Points out that future citizens can learn from the lessons of war. Notes that selecting material for teaching controversial issues provides dilemmas. Describes structure, history, and content of a class on the Vietnam War. Includes course syllabus and describes use of multimedia and the inclusion of returned veterans as an expanded resources…

Asserts that preparing students to be rational decision makers in a democracy and productive participants in the economy are major goals of education. Argues social studies education must provide opportunities for analysis and decision making related to current major issues. Identifies the National Issues Forum in the Classroom program as an…

Reports a survey that indicates approximately half of U.S. political science departments offer an introductory course in urban politics and that enrollments have remained steady, although the course's popularity has declined since the 1970s. Discusses textbooks used and course objectives, revealing a shift from a reformist orientation to…

Outlines a project designed to inform students about library reference sources essential to an introductory course in comparative politics. Suggests how the project can incorporate current topics. Stresses the importance of student familiarity with periodical guides, newspaper indexes, standard biographical sources, and yearbooks. (CH)

Describes experiences with student evaluation of teacher performance in higher education at four universities. Recommends peer evaluation through a system of rotating seminars in which faculty members demonstrate teaching by discussing their professional activities. (CFR)

Reveals a shortage of African American faculty in political science departments in the southern states. This is of concern because over half of the country's African Americans live in that region. Suggested responses include expanding the number of African American graduates, increase recruiting efforts, and using flexible job descriptions. (MJP)

Critiques Kenneth N. Waltz's "Theory of International Politics," a seminal work of political theory. Waltz argues for the necessity of constructing a system or theory for explaining the actions of nation-states. Watson counters that emphasis on a constructed theory often obscures a realistic examination of events. (MJP)

Praises and summarizes James Bernard Murphy's "The Moral Economy of Labor: Aristotelian Themes in Economic Theory." Linking economic theories from Adam Smith to Karl Marx, Murphy criticizes traditional economic and social thinking regarding the division of labor. He proposes an integration of conceptualization and execution to humanize…

Investigates the extent to which political-science graduate students begin engaging in professional activities while in school. Examines the nature and extent of teaching preparation, the extent of institutional encouragement to participate in conferences, and the rate of submission of manuscripts to scholarly journals. Provides tables of…

This article analyzes the comparative impact of three educational interventions aimed at increasing students' political engagement, two at the undergraduate level and one at the high school level. Findings from interviews with student participants in these programs indicate that political competencies are best acquired through democratic practice,…

Many teachers today use Learning Management Systems (LMS), several of which are open-source. Specific examples are Claroline and Moodle. However, they are not specifically designed for language learning, and hence not entirely suitable. In this article, I will compare two uses of the Claroline LMS available at Louvain-la-Neuve within the framework…

This paper examines the determinants of systemic education reform in the American states. Socioeconomic, political, and cultural variables are all found to affect the level of systemic education policy in each state. Unlike many studies of policy determinants, urbanization is negatively associated with this particular policy. The political factors…

This paper reflects on a two-semester experiment using computer technologies in the university political science classroom. The instructor incorporated electronic mail (e-mail), the Internet, and an on-line conferencing program into the course requirements for an upper-division course on the Supreme Court and an introductory honors tutorial on…

This skills-text is the second of four books in the series "Readings in American History." The materials allow opportunities to improve reading and comprehension skills in a subject matter context by using certain primary sources related to the topic. Book 2 covers the period immediately following the American Revolution to the election of Abraham…

This student booklet and teacher's guide examine the causes and the aftermath of the disintegration of the Soviet Union. The first two sections of the student booklet briefly summarize the Cold War and describe the unfulfilled promises of Mikhail Gorachev's "perestroika," the rising discontent among the people, and the birth of…