western volume 3 issue 1 - wpsanet.org€¦ · political theory workshop at this year’s wpsa...

The Western NewsletteroftheWesternPoliticalScienceAssociation

Volume3,Issue1.Spring,2011http://www.csus.edu/org/wpsa

SeeyouattheWPSAAnnualConferenceinSanAntonio,TX.

1

Notes from the Editors

AstheWesterncontinuestodevelopasthenewsletteroftheWesternPoliticalScienceAssociation,wearepleasedwiththeresponsewehavereceivedfromauthorsforvarioussectionsofthenewsletter.Weencouragemoresubmissionsofsmallarticlesonwesternpolitics,teachingissues,orotherrelatedtopics.Submissioninstructionsarelistedattheendofthisissue.Inthisissue,wehighlighttheupcomingWPSAconferenceinSanAntonio.WehopetoseeyouthereinApril.InthiseditionwehaveanarticleinourWesternEducatorsectionbyDr.LawrenceBeckerfromCSUNorthridgethataddressesthequestionoftechnologicaldifferencesbetweenstudentsandfaculty. Asafinalnote,wearepleasedtoserveastheoutletforAssociationnewsandannouncementsfrommembers.AspartofthiswewishtodrawyourattentiontothePoliticalResearchQuarterlyOnlineFirstcapabilitieswherearticlesacceptedbyPoliticalResearchQuarterlycanbeviewedbeforetheiravailabilityintheprintissues.WealsohighlighttheFeministTheoryReadingGroupandtheirPre‐ConferenceWorkshopandtheEnvironmentalPoliticalTheoryWorkshopatthisyear’sWPSAConference. Asalways,wevalueyourfeedbackasthisnewsletterfurtherdevelops.WearecurrentlyworkingwithourITstafftomakethenewsletterfullyweb‐basedwhichwillhelpwithissuesofaccessibilityandmakethenewslettermoreprofessional.Ifyouhaveanycommentsorquestionsaboutpossiblesubmissions,[email protected]@fullerton.edu.Wealsohopetoseeallofyouatthe2011WPSAConferenceinSanAntonio,TexasfromApril21st‐23rd.Informationaboutconferenceparticipationisavailableathttp://www.csus.edu/org/wpsa.

Stephen J. Stambough Valerie R. O’Regan

TABLE OF CONTENTS WESTERNNOTES(27)

NOTESFROMEXECUTIVEDIRECTOR

PRECONFERENCEWORKSHOPS

PRQONLINEFIRSTMEETTHECOUNCIL

WESTERNEDUCATOR(828)

WRISTWATCHES,LEARNING,ANDMYOWN(IMPERFECT)ADAPTATIONTODIGITALSTUDENTS

BYLAWRENCEBECKER CSUNORTHRIDGE CSUNORTHRIDGECC

ANNOUNCEMENTS(29)

SubmissionInstructions

The Western NewsletteroftheWesternPoliticalScienceAssociationVolume3,Issue1.Spring,2011http://www.csus.edu/org/wpsa


2

Western Notes

NotesfromtheExecutiveDirector2011WPSAConference:SanAntonio

SanAntonioMayorJuliánCastroandformerMayorHenryCisnerosareamongthemostprominentnameswhowillbeparticipatingin2011annualmeetingoftheWPSA,whichwillbeheldattheSanAntonioHyattRegencyHotel,April21–23.Theconferenceisexpectedtohavemorethan1050participantsinsome246panels.AmongthehighlightsoftheconferencewillbethePiSigmaAlphatalkbyMayorCastroandanaddressbyAPSAPresidentCarolePatemantitled,“FactsandTheories:ReflectionsfromaPoliticalTheorist.”MayorCastrowillalsobeparticipatingonaroundtablediscussionon“TheChangingFaceofLeadershipintheSouthwest:SanAntonioCityPoliticsintheFutureofAmerica.”TheroundtablewillalsoincludeformermayorCisnerosandseveralleadingpoliticalscientists.TheWPSABusinessMeetingwillbeheldonFriday,April22,followedimmediatelyafterwardsbytheWPSAreception.MoreinformationontheseandothereventsisavailableontheWPSAwebsite:http://wpsa.research.pdx.edu/meet/.Submissionsfor2012WPSAAwards PanelchairsanddiscussantsattheupcomingWPSAmeetingareencouragedtonominatepapersfromtheirpanelsthattheythinkareworthyofrecognitionforaWPSAaward.Sixawardsaregivenoutforconferencepapers:(1)thePiSigmaAlphaAwardforthebestpaperpresentedattheannualmeeting;(2)theBettyNesvoldWomenandPoliticsAwardforthebestpaperonwomenandpolitics;(3)theWPSABestPaperAwardonLatina/LatinoPolitics;(4)theAwardbyCommitteeontheStatusofBlacksforanoutstandingpaperdiscussingissuesandproblemsthatconcernmostBlackAmericans;(5)theCharlesReddAwardfor




3

BestPaperonthePoliticsoftheAmericanWest(anawardofferedjointlybytheWPSAandtheCharlesReddCenterforWesternStudiesofBrighamYoungUniversity);and(6)theWPSABestPaperinEnvironmentalPoliticalTheoryAward. These“bestpaper”awardscarrysmallcashprizes.Moreimportantly,theyareprestigiousandcanhaveaverypositiveimpactoncareers.Soyourhelpinnominatingpapersisappreciated.InstructionsanddeadlinesforpapersubmissionsandnominationsmaybefoundontheWPSAwebsite.ThedeadlinesformostawardnominationsaresetforJune15,2011.PortlandHosts2012AnnualMeeting The2012meetingoftheAssociationwillbeheldattheMarriottWaterfrontinPortland,Oregon,fromMarch22to24.PeregrineSchwartz‐Shea,UniversityofUtah,isservingasProgramChairforthismeeting.ChrisShortell,PortlandStateUniversity,istheLocalArrangementsChair.Thethemeoftheconferenceis:“(Re)ImaginingOurFuture(s):Obama’sElection,GlobalCrises,andPoliticalSciencePractices.”Informationregardingtheconference,thetheme,andthesectionchairswillsoonbepostedontheWPSAwebsite:www.wpsanet.org. TheAssociationwillbemeetingattheRenaissanceHotelinHollywood,California,in2013andattheSheratonSeattleHotelin2014.PRQOnLineFirst TheWPSAisworkingwithSAGEtoallowassociationmemberstosubscribetoPoliticalResearchQuarterlysolelyonline.Memberswillstillbeabletoreceiveaprintedcopyiftheyprefer,butthiswillallowthosewhoareinterestedtoaccessthejournaljustthroughtheinternet.Oncethedetailsareworkedout,memberswillbegiventhechoiceofhowtheywanttoreceivetheirsubscription.Theinitiativeisbeingputtogethertoreducepaperuseandtocutcosts.



