Teaching and Professional Practice

M04 - Active Learning in Canadian Political Science Education

Date: Jun 2 | Time: 12:00pm to 01:30pm | Location:

Chair/Président/Présidente : Andrew Owen (University of British Columbia)

Session Abstract: This panel offers an evidence-based discussion on active learning and pedagogy in Canadian political science, incorporating approaches from the scholarship of teaching and learning, instructor reflections, and disciplinary sociology. Active learning has received growing attention in political science education in the last two decades, and by bringing together these elements of the study of political science education, we hope to contribute to the further development of pedagogical networks in the CPSA. Loleen Berdahl reflects on a Canadian Politics course case study designed to embed career skills training and foster critical thinking. Veronica Kitchen, Amy Janzwood and Zainab Ramahi discuss a “choose your own adventure” course simulation engaging students in historical and contemporary real world, character-driven scenarios. Stéphanie Chouinard and Holly Ann Garnett present results of an active learning exercise examining political attitudes among officer cadets, applying the Canadian Election Study to introductory political science courses. Building on a systematic review of active learning research and the proliferation of purpose-built flexible learning spaces in the Canadian university context, Michael Murphy reflects on the next steps in active learning research and practice. By bringing together instructor reflections and projects in the scholarship of teaching and learning, this panel will help to foreground the importance of teaching and learning in politics and international relations.

Embedding Career Skill Training in Political Science – A Case Study: Loleen Berdahl (University of Saskatchewan)
Abstract: How can faculty bring career skill development into classes without adding to students’ (and their own) work load? Drawing on a case study of explicit career skills awareness and practice training in a second year Canadian politics class, I argue that it is possible and desirable to use small changes to embed career skill training into undergraduate and graduate courses. The case study focused on critical thinking training, as many argue that critical thinking is both a valuable career readiness skill and a key learning outcome of a political science education. Research suggests that critical thinking training is most effective when students are explicitly taught critical thinking skills and develop valuation of and self-efficacy in utilizing these skills. The case study pre- and post-test analyses found statistically significant increases in students’ self-rated valuation of critical thinking and self-efficacy. Further, the explicit linking of the class course material to the critical thinking sessions promoted quality class discussions of the core course material.

Choose Your Own Adventure: A Terrorism & Security Simulation: Veronica Kitchen (University of Waterloo), Amy Janzwood (University of Toronto), Zainab Ramahi (Independent Scholar )
Abstract: In this paper we present the background, structure, and materials for a security simulation suitable for both high school and undergraduate students. In the simulation, students adopt the personas of real-life characters from three case studies: the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914, the Easter Rising in 1916, and the detention of Omar Khadr in 2002. At key moments, they are asked to make decision in-character that may lead them towards—or away from—an outcome similar to what happened in real life. The objective of the simulation is to help students to understand that policy makers often make decisions with missing and uncertain information; to appreciate the consequences of decision-making in terrorism and counter-terrorism for individuals, for laws, and for society; to understand the role of change and contingency – there is no such thing as perfect security; and to determine the reliability of conflicting accounts of an event, particularly with the time that has passed since the event, the influence of ideological pressures and popular myths that have become part of the narrative or fabric of society.

Officer-Cadets Political Attitudes: A Survey : Stéphanie Chouinard (Royal Military College of Canada), Holly Ann Garnett (Royal Military College of Canada)
Abstract: Young adulthood is a crucial time in one’s life for political socialization. These years are widely considered to be “the impressionable years” (Guimond, 1999: 238) – the moment in life where sociopolitical attitudes not only change the most, but also eventually crystallize (Muxel, 1992; Tyler & Schuller, 1991). College enrolment also has an effect on political attitudes, through peer-based normative influence (Newcomb et al., 1967; Newcomb & Wilson, 1966). However, research has shown that the military institution fosters a specific culture, leading to political attitudes among its members that are different than that of the society it is meant to serve and protect (Jennings & Markus, 1977), though in some cases this gap has appeared to narrow (Rohall et al., 2006; Nicol et al., 2007). In the 2019-2020 academic year, a novel active learning opportunity for Royal Military College students was undertaken through the Canadian Civics and Society course. This course is mandatory and thus provides an opportunity to survey a broad cross-section of the student population. Students enrolled took two surveys – one before and one after taking the course. The survey questions were drawn from the Canadian Election Study, measuring key socio-demographic variables and attitudes about politics. This paper will first provide a summary of the survey activity and its associated learning objectives. It will then present preliminary results comparing the population of cadets to the general Canadian population and their peer group, providing important insights into the attitudes of Canada’s new generation of military officers.

Active Learning and Active Learning Classrooms: The State of the Art in (the Scholarship of) Teaching and Learning: Michael Murphy (University of Ottawa)
Abstract: The disciplinary scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) in politics and International Relations has produced a robust literature on the topic of active learning, ranging from instructional design pieces offering ready-made lessons, to quasi-experimental designs testing particular teaching interventions, as well as broader analyses on the purpose and place of active learning in the discipline. From Stephen Clarkson‘s 1970 article on the introduction of a simulation of the French political system into a comparative politics course onwards, scholars based at Canadian institutions have contributed to the disciplinary discussion around active learning. The proliferation of active learning classrooms across Canadian universities (and worldwide) open up an important new dimension to this community of pedagogical practice, as instructors react to the challenges and opportunities of teaching in these new spaces. This presentation will survey the state of the art in disciplinary SoTL regarding active learning and the development of active learning classrooms in the Canadian context. Building on the insights from this review, as well as research based on the multi-method program evaluation of active learning classrooms at the University of Ottawa, the conclusion sketches the “next steps” to support instructors in active learning classrooms and in the disciplinary SoTL of politics and International Relations on these topics.

“Active Learning” in the Teaching of Qualitative Methods in Political Science: Sanjay Jeram (Simon Fraser University)
Abstract: There is a burgeoning literature on how to teach undergraduate qualitative methods courses in political science and other disciplines. Predominating the literature are descriptions of course assignments, but few studies systematically engage with the question of how students learn and their attitudes towards research methods (Earley 2014; Wagner, Garner, and Kawulich 2011). In political science, most undergraduate programs require a quantitative rather than qualitative methods course because of the presumption that qualitative research skills are “learned by doing” (Elman, Kapiszewski, and Kirilova 2015). The tide has begun to shift, however, as qualitative political scientists have formalized their research methods in an effort to communicate findings more broadly and transparently (Mahoney 2010). Consequently, more political science departments are offering a mandatory lower division research design and qualitative methods course for majors and minors. Stemming from this development is a deeper interest in how best to teach qualitative methods. In large lectures classes the norm is to deliver the content and evaluate students through standard examinations. The “lecture and test” mode is sub-optimal because students only “learn” the content rather than practice skills relevant to selecting and applying various epistemologies, research designs, data collection methods, and analytical techniques to the end of answering important disciplinary questions. This study contributes to this literature and offers practical options for instructors by using original quantitative and qualitative survey data to probe the question: does “active learning” improve student skills and confidence with respect to reading and practicing qualitative research?