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Soc 550: Practicum for Integrating Research and Instruction
Lee Clarke
Fall 2006
Class meets: Mondays 9:50-12:30, A-256 Lucy Stone Hall
Office: 732.445.5741
lee@leeclarke.com
Rationale for the course:
The purpose of this course is to better teaching and scholarship. The course is practically
oriented, but meaningful academic knowledge is practical. So it is both. To be effective, the
course must be the result of group effort and mutual trust so that we can constructively analyze
each other’s work, offering helpful suggestions along the way. So the course is a seminar, and the
norms and expectations will be set accordingly.
My goals for the course:

To thoroughly cover issues of time and knowledge management so that a proper balance
may be truck between teaching and scholarly responsibilities.

To critically examine issues regarding classroom organization, leadership in the
classroom, and the place of instruction in modern academia.

To catalogue and assess a range of techniques for enhancing teaching effectiveness,
particularly with respect to fostering a sociological imagination in both instructor and
student.

To create a full syllabus for a course that can be used beyond this class.

To create an “invisible college” among course members, a collective resource upon which
students can draw during, and after, the course.
Requirements:
Pedagogical Discussions
We will spend some time talking about pedagogical issues. The list of readings will serve as the
foundation for each week’s discussion. Everybody has to read everything, so informed discussion
will ensue. Although the list looks long, almost all of the readings are quite short.
Practice Sessions
We will spend some time doing practice lectures. These will be 20 or 30 minutes long, on topics
you choose. The class will review, critique, and compliment these sessions immediately after.
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We’ll set up the organization on the first day of class.
Assignments
I want you to construct some detailed material for a course. This will include:
1. A complete syllabus.
2. A few position papers, for circulation to the class. On the days that these are due—noted
below (and in red for the web-based version)—you should send these around to everyone in
the class, including me of course. We will establish a mailing list on the first day of class.
3. Outlines for a full set of lectures/sessions. A “set” means material for one week of a course,
or 2 lectures. There should be no overlap; e.g. no two topics on socialization, or culture, or
whatever. These materials should include goal statements, written lectures (someone else
should be able to use the material you put together), materials used, test items, suggested
readings, etc.
NB: We’ll do quite a bit of organizing, and possibly re-organizing, on the first day.
Evaluation
I will evaluate you on the extent and quality of class participation and the quality of the written
assignments. I will not grade you on your performance in the practice sessions (unless you don’t
do them at all).
Deadlines
We’ll do our best to start class on time, so please be there when you’re supposed to. The other
deadline is for your written materials. The deadlines, and descriptions, for the position papers are
in the syllabus. You should send the lectures and syllabus to me, and everyone in the class, no
later than 17 December 2006.
To Buy
Davis, B. G. (1993). Tools for Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. (412 pages)
Isbn: 1555425682
Should be at the Livingston bookstore; certainly available from Amazon.
Schedule and Readings for Discussions (all of these readings will be available on reserve)
BHD=Barbara Gross Davis, Tools for Teaching.
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NB: I can’t be in class on September 18. We will reorganize to cover that day on the first day of
class.
1. Themes of the class, organize the rest of the semester. September 11.
2. Preparing for class. Also, the fear and loathing, and ecstatic joy, of public speaking.
September 25
A teaching champion: An interview with Howard Aldrich, of UNC-Chapel Hill. This will
serve as an introduction to several issues, especially problems of tradeoffs, and
complements, between teaching and research.
BHD, Ch 1.
Daniel F. Chambliss, Doing What Works: On the Mundanity of Excellence in Teaching,
Pp. 422-434 in The Social Worlds of Higher Education, Bernice A. Pescosolido &
Ronald Aminzade, editors, Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press, 1999.
How wonderful teaching can be, and how hard to organize and do well.
Barbara Ehrenreich, Public Freaking, Ms. Sept 1989.
Paul Edwards, How to give an academic talk.
Anon, How to give a bad (good) talk
Elizabeth Bobrick, Ivory Tower Fear, Salon.
Tad Simons, Scared speechless, presentations.com, 3m company
Wilbert McKeachie, Ch. 1, “Introduction”; Ch. 2 “Countdown for course preparation”;
Ch. 3 “Meeting a class for the first time”
Jeffrey Wolcowitz, The First Day of Class, in The Art and Craft of Teaching, Margaret
M. Gullette, Editor, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1984.
Langevin, Six icebreakers.