4

Pre‐ConferenceWorkshopsFeministTheoryReadingGroup

TheFeministTheoryReadingGroupwillbeholdingitsannualmeetingonApril20thfrom2:00–6:30.Duringthefirstsession(2:00‐4:30),KathyFergusonwillleadadiscussionoftheneweditionofSimonedeBeauvoir’sTheSecondSex(pp.3‐17,21‐68,159‐213,439‐570,619‐637,638‐664,and721‐766),aswellasTorilMoi’snegativereviewofthenewtranslation,publishedintheLondonReviewofBooks. Duringthesecondsession(5‐6:30),KathiWeekswilljoinusforadiscussionoftheintroductionandthethirdchapterofherbook‐in‐progress,TheProblemwithWork:Feminism,Marxism,Anti‐WorkPoliticsandPost‐WorkImaginaries.CommentaryonthebookwillbeofferedbyJudithGrant.Pleasecontactthesessionorganizers,LoriMarso([email protected])andClaireSnyder‐Hall([email protected]),forcopiesoftheWeeksmanuscriptorifyouhaveanyquestions.ENVIRONMENTALPOLITICALTHEORYWORKSHOP

WednesdayApril20,2011,9.00–5.00PM

Location:HyattRegencyatRiverwalk,SanAntonio,TX TheEnvironmentalPoliticalTheoryWorkshopaddressestheintersectionsbetweenpoliticaltheoryandstudiesoftheenvironment.Theworkshopisheldannually,onedaypriortotheWesternPoliticalScienceAssociationmeetings.Itcoversabroadrangeoftopics:

‐‐‐greentheories‐‐‐environmentalrelevanceof‘traditional’or‘canonical’politicaltheorytexts‐‐‐environmentaljusticeandactivism‐‐‐animalrights‐‐‐linkagesamongrace,gender,class,andenvironment‐‐‐indigenousperspectivesonecosystems




5

‐‐‐tensionsbetweenscienceanddemocracywithinenvironmentalgovernance‐‐‐analysisofcurrentpoliticsinlightofconceptualalternatives(andviceversa)

Theworkshopalsoprovidesanopportunityfornetworkingwithscholars

sharingyourinterests,andprovidesaforumtodiscussrecentpublications,currentscholarship,researchopportunities,teachingstrategies,syllabusdevelopment,publishinginenvironmentalpoliticaltheory,andothernewsandreflectionsfromtheoristsworkinginthisfield.Youngerscholars,includinggraduatestudents,areespeciallywelcome.

Inthepastallworkshopparticipantshavesataroundasingletableforan

entiredayofopendiscussion.Weexpectthatthistraditionwillcontinuethisyear.LightrefreshmentsareprovidedcourtesyoftheWPSA.

Thisyear’seventisespeciallysignificantasitwillbeourtenthannual

workshop.Inthetenyearsoftheworkshop,mostparticipantshavefoundtheworkshopinvaluableinstimulatingresearchandteachinginthisexcitingfield.PleaseconsiderjoiningusinSanAntoniothisApril!



6

Visithttp://prq.sagepub.comtoaccessandreadarticlesliketheseatOnlineFirst:

SupportforDemocracyinIran:TheCaseofIran

GüneşMuratTezcür,TaghiAzadarmaki,MehriBahar,andHooshangNayebiServingTwoMasters:UsingReferendatoAssessPartisanversusDyadicLegislative

RepresentationSethE.MasketandHansNoel

ThePoliticalDeterminantsofWomen’sDescriptiveRepresentationinCitiesAdrienneR.Smith,BethReingold,andMichaelLeoOwens

TheDynamicsofInterestRepresentationattheU.S.SupremeCourtThomasHansford




7

MeettheCouncil

MelissaR.Michelson(Ph.D.Yale1994)isProfessorofPoliticalScienceatMenloCollege.HerresearchinterestsincludethepoliticalmobilizationofLatinos,AfricanAmericans,AsianAmericansandyouth,andimmigrantpoliticalincorporation.Sheisco‐author,withLisaGarcíaBedolla,oftheforthcomingbookMobilizingInclusion:RedefiningCitizenshipThroughGet‐out‐the‐VoteCampaigns(YaleUniversityPress).Shehaspublisheddozensofjournalarticlesandbookchapters,includingrecentworkinPS:PoliticalScienceandPolitics,theJournalofPolitics,andAmericanPoliticsResearch.

StacyGordonisanassociateprofessorintheDepartmentofPoliticalScienceattheUniversityofNevada,Reno.SheteachescoursesonAmericanpoliticalinstitutions,interestgroupsandpoliticalbehavior.Sheisespeciallyinterestedinthestudyofhowinterestgroupsinfluencethebehavioroflegislatorsatboththefederalandstatelevelandhaspublishedabookonthistopic,CampaignContributionsandLegislativeVotingBehavior:ANewApproach,withRoutledge.Sheiscurrentlyworkingonaprojectonthedevelopmentoflobbyingstrategiesinstatelegislatures.HerworkhasbeenpublishedintheJournalofPoliticsandComparativePoliticalStudies.



8

Western Educator

Wristwatches,Learning,andMyOwn(Imperfect)AdaptationtoDigitalStudents1

LawrenceBeckerCaliforniaStateUniversityatNorthridge

IfyouvisitmyintroductoryAmericangovernmentcourseandlookcarefully,you’ll

noticethatalmostnoneofthestudentsarewearingwristwatches.Iwouldn’thavenoticed

butforapointmadebyPhilipZimbardoandJohnBoydintheirbook,TheTimeParadox,

andinalecture2byZimbardothatcanbefoundonYouTube.Zimbardopointsoutthat

feweryoungpeople3–andevenfewerofourstudents–wearwristwatchestodaybecause,

tothem,awristwatchmakesnosense.Itis,afterall,merelyasingle‐functiondevice

(ZimbardoandBoyd2008,43).Theirsmartphonetellsthemthetime,theirGPS

coordinates,wheretheircolleaguesareeatinglunch,andallowsthemtobuymovietickets

allwhilesittinginmyclass.Andyes,itcanalsobeusedtocalculatearestauranttip!

