science statistics course can improve the treatment of regression assumptions, the problem of outliers, and the important idea that some outliers have greater influence than others through the use of Anscombe's now classic 1973 example and Cook's (1977; 1979) extension of the idea of influence. (JDH)

Notes the drawbacks of the artificial separation of content and method in most undergraduate, sociology department, course offerings. Reports on the development and operation of a local research center as a means of melding content and method. (JDH)

Describes how the lost letter technique, a research ploy involving leaving stamped, addressed letters in public locations and seeing if people will mail them, may be used to introduce students to experimental method in sociological research. Students manipulated letter location, size, and address in order to judge different effects such variations…

Applies principles of group process and development to the college classroom. Offers 15 principles for better instruction. Among them are: (1) when people feel psychologically safe in a group, their participation will increase and (2) early "ice-breaking" will generate higher participation levels. Examples of how these principles operate are…

For the academic social scientist who aspires to or actually assumes the dual role of expert and activist, the applicability of scientific knowledge and action-oriented expertise becomes an extremely practical problem. When the "knowledgeable" activist fails, the theoretical gap between knowledge and action intensifies the problem, and the…

The essential thrust of the fourth grade unit of the FICSS series (Focus on Inner City Social Studies -- see SO 008 271) is to enable students to understand man from an anthropological perspective. The first unit of the fourth grade level deals specifically with the origins of man, the origins of the races of man, the races of man, and races in…

Demonstrates how the typical American sociology course requires American or Western cultural literacy. Uses as an example the teaching of sociology on the Yap Islands in Micronesia. Demonstrates how to overcome the westernized world view limitation by using cross-cultural comparisons and other techniques. (JDH)