3. Goals Of Instruction, And Of Sociological Instruction. October 2
Exercise due: What kind of undergraduate student was I? This should be no more than 2
pages. Evaluate yourself in terms of your work habits, and the amount and quality of time
you spent reading and writing. Give yourself an overall grade for your performance as an
undergraduate, and justify that grade. Spend at the last ½ of the exercise making concrete
suggestions about what your institutions and teachers could have done to facilitate more
effective learning.
Charles Goldsmid and Everett Wilson, Passing on Sociology, Part II.
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Diane F. Halpern and Milton D. Hakel. 2003. “Applying the Science of Learning to the
University and Beyond." Change (July/August): 36-41.
4. The Introductory Course. October 9
Kenneth Westhues, “Transcending the Textbook World,” Teaching Sociology, 1991,
19(1): 87-92.
Wilbert McKeachie, Ch. 18, “Teaching large classes.”
Phillip Zimbardo’s Teaching Tips.
Frank J. Kohout, “The First Course in Sociology,” Teaching Sociology, 1977, 5(1):37-48.
Paul Baker, “Mass Instruction in Sociology: On the Domestication of a Pedagogical
Monster,” Teaching Sociology, 1976, 4(1):5-28.
Kenneth E. Eble, “Texts,” in The Craft of Teaching, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1988.
“Classroom behavior contract”
5. Style In The Classroom. October 16
Wilbert McKeachie, Ch. 23, “Teaching students how to learn”
Wilbert McKeachie, Ch. 24, “Teaching thinking”
Wilbert McKeachie, Ch. 9, “Motivation in the classroom”
Joseph Axelrod, “Didactic and Evocative Teaching Modes” and “Portraits of Evocative
Teachers,” in The University Teacher as Artist, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1973.
David Raney, Whose authority? Learning and active resistance, College Teaching, 51(3)
“Instructor Communication Habits: Confrontation and Challenge,” in Communicating in
College Classrooms, Jean M. Civikly, Editor, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1986.
Janis Andersen, “Instructor Nonverbal Communication: Listening to Our Silent
Messages,” in Communicating in College Classrooms, Jean M. Civikly, Editor, San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1986.
Langevin, Style Tips.
James Lang, Looking Like a Professor, Chronicle of Higher Education, July 27, 2005.
Exercise due: Review the materials for my intro class, which you’ll find at leeclarke.com.
What is good, what isn’t? What would you do differently? Again, no more than 2 pages.
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6. Lectures. October 23
BGD, Ch. 4
Wilbert McKeachie, Ch. 5, “How to make lectures more effective”
Jay Parini, The Well Tempered Lecturer, Chronicle of Higher Education, January 16,
2004.
Joel Geske, “Overcoming the drawbacks of the large lecture class,” College Teaching,
40(4);151-154.
“Making Classes Work” and “The Lecture as Discourse,” in The Craft of Teaching,
Kenneth E. Eble, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1988.
Heather Dubrow and James Wilkinson, “The Theory and Practice of Lectures,” in The
Art and Craft of Teaching, Margaret M. Gullette, Editor, Cambridge: Harvard University
Press, 1984.
William E. Cashin, “Improving Lectures.”
Peter J. Frederick, “The Lively Lecture--8 Variations.”
7. Discussion & Thinking. October 30
BGD, Ch 2, Ch 3.
Maryellen Weimer. 1998. "Participation Problems: A Solution?" The Teaching
Professor, 12, 2 ( February): 4-5.
Clive Gilson. 1994. “Of Dinosaurs and Sacred Cows: The Grading of Classroom
Participation.” Journal of Management Education, 18, 2 (May): 227-236.
Elizabeth Grauerholz. 1991. "This is Jeopardy! How to Make Preparation for
Examinations Fun and Challenging," Teaching Sociology, 19 (October): 495-497.
Wilbert McKeachie, Ch. 4, “Facilitating Discussion.”
Wilbert McKeachie, Ch. 14, “Reading as active learning.”
Gregory Bassham and Henry Nardone. 1997. “Using the Film JFK to Teach Critical
Thinking,” College Teaching, 45, 1: 10-13.
Kenneth E. Eble, “Getting Students to Think” and “Discussion,” in The Craft of
Teaching, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1988.
Thomas P. Kasulis, “Questioning,” in The Art and Craft of Teaching, Margaret M.
Gullette, Editor, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1984.
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William E. Cashin and Philip C. McNight, “Improving Discussions.”