So,whatdoestheabsenceofwristwatcheshavetodowithlearninginpolitical

science?Thedeclineofwristwatchesinourclassroomsissymbolicofaprofoundsetof

changeshappeninginthelearningenvironment.Studentsandinstructorsareadaptingto

newtechnologicaltoolsinanincrementalway.Emailemergesasanewformof

1 The author is grateful for insightful comments from Zeynep Toker and Kevin Kvalvik. 2 The lecture can be found on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3oIiH7BLmg. 3 Zimbardo and Boyd reference an article in Newsweek by Jessica Ramirez (2006) that points out that the sale of wristwatches is declining over time.




9

communicationandinstructorsandstudentsuseittocommunicatemorefrequently.

“Smart”and“wired”andeven“wireless”classroomsbecomethestandardandinstructors

areincreasinglydeliveringcontentinmultimediaformatandonlineratherthanjust

lecturingfromapodiumwithsomeold,yellowedpaper.Onlinelearningmanagement

systemslikeWebCT,Blackboard,andMoodleareadoptedbyourinstitutionsandweuse

themtodelivercourseinformationandevencontenttoourstudents.Butaswekeepour

headsdownstrugglingtoadapttoandimplementeachyear’snewtoy,wemissthemore

importanteffectthesetechnologiesarehavingonourlearningenvironment.Havinglived

theirentirelivesinawiredworld,ourstudentsareprocessinginformationandare

learninginwaysthatarealientoourownlearningexperiences.Inthisessay,Iexplorethe

learningchallengesour“digital”studentsfacewiththeir“analog”or“digitalimmigrant”

instructorsandwhat,ifanything,wecandoaboutit.Iarguethat,ifsolutionstothissetof

problemsexist,theyrequiretwothingsofusthatmostpolicymakers,institutions,and

instructorswouldseemtolack:along‐termplanninghorizonandaconsistentwillingness

toadapttoournewrealities.

Whatistheproblemandhowdidwegethere?

Thetypicalfreshmaninmylarge,introductoryAmericangovernmentcoursewas

bornintheearly1990s,aboutthetimethatemail,theinternet,andmobilephonesbegan

toentertheaverageperson’sdailylife.Theyhavelivedtheirentirelivesimmersedina

worldwhereinformationisalwaysatone’sfingertips,whereitisforthemostpartfreeand



10

perceivedtobeun‐owned,andwherethedifferencebetweenabook,ajournalarticle,a

blog,andatweetis,atbest,amatteroffont.Theyarenotjust“bowlingalone,”touse

RobertPutnam’sclassicmetaphor,theyarebowlingintheirhomes,orworse,intheircars

orontheskislopes,inavirtualbowlingalley.A2007studyonvideogameusageamong

adolescentsfoundthattheaveragegamerspendsmorethananhourperdayplayingvideo

gamesandthatmeanslesstimeforreadingwhetherforleisureorstudy.Amorerecent

studyontheeffectsofvideogameusagebyyoungboysfoundthatboysgivenaccesstoa

videogamesystemspentlesstimeonacademicactivitiesandperformedpoorlyonreading

andwritingtaskscomparedwithotherboys(WeisandCerankosky2010).Videogames

arejustoneaspectofthewayinwhichourstudentsliveinaworldthatisbothinteractive

andfullofvariousmediastreamingatthemallthetime.A2010studybytheKaiserFamily

Foundationfoundthatkidsbetweentheagesof8and18spendabout7.5hoursperday

usingelectronicdeviceslikesmartphones,computers,andtelevisionsandthatincreased

useofthesedevicesiscorrelatedwithpooracademicperformance(Rideout,Foehr,and

Roberts2010).Theywatchmorevideo,muchofitontheinternet,theylistentotheirmp3

players,andtheycommunicatewiththeirfriendsinrealtimeandtheyarefrequentlydoing

allofthesethingsatonce,receivingmultipleinputsandfeelingboredwhentheyare

experiencingjustonesourceofinformationatatime.

Asaresultofthis,Zimbardo(2010)arguesourstudents’brains“arebeingdigitally

re‐wired”inwaysthatmaketraditionalclassroomtechniques,likeaprofessorlecturing

fromapodiuminthefrontoftheroom,allbutincomprehensibletothem.Indeed,the




11

metaphorof“re‐wiring”maynotsimplybeametaphor.Thereisagreatdealofresearch

beingdoneon“neuroplasticityandpruning”(Willis2008,426)thatsuggestsourstudents’

brainsarebeingphysicallyre‐structuredasparticularneuralpathwaysareutilizedover

timeandotherneuralpathwaysareallowedtoatrophythough,asWillis(2008,427)points

out,“therestillisnosturdybridgebetweenneuroscienceandwhateducatorsdointhe

classroom.”Whateverthesturdinessofthebridge,itdoesseem,touseHowardGardner’s

(1983)moreclassicalformulation,thesestudentshavedevelopedadifferent“frameof

mind”4thantheonethatmanyofusfacultyfromapreviousgenerationareexpectingto

helpnurtureintheclassroomsetting.Describingthisparticulardisconnectadifferentway,

MarcPrensky(2001)arguesthattoday’sstudentsare“digitalnatives.”Theywereborn

intoadigitalworldsotheyarenotonlyfluentinworkingwithnewtechnologies,theyare

abletopickupwhateverevennewertechnologywillbecreatedtomorrowseamlessly

(Prensky2001).Reviewingsomeoftherecentliteratureoninformationcompetency

amongcollegestudentsintheU.K.andtheU.S.,StephenThornton(2010)arguesthat,while

thecomplaintsabouttoday’sstudentsarefrequentlyover‐stated,oneofthenegative

implicationsofthesechangesisthatthesestudentsareabletoquicklygatheralotof

informationaboutaverywidevarietyoftopicsbuttheyarenotparticularlygoodat

criticallyevaluatingtheinformationtheygatherandtheydonotdelvedeeplyinto

particularresearchquestions.BorrowingfromCarr(2008),hesaysstudentsare“jet

skiers”ratherthan“scubadivers,”andborrowingfromWhitworth(2009),hesaystoday’s4 Gardner defines “frames of mind” or separate “human intelligences” as “relatively autonomous human intellectual competencies” (Gardner 1983, 8).



