“Discovering and Crafting Effective Teaching Tools”
Description: Although ISA members conduct research in a wide range of fields and come from a variety of institutions, we share one thing in common: teaching. We each seek to convey knowledge of the international system to our students, and perhaps impart a passion for international politics. This is never an easy task, but our discipline is filled with excellent resources and creative faculty members who employ an array of active learning techniques to promote student learning. This Working Group is designed to bring together both new and experienced faculty members in a collaborative environment to share and create effective teaching tools for the IR classroom. The Workshop is designed to include presentation of a variety of teaching methods by several outstanding teachers, as well as a roundtable discussion of techniques used by the participants in their own classes. It is intended to spark creativity and excitement about new ways to introduce our students to international relations material.
Group Coordinator: Carolyn Shaw, carolyn.shaw@wichita.edu
Carolyn
Shaw is Associate Professor and Chair of the Political Science
Department at Wichita State University. She has been a member of the
ALIAS section for eight years and has served as the Vice President
(2005-6) and President (2006-7) for the section. She is also involved
with the Political Science Education section of APSA. Carolyn has
published articles on role play exercises in International Studies
Perspectives and the Journal of Political Science Education. Her most
recent publication is on a collaborative teaching endeavor with
Carleton University in Canada. In 2007 she was awarded the Excellence
in Teaching Award by the WSU Board of Trustees.
Activities and Schedule:
The ALIAS Working Group will begin with a half-day workshop to be held
on Saturday, February 14, the day before the 2009 Annual Convention
begins. Two follow-up meetings will be held during the conference
itself. The workshop and subsequent meetings will combine working in
small groups (coordinated by topical interest) with working as a large
group in order to promote networking and community building
opportunities. Additionally, workshop participants will attend three
regular ISA panels of their choice sponsored by the ALIAS Section.
Saturday, February 14, 1:00 – 5:45pm
1:00 - 2:00 Small Group Discussions
WG participants will share
syllabi and course design ideas. Each participant will share one or
two of their syllabi from their favorite courses to be posted to the
group in advance of the conference. This can be a sharing of 'best
practices', or an opportunity to work through challenges you have faced
in designing a class.
2:15 – 4:00 Round Table Discussion
Several experienced
faculty members who have been teaching courses with a variety of active
learning techniques will share their insights and approaches. This
session will then shift to a broader discussion involving all working
group participants.
4:15 – 5:45 Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL)
This
session will combine work in the classroom with scholarly writing, with
a presentation on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Following
the presentation there will be time for Q&A.
Monday, February 16, 8:00 - 9:45 am (Panel slot A)
A
speaker will open this meeting with discussion about assessment of
learning. There will then be an opportunity for participants to share
what they have learned from the panels they have attended, with a focus
on assessment.
Tuesday, February 17, 4:15 - 6:00 pm (Panel slot E)
This
meeting will focus on Best Practices in the classroom, particularly in
light of the panels that working group participants attended over the
course of conference. Time permitting, there will also be discussion of
useful teaching resources. The post-conference survey will also be
discussed.