Peter Frederick, “The Dreaded Discussion: Ten Ways to Start.”
8. Writing & Thinking. November 6
BGD, Ch 7 (Ch 6 skim)
Wilbert McKeachie, Ch. 13, “Teaching students to learn through writing.”
Howard Gabennesch, Critical Thinking: What is it Good for? (In fact, what is it?),
Skeptical Inquirer Magazine, March 2006.
Christopher M. Jedrey, “Teaching Essay-Writing in a Liberal Arts Curriculum,” in The
Art and Craft of Teaching, Margaret M. Gullette, Editor, Cambridge: Harvard University
Press, 1984.
Mervyn L. Cadwallader and C. Allen Scarboro, “Teaching Writing within a Sociology
Course,” Teaching Sociology, 1982, 9(4):359-382.
Frederick Gardner and Gladys Abraham, “A Grading Procedure for Student Writing,”
Teaching Sociology, 1978, 6(1):31-35.
First part of major assignment due. 1st draft of your syllabus; 1st draft of lectures.
9. Innovations: technology, exercises, etc. November 13
BGD, skim Ch. 9
Wilbert McKeachie, Ch. 17, Technology and Teaching
Theodore D. Fuller, 1998. “Using Computer Assignments to Promote Active Learning
in the Undergraduate Social Problems Course.” Teaching Sociology 26: 215-221.
James W. Loewen, “Introductory Sociology: Four Classroom Exercises,” Teaching
Sociology, 1979, 6(3):221-244.
Wilbert McKeachie, Ch. 15, “Active learning.”
Wilbert McKeachie, Ch. 16, “Problem-based learning.”
Howard Aldrich, Learning from my students.
Tami Eggleston and Gabie Smith, Ending your course, American Psychological Society.
University of Nebraska, Teaching students to take better notes.
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Narendra Nath Kalia, “The Sociological Book Review,” Teaching Sociology, 1984,
11(2):213-217.
Robert A. Keller, “Teaching from the Journals, Teaching Sociology, 1982, 9(4):407-409.
10. Cooperative Learning & Classroom Exercises. November 20.
BGD, Ch. 5
Robert Woodberry and Howard Aldrich, Planning and Running Effective ClassroomBased Exercises,
Ellen Sarkisian, “Working in Groups: A Note to Faculty and a Quick Guide for
Students.” And associated one-page handouts, Marianne Cutler et al.
Karl Smith, "Structured Controversies."
Gina Petonito. 1991. "Fostering Peer Learning in the College Classroom." Teaching
Sociology, 19 (October): 498-501.
Debra J. Mesch. 1991. "The Jigsaw Technique: A Way to Establish Individual
Accountability in Group Work." Management Education, 15 (August): 355-358.
Stephen Sweet. 1998. "More Strategies to Improve Student Team Projects," The
Teaching Professor, 12, 9 (November): 5.
Maryellen Weimer. 1997. "Power: The Real Impediment to Using Group Work,"
Cooperative Learning and College Teaching, 8, 2 (Winter): 2-5.
Additional materials on gaming, if you’re inclined in that way (optional)
Neubeck, Economic Inequality and Cultural Values; a game
Orum, On teaching social theory to undergraduates; unconventional thoughts.
Harrod, Social Dilemma: a teaching game; Sturgis, Conversations with theorists: an
innovative approach to teaching social theory; Stimson, Using the ‘who am i?’ test to
teach the logic of four fold tables – these are all in one pdf file, but not for logical
reasons; they just happened to be together when I scanned them
Greenblat, Guide for running gaming simulations
Powers, The commons game: teaching students about social dilemmas
Dorn, Simulation games: one more tool on the pedagogical shelf, Teaching Sociology,
1989, 17:1-18.
Exercise Due: Short paper on one thing you do in the classroom that should be reevaluated. Lay out the goal, the issue, and a possible solution. Short paper on one thing
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you do REALLY WELL in the classroom. Lay out goal and the method and be prepared
to share it with the class.
11. Student Evaluation. November 27
BGD, Ch 8
Jeremy Freese, Julie Artis, and Brian Powell. 1999. "Now I Know My ABC's:
Demythologizing Grade Inflation." Pages 185-94 in The Social Worlds of Higher
Education, Bernice A. Pescosolido and Ron Aminzade (eds.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine
Forge Press.
Michael Gordon, When Bs are Better, Chronicle of Higher Education, 2006, August 11,
2006.