12

studentssufferfrom“informationobesity”–theyareoverloadedwithinformationbutnot

enoughofitisusefulorgoodforthem.

Somemightarguethatthegenerationaldifferencesinlearningstylesandthe

conflictthatnaturallyensuesfromthisarenotnewdevelopments.Perhaps,theyargue,

whatwearewitnessingisjustthecontemporaryequivalentofstudentsdaydreamingand

writingnotestooneanotherinclass.BerlinerandBiddle(1997)arguethistendency,on

ourpart,tocriticizetheeducationalhabitsofyoungpeopleisatleastasoldasancient

Greece.Theyrefertoitasthe“SocratesLegacy”inreferencetoSocrates’criticismofthe

youthofhisday.We,afterall,haveachievedacademicsuccessasstudentsandsothey

shouldbemorelikeus.Buttherewouldseemtobeacriticaldifferencebetweenwhatwe

areexperiencingtodayandpreviousgenerationalshifts.Itisnotjustashiftinthelanguage

studentsuse,thewaytheydress,orthesocialmoresthatdefinetherelationshipbetweena

studentandafacultymemberthatmighthavebeendistracting,disrespectful,oreven

disruptiveinthepast.Instead,thechangedescribedaboverepresentsatectonicshiftin

howstudentsgatherandprocessinformation.Thecentraltaskwithwhichweare

concerned,studentlearning,happensinadifferentwaynow.AsConsidine,Horton,and

Moorman(2009,471)argue,thesestudentshave“arichanddifferentsetofliteracy

practicesandbackgroundthatisoftenunacknowledgedorunderusedbyeducators.”

Inshort,ourstudentslearndifferently.Theycometouswithaverydifferentsetof

skillsandlearningproblemsbutwe’renotyetsurewhattodowithitandaboutitand

manyinstructors,myselfincluded,frequentlycomplainabout“thesekidstoday.”Among




13

othercommoncomplaints,wesaythatourstudentslackfocus,theydon’tdomuch,ifany,

oftherequiredreadingforclass,theybecometooeasilybored,andtheyhavedifficulty

understandingtheconceptofplagiarismbecausethenotionofwordsandideasbeing

“owned”bysomeoneinthedigitalworldisnon‐sensicaltothem.Theyfrequentlyappear

toustobelazyandundisciplinedandeventoundermineoureffortsintheclassroom.

Prensky(2001)arguesthat,incontrasttothisdigitalgeneration,whohereferstoas

“digitalnatives,”thoseofusinpreviousgenerationsare“digitalimmigrants.”Welearnto

usethesetechnologies,sometimesquitewell,butitisnotnaturaltous.Wehavetowork

hardertolearntouseitandweuseitwithan“accent.”Someofusresistnewtechnologyin

theeducationalsettingandothersembraceit.But,evenamongthoseofusthatembraceit,

wefrequentlyuseitinanawkward,fumblingkindofwayfromourstudents’perspective.

OnthefirstdayofclasslastFall,Ielicitedanunintentionalchucklefrommystudentsby

pointingoutthattheyneedtoturnofftheir“cellphonesandpagers”whentheyenterclass.

ItisastandardlineIamusedtousingforabout10yearsbut,tothem,anadmonitionto

stopusingpagersmightaswellhavebeenanadmonitiontostopusingtheirmanual

typewriters.

Howwerespond

Formanyinstructors,myselfincluded,therehavebeentworeactionstotheriseof

thedigitalgenerationthataresomewhatcontradictoryandarguablyself‐defeating.First,

invirtuallyallofmyclasses,Ihavebannedtheuseofmostelectronicdevicesincluding



14

laptopcomputers,phones,iPads,iPods,andfrankly,whateverdeviceApplewillrollout

betweennowandtheendofthesemesterthateverystudentwillpurchaseanddeploy

immediatelyandsimultaneously.Laptopcomputersarefarmoreadistractionthanatool

usedforlearningpurposesItellthem.Ihavewatchedenoughofmycolleagues’classes

fromthebackoftheroomtoseethatforeveryminuteastudentisusingtheirlaptopto

takenotesorlookupsomethingclass‐related,theyareusingthedeviceforabout10

minutesofinstantmessaging,webbrowsingunrelatedtotheclass,updatingtheir

Facebookpage,orvariousotherformsofpersonalentertainment.Mobilephones

sometimesringinthemiddleofclassand,everyonceinawhile,astudentwillevendareto

answerthecall.Inlargeclasses,studentswilllistentotheirmp3playerwhiletheyarestill

“half‐listening”toclass,muchthewayaprofessionalpokerplayerwilllistentoloudmusic

whilestillconcentratingintentlyonthegameinfrontofthem.WhenIseethesethings

happeninfrontofme,andIamquitesureithappensalotmorethanIsee,Ibecomeangry

becausefrommypointofviewasadigitalimmigrant,theactionsofthestudentare

disruptiveanddisrespectful.IbanthesedevicesandIadmonishstudentsIcatchusing

theminclass.Simplyput,allofthesedevicesare,tomysensibilityasadigitalimmigrant,

distractionsfromthecoremissionoftheclassroom.

WhileIstandbythatdecision–Idocontinuetobanstudentuseofthesedevicesin

allbutafewofmyclasses–myreactionisreminiscentofastoryalocalSuperiorCourt




15

Judgelikestotell5aboutajurorwhohadfallenasleepduringtheexaminationofawitness

inatrial.Whentheattorneyexaminingthewitnessfinallynoticedajurorwasasleep,he

askedtheJudgetoapproachthebench.“Yourhonor,Juror#6isasleep,”saidtheattorney.

“Sowhatdoyouwantmetodoaboutit?”askedtheJudge.“Wakehimup!”wasthereply,of

course.TheJudgethoughtaboutitforamomentandreplied,“Youputhimtosleep.You

wakehimup!”Thepointisthat,whilejurorsshouldtrynottofallasleep,theattorneyin

thiscasehastoatleastassumesomeoftheresponsibility.Ineedtodomorethaninsistmy

studentslearninpreciselythesamewayandpreciselythesameclassroomsettingasIdid.

