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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
SeeyouattheWPSAAnnualConferenceinSanAntonio,TX.
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
The Western NewsletteroftheWesternPoliticalScienceAssociation
Volume3,Issue1.Spring,2011http://www.csus.edu/org/wpsa
SeeyouattheWPSAAnnualConferenceinSanAntonio,TX.
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.
The Western NewsletteroftheWesternPoliticalScienceAssociationVolume3,Issue1.Spring,2011http://www.csus.edu/org/wpsa
SeeyouattheWPSAAnnualConferenceinSanAntonio,TX.
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
The Western NewsletteroftheWesternPoliticalScienceAssociation
Volume3,Issue1.Spring,2011http://www.csus.edu/org/wpsa
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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!
The Western NewsletteroftheWesternPoliticalScienceAssociationVolume3,Issue1.Spring,2011http://www.csus.edu/org/wpsa
SeeyouattheWPSAAnnualConferenceinSanAntonio,TX.
6
Visithttp://prq.sagepub.comtoaccessandreadarticlesliketheseatOnlineFirst:
SupportforDemocracyinIran:TheCaseofIran
GüneşMuratTezcür,TaghiAzadarmaki,MehriBahar,andHooshangNayebiServingTwoMasters:UsingReferendatoAssessPartisanversusDyadicLegislative
RepresentationSethE.MasketandHansNoel
ThePoliticalDeterminantsofWomen’sDescriptiveRepresentationinCitiesAdrienneR.Smith,BethReingold,andMichaelLeoOwens
TheDynamicsofInterestRepresentationattheU.S.SupremeCourtThomasHansford
The Western NewsletteroftheWesternPoliticalScienceAssociation
Volume3,Issue1.Spring,2011http://www.csus.edu/org/wpsa
SeeyouattheWPSAAnnualConferenceinSanAntonio,TX.
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.
The Western NewsletteroftheWesternPoliticalScienceAssociationVolume3,Issue1.Spring,2011http://www.csus.edu/org/wpsa
SeeyouattheWPSAAnnualConferenceinSanAntonio,TX.
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.
The Western NewsletteroftheWesternPoliticalScienceAssociation
Volume3,Issue1.Spring,2011http://www.csus.edu/org/wpsa
SeeyouattheWPSAAnnualConferenceinSanAntonio,TX.
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
The Western NewsletteroftheWesternPoliticalScienceAssociationVolume3,Issue1.Spring,2011http://www.csus.edu/org/wpsa
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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
The Western NewsletteroftheWesternPoliticalScienceAssociation
Volume3,Issue1.Spring,2011http://www.csus.edu/org/wpsa
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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).
The Western NewsletteroftheWesternPoliticalScienceAssociationVolume3,Issue1.Spring,2011http://www.csus.edu/org/wpsa
SeeyouattheWPSAAnnualConferenceinSanAntonio,TX.
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
The Western NewsletteroftheWesternPoliticalScienceAssociation
Volume3,Issue1.Spring,2011http://www.csus.edu/org/wpsa
SeeyouattheWPSAAnnualConferenceinSanAntonio,TX.
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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
The Western NewsletteroftheWesternPoliticalScienceAssociationVolume3,Issue1.Spring,2011http://www.csus.edu/org/wpsa
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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
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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.
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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”
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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?
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Volume3,Issue1.Spring,2011http://www.csus.edu/org/wpsa
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27
Considine,David,JulieHorton,andGaryMoorman."TeachingandReadingtheMillenial
GenerationThroughMediaLiteracy."JournalofAdolescent&AdultLiteracy.52.6
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Rideout,VictoriaJ.,UllaG.Foehr,andDonaldF.Roberts."GenerationM2:Mediainthe
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