Scott Smallwood, College Fires 2 Professors Who Defied Grading Policy Based on
Student Effort, Not Learning, Chronicle of Higher Education, August 23, 2004.
David Basinger. 1997. “Fighting Grade Inflation: A Misguided Effort?” College
Teaching, Vol. 45, No. 3 (Summer): 88-91.
Wilbert McKeachie, Ch. 6, “Assessing, testing, and evaluating”; Ch. 8, “The ABC’s of
assigning grades”
Howard Aldrich, How to hand exams back to your class, College Teaching.
Jill Carroll, On grading papers expeditiously, Chronicle of Higher Education.
Kenneth E. Eble, “Assignments,” “Tests,” “Grades,” in The Craft of Teaching, San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1988.
Ron Miller and Rita Seiden Miller, “The Student's Sociological Diary,” Teaching
Sociology, 1976, 4(1):67-82.
Victoria L. Clegg and William E. Cashin, “Improving Multiple-Choice Tests,” in
Training Teaching Assistants, American Sociological Association.
Christopher M. Jedrey, “Grading and evaluation,” Chapter 8 in The Art and Craft of
Teaching, Margaret M. Gullette, Editor, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1984.
William E. Cashin, “Improving Essay Tests.”
12. Instructor evaluation. December 4
BGD, Ch. 10
Evaluation form – pdf form
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Goldsmid and Wilson, Chapter 14.
Elizabeth Rorschach and Robert Whitney, “Relearning to Teach: Peer Observation as a
Means of Professional Development,” American Educator, 1986, Winter:38-44.
Recommended:
Evaluating Teaching Effectiveness, Larry A. Braskamp, Dale C. Brandenburg, and John
C. Ory, Beverly Hills: Sage Publications, 1984. There’s a lot more content in this little
book than the title indicates.
Exercise due. Characterize Rutgers undergraduates. What their strengths, weaknesses?
What could they do to contribute to a more fulfilling, effective learning experience? What
can you do to help them achieve that?
13. Problems In And Of The Classroom. December 11
Berube, Standards of Reason in the Classroom, Chronicle of Higher Education.
a. Disruptive students
McKeachie, Ch. 11, “Problem Students.”
McKeachie, Ch. 12, “Counseling, Advising, and Education.”
Steven Meyers, "Strategies to Prevent and Reduce Conflict in College Classrooms."
College Teaching, Vol. 51, No. 3, pp 94-98.
David Arch, How to Gracefully Handle those Pesky Hecklers
Jill Carroll, Dealing with Nasty Students, Chronicle of Higher Education, April 28, 2003.
Thomas Benton, When our students don’t respect us, Chronicle of Higher Education, Jan
5, 2004.
John C. Condon, “The Ethnocentric Classroom,” in Communicating in College
Classrooms, Jean M. Civikly, Editor, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1986.
Joyce L. Hocker, “Teacher-Student Confrontations,” in Communicating in College
Classrooms, Jean M. Civikly, Editor, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1986.
Kenneth E. Eble, “Cheating, Confrontations, and Other Situations,” in The Craft of
Teaching, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1988.
“Ideology and Controversy in the Classroom,” Richard Wright, Editor, Quarterly Journal
of Ideology, 1985, (9)4, Read the following:
o Chapter 1 through 3
o John Broderick, Ideology and debates in the classroom.
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o Jack Dash Harris and James L. Spates, On teaching sociology as a moral
discipline.
b. ISMs (ours and theirs)
Stanley Fish, Conspiracy Theories 101, NY Times, July 23, 2006.
Wilbert McKeachie, Ch. 26, “Ethics in college teaching”
Wilbert McKeachie, Ch. 10, “Valuing student differences”
Wilbert McKeachie, Ch. 25, “Teaching values”
c. Cheating
Wilbert McKeachie, Ch. 7, “What to do about cheating”
TAMU’s page on proper citation:
http://library.tamu.edu/vgn/portal/tamulib/content/renderer/footer/0,2876,1724_1001646,00.html
Rutgers policy on academic integrity
http://teachx.rutgers.edu/integrity/policy.html
Rebecca Moore Howard, Forget about policing plagiarism, Chronicle of Higher
Education, November 16, 2001.
Recommended:
Michael Moore (no, not that one), Cheating 101: The benefits and fundamentals of
earning the easy A. This 50 page document details cheating methods. Some of the
methods are probably out of date, because of the advent of electronics. Still useful,
however.