Thesecondreaction,however,hasbeentoemploytechnologyintheclassroom.We

dosoforatleasttwobroadreasons.First,theneweconomicsofhighereducationrequire

thatwedoso.Justasinwarfare,technologyhaseffectivelybecomea“forcemultiplier.”

Onlineinstructionallowsustoreachmorestudentswithoutbuildingmoreclassrooms.

Technologyallowsustosavemoneyonpaper,ink,andonthepeoplewhousedtocopy,

collate,staple,anddistributepaperforus.Andtechnologymakesassessment,acritical

partoftheneweconomicsofhighereducation,easiertocarryoutbecausewecanuse

electronicsurveysandtoolslikeclickersandePortfoliostoaccumulatedataonwhat

studentsarelearningovertimeintheclassroom.

5 Importantly, the Judge likes to tell this story to illustrate how the daily grind of the courtroom is not at all like the exciting and dramatic depiction of the courtroom in popular television dramas like Law and Order. Like my classroom, courts also ban the use of cell phones, laptop computers, etc., by jurors at least while proceedings are underway. And, like my classroom, attorneys are likely under increasing pressure to capture the attention of “digital natives” in the jury pool, perhaps by becoming more dramatic and flamboyant in their mode of argument and questioning of witnesses.



16

Asecondreasonweusetechnologyistokeepstudentsvisuallyengaged,tokeep

thementertained,andeventointroduceagreaterdegreeofinteractioninlargeclasses

whereinteractionisdifficulttoachievewithoutthetechnology.IusePowerPointso

studentscansee,notjusthear,theoutlineofwheretheclasslectureordiscussionis

headednext.Iusevideoandaudioclipstogivestudentssomethingelsetoseeandhear

andtobreakuptheclasstimeintowhatIperceiveforthemismoremanageablechunks.In

thepast,Ihaveusedclickerstointroducesomemeasureofinteractivitytotheclassroom

andtoconducton‐the‐flyassessmentsofwhetherstudentsarelearning.And,finally,Iuse

aLearningManagementSystem(LMS)toprovidestudentswithlinkstoonlinereadingsfor

thecourse,aneasymethodofcommunicationwithmeandwithotherstudentsintheclass,

immediateaccesstotheirgrades,andtohostavarietyofonlineexercisesandquizzes

relatedtotheclass.

Whymyresponsefailsmoreoftenthannot

AcolleagueofmineandIsometimescomplainthatatleastsomeofourcollective

pedagogicalresponsetotheriseofthedigitalgenerationhascreatedanewformof

pedagogywerefertoas“edu‐tainment.”Particularlyinthelargeintroductoryclasses,

wheretheuseoftechnologyandmultimediaismoreprevalent,ourinstructionbeginsto

feelabitmorelikeperformanceand,moreimportantly,webegintomakethemistakeof

equatinglearningwithpositivestudentreactiontotheperformance.Whenaclassis

particularlyquietonagivenday,wefeelasifwearecomedianswhojustreally“bombed”




17

onstage.Wetrytofigurehowwecanre‐workthevarious“bits”inwaysthatwouldbe

morepleasingtotheaudience.Performanceisaconceptthatisnotwhollyunrelatedtothe

learningprocessbutitissurelyataskforus,aspoliticalscientists,thatisfarafieldfrom

ourtraining.Toputitanotherway,ifstudentlearningissomehowsubstantiallyconnected

tothesenseofcomedictimingofpoliticalscientists,weareindeepertroublethanIhad

everimagined.

Alargerproblemisthatmostpoliticalscientists(andmostacademicsgenerally)

havelittleornotraininginpedagogyatall,muchlesstraininginunderstandingthenew

learningstylesofdigitalnatives.Instead,virtuallyallofthetrainingofcollegeinstructors

isfocusedonthesubstantivecontentoftheirdiscipline.AsHalpernandHakel(2003)

pointout,thisapplieseventofacultywhoseresearchfocusesonthefieldofeducation.

Theyargue,“Wehavefoundpreciouslittleevidencethatcontentexpertsinthelearning

sciencesactuallyapplytheprinciplestheyteachintheirownclassrooms.Likevirtuallyall

collegefaculty,theyteachthewaytheyweretaught”(HalpernandHakel2003,37).

Thatisnottosayweknownothingaboutpedagogy.Welearnaboutpedagogyfrom

ourownexperiencesasstudentsandfromtrialanderrorinourclassroomsovertime.We

knowsomethingaboutwhatinspiredustolearnandweknowwhathelpedustolearn.We

alsohaveasenseofwhetherourstudentsarelearningevenoutsideofformalmethodsof

assessment.Furthermore,mostpoliticalscientistsIknowcareintenselyaboutteaching

andlearningandspendagreatdealoftimeworkingtoimprovestudent‐learning

outcomes.



18

Butwearelesssuccessfulthanwemightotherwisebefortworeasons.First,we

mistakenlyassumeourstudentsarelikeus.Mostofourstudentsarelessinspiredbythe

substanceofpoliticalsciencethanwewere.Manyormostofthemareinterestedin

politics,government,andpublicpolicybutthisisnotquitepoliticalscience.The

distinctionisimportant.Welearnedasgraduatestudents,perhapsevenas

undergraduatesinourcase,aboutimportantdisciplinaryquestionsanddisputes.We

conductresearchonthesesamequestions.Sowewereinspiredbythesedisciplinary

questionsasstudents,weweretrainedtoanswerthem,andwespendmuchofour

professionallivesworkingonthesequestions.Wearecontentexpertsandwefrequently

speakinourownlanguageasadiscipline.Studentlearningishinderedbyourinabilityto

translatetheseconceptsintothelanguageourstudentsunderstand.Notonlydoweuse

alienlanguage,weusedatedexamples.GeorgeH.W.BushmightaswellbeChesterArthur

toourstudents.Theyarefiguresthey’vereadaboutintextbooksor,morelikely,

Wikipedia,notcontemporaryillustrationsofaconcept.Moreimportantly,becausethey

aredigitalnatives,theyareprocessinginformationindifferentways.Theyarewired

differentlysotheylearndifferently.AsIdescribedabove,Iseektospeaktheirlanguageby

employingtechnologyintheclassroominavarietyofways.Atmybest,Ispeaktheir

languagewithanaccent.IusePowerPointtoenhancevisuallearningbutIprobablydonot

organizeslidesasmystudentswould–toomuchtext,notenoughmusicbyEminem!I

createacourseMoodlesiteanduploadresourcestoitbutIdonotorganizetheseresources

inavisuallystimulatingway.PartofthereasonforthisismytimeislimitedandI’mnota




19

creativeartist.ButitisalsothatIjustdon’tintuitivelythinkthisuseofmytimeis

pedagogicallyuseful.Myintuitioniswrong.

Asecondreasonwearelesssuccessfulthanweotherwisemightbeistheseveral

waysinwhichpedagogicalstrategiesaretoofocusedontheshortterm.HalpernandHakel

(2003,38)arguethat“thefirstandonlygoal”ofinstructioninhighereducationis“long‐

termretentionandtransfer,”meaningwewantourstudentstobeabletorecallthe

knowledge,skills,andcompetencieswehavehelpedthemlearnlateronand,more

importantly,wewantthemtobeableto“transfer”thoseskillsandcompetenciestosome

contextbeyondschoolatsometimeinthefuture.Theproblemisthat“Teachingfor

retentionduringasingleacademictermtopreparestudentsforanassessmentthatwillbe

giventotheminthesamecontextinwhichthelearningoccursisverydifferentfrom

teachingforlong‐termretentionandtransfer”(HalpernandHakel2003,38).Sohowdo

wedothis?HalpernandHakel(2003,38‐39)makeanumberofrecommendations

includingrequiringstudentsto“generateresponses,withminimalcues,repeatedlyover

timewithvariedapplications,”“varyingtheconditionsunderwhichlearningtakesplace,”

andrequiringlearnersto“takeinformationthatispresentedinoneformatand‘re‐

representitinanalternativeformat.’”Doingthesethingsrequireslong‐termpedagogical

ANDinstitutionalcommitment.Evenfacultywhocaredeeplyaboutstudentlearningand

aboutpreparingstudentsfortheirfuturemakepedagogicalchoicesinanenvironment

biasedtowardsshort‐termandincrementalistanswers.Inmylarge,introductorycourses,

Ioffermystudentsonline,multiple‐choiceexamsforavarietyofreasonsincludingthe



20

needtosavemoneyonpaperandprintingandmyneedtobalancemytimegrading

betweenthiscourseandothercoursesIoffer.TheseonlineexamsmeetourDepartment’s

short‐termneedsbut,bythestandardHalpernandHakellayout,theydonotmeetthe

long‐termneedsofourstudents.

Wealsofocusontheshortterminourdeploymentoftechnology.Universities

consistentlyfeelpressuretoemploythelatestandgreatestinstructionaltechnologyboth

becausestudentsandfacultywanttotryoutnewtoysandbecausealluniversitieswantto

beonthecuttingedge.Wealsoemploytechnologytotrytospeakthelanguageofthe

digitalnatives.Iemploytechnologyintheclassroominavarietyofwaysdescribedabove.

Amongotherthings,somecolleaguesofmineandIhavespentanimmeasurableamountof

timecapturing,editing,andcataloguingvideoandaudioclipsforinstructionalpurposes.

Someoftheseclipsarefromdocumentariesandothersareclipsfrompopularmoviesand

televisionshowsthathelpustomakesomepointaboutpolitics,policy,andgovernmentin

awaythatismoreaccessibletoourstudents.Thistakesatremendousamountoftimeand

itisaconstantworkinprogressassomeoftheseclipsbecomedatedratherquickly.

SomehowIthinkthatclipfrom“Bonanza”won’tquiteworkanymore!Ourinstitution

recentlybegantouseMoodleand,notlongafter,Iheardrumblingsthatadifferentweb‐

basedplatformisunderconsiderationfornextyear.IwouldtellyouwhatitisbutI’veonly

hearditdiscussedandhaven’tseenitspelledsoIdon’twanttoputtheumlautorthetilde

inthewrongplace.Thepointisweliveintheshort‐termontechnologyand,toooften,we

letthetechnologydrivethepedagogyratherthantheotherwayaround.




21

Whatweneedtodo

Sowhatdowedoaboutallthis?Theshortansweristhatthereisnoshortanswer.

Thereiscertainlynoshort‐termquick‐fix.Iwouldarguethelongeransweristwo‐fold.

Institutionally,weneedtohavealonger‐termplanninghorizonandweneedtogive

greaterthoughttothelinkagesbetweenourinstitutionalprocedures,includingpersonnel

procedures,andstudentlearninginthisnewenvironment.Forinstance,manyofour

effortsatassessmentcurrentlyfocusonnear‐termassessmentofshort‐termretentionof

information.Instead,weneedtothinkaboutlonger‐termassessmentofwhatskillsand

competenciesstudentsaregettingoutofprogramsoratleastpartsofprogramsandhaving

studentsdemonstratethosecompetenciesinavarietyofsettingsandformats.Weneeda

longer‐termplanninghorizonontechnology.Thatmeansavoidingtheurgetojumponthe

bandwagonofeverytechnological“advance”thatismarketedtousandtoourstudents.

Wedon’thavetheresourcestohavethemalland,moreimportantly,thedigitalgeneration

doesn’thavethepatienceforanexperimentgonewrong.

Onthemoremicro‐leveloftheindividualfacultymember,weneedtounderstand

thatthenewlearningstylesofourstudentsrequireconsistentadaptationinawider

varietyofareas.Justaswehavetoconsistentlyadapttodisciplinarychangesinourfield,

wehavetoalsoadapttovariedandchanginglearningstyles,rapidlychangingtechnology,

andeventochangesinpopculture.Andwehavetointegrateallofthattogether.Thereis

goodnewsandbadnewstobefoundinthenewlearningstylesofourstudents.They



22

requiremorevisuallyandaudiologically‐enhancedlearningenvironmentsandtheyhave

shorterattentionspans.Ontheupside,theyaremorecompetentwithvariousinformation

technologiesandtheyarearguablymorecommunicativewiththeirinstructors,evenifthat

communicationtakesadifferentform–likeemailthatiswrittenlikeatextmessage,LOL–

thanweareusedto.Buthowdothesevagueprescriptionsworkinpractice?

ConsistentAdaptationintheClassroom:Withinourownclasses6,ineverystage

ofpedagogy,weneedtothinkaboutwhoourlearnersare.Coursesneedtobedesigned

with“long‐termretentionandtransfer”(HalpernandHakel2003)inmindandthatmeans

requiringstudentstoapplywhattheyarelearningmultipletimesindifferentsettingsand

modesoverthecourseofthesemester.Coursesshouldfocusmoreondepthoflearning

ratherthanbreadth.Itisbettertocoverlessbuttocoveritdeeply(HalpernandHakel

2003,41).Exams,papers,andothermultimediaassignmentsshouldbedesignedinsucha

waythatweareassessingwhetherstudentshavedevelopedthelonger‐termknowledge

andcompetencieswewantthemtolearnratherthanshort‐termmemorization.Individual

classesneedtoemploymultimediabothtokeepstudents’attentionandalsotodeliverthe

sameeducationalcontentacrossmultipledifferentplatformstoreachdifferentlearners

withinthesameclassroom.SlidesinPowerPointneedtobebriefandtheyaremore

effectiveiftheyincludeimages,video,and/oraudio.Relatingthecontenttocontemporary

examples,includingreferencesfrompopcultureishelpful.Pryor(2008,396)pointsout

6 As I’ve described the trends in higher education above, what constitutes being “in the classroom” is changing as rapidly as anything else. Sitting at home working on one’s Moodle page or even giving a live lecture from home via Elluminate is as much “in the classroom” as the brick-and-mortar classroom. To put it another way, we can do a lot “in the classroom” without actually being in the classroom.




23

thatinhisintroductorybiologyclasses,theuseofpopculturereferenceshelpsbecause

studentsare“fascinatedwiththeapplicationofbiologytotheireverydaylives.”Butitis

morethananissueoffascination.Itisaboutmeetingstudentswheretheylive.Inpost‐

courseevaluations,97%ofPryor’sstudents“foundtheexampleshelpfulinlearningand

rememberingthematerialwhereas92%ofhisstudentsdidnotfindthetextbook“helpful

orinteresting”(Pryor2008,398).Asmentionedabove,inmyclasses,Iusevideoclipsfrom

popculturefrequently.IuseclipsfromthemovieOfficeSpacetoillustrateimportant

conceptsonbureaucraticdysfunction,IuseclipsfromtheDailyShowtoillustrate

importantconceptsaboutmediaandpolitics,andIusethedepictionofMosesbringingthe

10commandmentsdownfromMt.SinaifromMelBrooks’sHistoryoftheWorldtosparka

discussionofdifferingformsofgovernmentandwherelawscomefrom.Toengagethis

digitalgenerationofstudentsandtoencouragelearningandlong‐termretentionand

transfer,multimediaandpopculturereferencesaretoolstobeutilized,notdistractionsto

beentirelyshutoutoftheclassroom.

Muchofthismaybeobvious.Butitissurprisinghowfewofusdoallthesethingsin

practice.Idon’tdoallofthesethingsinpracticeallthetime.Sometimestherearegood

institutionalreasonswhy,andIaddresssomeoftheseinamoment,butitisalsothecase

thatitiseasytoslipbackintowhatseemsmostfamiliar.“Ilearnedthiswaysomy

studentscanaswell.”Ourstudentsaredifferentthanus.Yourexperience,inthiscase,is

probablynotasfaithfulaguideasyouthink.



24

LongerTermPlanningHorizons:Oneofthemoreimportantreasonsfacultydo

notfollowsomeoftheprescriptionshereisthattherearestronginstitutionalincentivesto

dowhattheyarecurrentlydoing.Manyinstructorsserveinstitutionsthatdonottake

instructionseriouslywithintheretention,tenure,andpromotion(RTP)process.Even

wherequalityinstructionisvaluedintheRTPprocess,studentevaluationsofinstruction

thataredesignedpoorly,focusingonfactorsunrelatedtoorevenatoddswithlong‐term

learning,mayplayanimportantroleintheRTPprocess.Institutionalservicemaynotbe

givenappropriaterecognitionintheRTPprocess,yetserviceonthesecommitteesby

instructorswhounderstandtheseissuesiscritical.Particularlyinthecurrentbudget

environment,institutionsmaynotsetmoneyasidetoprovideincentivesforinstructorsto

devotetimetolearningthelanguageofthedigitalnativesandforimprovingtheir

pedagogicaltoolkitgenerally.Classroomtechnologymaynotbeabudgetarypriority.

Assessmenteffortsatsomeinstitutionsmayfocusonshort‐termlearninginorderto

demonstratesuccessNOWratherthanthelonger‐termlearningoutcomesweactuallyhope

studentscanachieve.Curriculardebatesbecomeproxyresourcewarsratherthanthe

usefuldiscussionsabouttheneedsofthedigitalgenerationthattheycouldbe.Faculty,

particularlyfacultythatunderstandthepedagogicalchallengesoutlinedhere,needtobe

moreengagedintheseinstitutionaldecisions.RTPprocesses,curriculardebates,andeven

discussionsofbudgetsandinstitutionalplanning,adomainthatisoftenreservedfor

administrators,mayimpactwhathappensinyourclassroommorethanthethingslikethe

coursesyllabusandreadingsthataremoredirectlyunderyourcontrol.Decisionsare




25

madebythosewhoshowupandthosewhoshowuprightnowmaynotbeservingyour

studentswell.

Backtowristwatches

Unlikemystudents,IwearawristwatchtoclasseverydayevenifI’mnotsurewhy.

AsclassisunderwayandmymindisspinningwithamillionthoughtsaboutwhatI’m

doing,whetherstudentsarelearning,wherewe’reheadednext,etc.,everysooften,Ineed

toknowwhattimeitisandhowmuchtimeIhaveleft.Usually,Ilookattheelectronic

clockonthepodium,aclockonthewall,orI’lllookatthescreeninthefrontoftheclass

wherethetimemightbedisplayedonthelowerrightcorner.Onerecentdayatthe

beginningofthesemester,Ilookeddownatmywatchtofindthetimeandnoticedthatmy

watchhadstopped.Afteranawkwardpause,Ilookedupattheclockintheroomand

proceeded.Themetaphorical,nottomentionmetaphysical,meaningofthemomentwasn’t

immediatelyapparenttome.Afterclass,astudentapproachedmetoaskifshecouldhave

apermissionnumbertoaddmyclass.ItoldherIhadcheckedonlinejustbeforeclassand

therewerenospacesavailable.PracticallybeforeIcouldfinishmysentence,shehadher

iPhoneout,hadopenedabrowser,hadloggedontotheUniversitywebportal,andwasable

toshowmethat,infact,thereweretwospacesavailable.Idon’tknowitforafactbutI

suspecttwostudentsdroppedafterwatchingmecheckthetimeonmywatchduringclass.

“Justanotheruni‐functionalinstructor,”oneprobablymutteredtotheother.



26

Perhapsitdidn’tallhappenthatway.Butstudentspickuponthesethings,

especiallythesekindsofthings,moreoftenthanyoumightthink.Perhapstheydropped

thecoursebecausetheyfoundanothercoursethatfittheirschedulebetter.Perhapsthey

droppedthecoursebecauseitwastoomuchreadingortheydon’tlikemyhairstyleor

somethingelse.Itwouldn’thavereallymatteredmuchtomeifIhadn’tnoticedlateron

whenIcheckedmy“paper/analog”attendancesheetthatthetwostudentswhodropped

thecoursehadbeeninclassthatday.Thatmeanstheyhadmanagedtodropthecourse

eitherwhilesittinginmyclassorintheexactminutebeforethisotherstudentaskedto

add.Inthatmomentofrealization,Iwonderedhow,technicallyhow,theywereableto

droptheclasseithersoquicklyafterclassorwithoutmyseeingthemusingtheir

smartphoneorlaptopinclass.Thedigitalgeneration,itturnsout,ismorecreative,more

competent,andmoreintelligentthanwesometimesimaginethemtobe.Afterall,whois

thesuckerwearinga$100single‐functiondevicearoundhiswristthatjuststopped

working?

References

Berliner,DavidC.,andBruceJ.Biddle.TheManufacturedCrisis:Myths,Fraud,andtheAttack

onAmerica'sPublicSchools.WhitePlains,NY:Longman,1997.

Carr,Nicholas."IsGoogleMakingUsStupid?"TheAtlantic(July2008).56‐63.




27

Considine,David,JulieHorton,andGaryMoorman."TeachingandReadingtheMillenial

GenerationThroughMediaLiteracy."JournalofAdolescent&AdultLiteracy.52.6

(2009):471‐81.

Cummings,HopeM.,andElizabethA.Vandewater."RelationofAdolescentVideoGamePlay

toTimeSpentinOtherActivities."ArchivesofPediatricsandAdolescentMedicine.

161.7(2007):684‐89.

Gardner,Howard.FramesofMind:TheTheoryofMultipleIntelligences.NewYork:Basic

Books,1983.

Halpern,DianeF.,andMiltonD.Hakel."ApplyingtheScienceofLearningtotheUniversity

andBeyond:TeachingforLong‐TermRetentionandTransfer."Change.35.4(2003):

36‐41.

Howe,Neil,andWilliamStrauss.MillenialsRising:TheNextGreatGeneration.NewYork:

Vantage,2000.

Prensky,Marc."DigitalNatives,DigitalImmigrants."www.marcprensky.com.MarcPrensky,

n.d.Web.10Sep2010.<http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20‐

%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20‐%20Part1.pdf>.

Pryor,GregoryS.“UsingPopCulturetoTeachIntroductoryBiology.”TheAmericanBiology

Teacher.70.7(September2008):396,398‐99.

Ramirez,Jessica."Watches:TimeMayRunOut."Newsweek21August2006:n.pag.Web.6

Sep2010.<http://www.newsweek.com/2006/08/20/watches‐time‐may‐run‐

out.html>.



28

Rideout,VictoriaJ.,UllaG.Foehr,andDonaldF.Roberts."GenerationM2:Mediainthe

Livesof8‐to18‐year‐olds."KaiserFamilyFoundationStudyJanuary2010:Web.16

Sep2010.<http://www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/8010.pdf>.

Thornton,Stephen."From‘ScubaDiving’to‘JetSkiing’?InformationBehavior,Political

Science,andtheGoogleGeneration."JournalofPoliticalScienceEducation.6.4

(2010):353‐68.

Weis,Robert,andBrittanyC.Cerankosky."EffectsofVideo‐GameOwnershiponYoung

Boys’AcademicandBehavioralFunctioning:ARandomizedControlledStudy."

PsychologicalScience.21.(2010):463‐70.

Whitworth,Andrew.InformationObesity.NewYork:Neal‐SchumanPublishers,2009.

Willis,Judy."BuildingaBridgeFromNeurosciencetotheClassroom."PhiDeltaKappan.

89.6(2008):424‐27.

Zimbardo,Philip.YouTubeRSAAnimateTheSecretPowersofTime.Web.6Sep2010.

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3oIiH7BLmg>.

Zimbardo,PhilipG.,andJohnBoyd.TheTimeParadox:TheNewPsychologyofTimeThat

WillChangeYourLife.NewYork:FreePress,2008.




29

Submission Instructions

AtTheWesternweencouragesubmissionsforarticlesinanyofourfourareas:WesternEducator,WesternResearcher,WesternPolitics,andWesternReviews.

WesternEducator

FortheWesternEducatorwewelcomesubmissionsaboutcontroversiesandinnovationsinpoliticalscienceeducationattheundergraduateandgraduatelevels.Thesecanbearticlesthatdescribeuniqueclassroomsimulations,theincorporationofinnovativetechnologyintotheclassroom,andawidevarietyofothertopics.Weespeciallywelcomesubmissionswithafocusontopicsuniquetothewesternregion.Articlesshouldbenomorethan10pages.

WesternResearcher

FortheWesternResearcherwewelcomesubmissionsthatpresentinnovativeresearchtechniques,datasources,andreviewsofcurrenttrends.Weespeciallywelcomethosewithafocusonthewesternregion.Articlesshouldbenomorethan10pages.

WesternPolitics

FortheWesternPoliticssectionwewelcomeindividualpapersandorganizedsymposiaabouttopicalissuesofpoliticaleventsinthewesternUnitedStates,Canada,andMexico.Individualpapersshouldbenolongerthan10pages.Ifyouareinterestedaboutproposingandeditingasymposium,pleasecontacttheeditors.

WesternReviews

Pleasecontacttheeditorsifyouareinterestedinreviewingbooks.

western volume 3 issue 1 - wpsanet.org€¦ · political theory workshop at this year’s wpsa...

Documents