Government Portfolio

Department of Government

Teaching and Learning

The Government Department’s faculty employ a range of teaching strategies and provide a variety of learning environments for students across our curriculum. Our learning expectations include an emphasis on students’ being grounded in a body of substantive knowledge, broad exposure to which requires reading, explication of theories and concepts, and discussion about this material. The most widely used classroom teaching strategy remains what is variously called “interactive direct instruction” or a combination of lecture and student discussion and interaction. Government majors are accustomed to being required to do a reasonably substantial amount of critical reading and faculty expect students will come to class prepared to discuss the readings with each other and relate them to their overall study of the subject of the course. Sometimes, this expectation is not fully met.

To buttress this basic classroom technique, other ancillary strategies are used. Virtually all Government department faculty use media enhanced teaching strategies insofar as we direct students to the use of the World Wide Web to undertake research for assignments in our courses. Some of us make extensive use of computer technology, for example using power point to summarize and present important material to students in the classroom. Most of us use e-mail to communicate with students and invite their questions; several courses will include the use of a list proc with the students, either requiring or permitting them to raise questions and seek answers and discuss issues with the professor and each other outside the formal classroom setting. Some of our faculty have websites for their courses, which will include links to various sources for assigned and recommended reading. For example, Professor Robert Friedman has an individual home page through which students can gain access to comprehensive information about his courses. Each course site includes requirements, questions to guide assigned reading and other materials. Professor William Dorman established a “blog” for his Govt. 134, War, Peace and the Mass Media in spring, 2003, at warmedia.blogspot.com. On this website he posts numerous articles from the contemporary press about the Iraqi war. The use of these strategies not only enhances learning about the substance of what students are studying, it also strengthens their own skills with respect to the uses of technology. Most of them will find these skills a requisite for whatever career they may wish to pursue. While employing the vast resources of the Internet, however, we also take care to prepare our students to evaluate critically the sources they may be consulting via the World Wide Web.

The Model United Nations course is the major example in our curriculum of the use of simulations as a teaching strategy. Others have used this strategy in the past, for example in Govt. 153, a simulation of a Constitutional convention has been used to address issues of the structure of the presidency and ways it might be reformed, and in Govt. 155, a simulation of the legislative process in the House of Representatives has been used several times.

Numerous faculty employ collaborative learning techniques or group assignments that require students to work together or consult together in class. In some courses (Professor Kim Nalder’s Govt. 157, Politics, Opinion and Participation, is an example), students work in teams of two or more to complete a project for the course. Such projects often involve a required presentation to the class, thus helping us accomplish learning expectations that students be able to make effective oral presentations of their ideas. In Govt. 136, International Political Economy, Professor Cannon assigns particular readings and then organizes students into groups of three to write responses to questions based on the readings. The class then discusses the questions and the student groups’ responses. In Govt. 134, War, Peace and the Mass Media and Govt. 135, American Foreign Policy, Professor Dorman uses small group work to focus on key concepts, thus helping students learn to identify and carefully define important ideas and concepts and practice presenting these to each other. Professor Richard Hughes has used collaborative learning groups in his courses for twenty-five years. In Govt. 143, Global Politics, for example, he divides the class into groups (both in the web-based distance learning course and the regular classroom course) and assigns each group a region of the world and identifies a contemporary problem within that region. The students work together to develop their expertise in that region and on that problem and make presentations to the class and write twenty-five page research papers on the results of their research. In Govt. 170, Public Policy Development, Professor Cox assigns students to write a research paper on an issue of policy and also engage in debates on different policy issues, both of which activities promote their writing and presentation skills as well as give them opportunities to collaborate with peers. There are literally too many examples of these strategies to detail here; see the accompanying chart for other examples.

Service learning as a teaching strategy integrated into a course is a relatively new development in our department. In Govt. 184, Introduction to Urban Politics, Professor Stan Oden used this strategy for students who were able to volunteer up to four hours per week in a community setting. One student worked with the Carmichael Community Action Planning Group, focusing on issues of public safety. Other students worked with the Sacramento Neighborhood Services Department in Area 4, assisting the department in neighborhood association development. Our political internship program is in fact another form of “service learning” as students are placed in unpaid internships in government settings, for example the state legislature or offices in the executive branch of California government, or with organizations or associations that lobby the legislature. They may also serve an internship with a political party or in a political or ballot measure campaign. In these settings students learn, through direct participation and observation, about some aspect of the governmental process, depending on the site of their service learning or internship. At the same time, they have opportunities to develop, practice and improve their academic skills (writing, listening, speaking) as well as their skills of analysis through the collection and organization of information, the use of professional research tools and other related activities. They gain practice in assessing, weighing and applying evidence when making arguments, and see how officeholders and others
involved in the governmental/political process use these skills. As well, in both service learning settings and internships, our students provide valuable service to the program or office where they work.

In sum, Government Department faculty employ a rich array of strategies, both in and out of the classroom, to promote students’ learning and to help them meet our expectations for their learning.

Teaching Strategies
Some samples from the curriculum

Subfield	Course	Teaching Strategies
Political Theory	Govt. 110, Political Thought I	Interactive direct instruction; student questions and discussions. Writing of analytic papers.
	Govt. 111, Political Thought II	Interactive direct instruction; student questions and discussion. Writing of analytic papers.
	Govt. 112, Current Political Thought	Interactive direct instruction. Two discussion questions for each class day posted on course website. Students enter class and sign up to participate in a peer discussion group for one of these questions. Discussion for 15 minutes. Two of these groups (one for each of the questions) then present to class how they answered question and respond to professor's questions regarding the topic. Others in class contribute from their own discussions.
	Govt. 116, Paths to Freedom	Same strategies as above in Govt. 112.
American Politics	Govt. 170, Public Policy Development	Interactive direct instruction. Collaborative learning where students engage in debates on issues of policy. Writing of research papers that focus on a policy issue.
	Govt. 153, American Presidency	Interactive direct instruction. Collaborative learning where students work in small groups to address specific questions related to readings and lecture. Students write three papers on questions relating to study of the presidency.
	Govt. 156, Pressure Groups and Lobbying	Interactive direct instruction. Students encouraged to form project groups for research, oral presentation and writing of the term paper, which investigates a policy issue through the viewpoints of competing interest groups.
	Govt. 157, Politics, Opinion and Participation	Interactive direct instruction. Small group work in class (e.g. analyze a poll or construct a battery of questions and class as whole then compares, contrasts results). Teams of students complete major project and make class presentation. Students encouraged to make multi-media presentations.
	Govt. 180, California State and Local Government	Interactive direct instruction. Students are required to evaluate the efficacy of California 's political structure and processes in meeting the state's 21 st century challenges through in-class discussion and papers.
	Govt. 184, Introduction to Urban Politics	Interactive direct instruction. Service learning option for students to volunteer in a community-based organization for up to four hours a week.
	Govt. 195, Political Internship	Active learning in field placements within units of government, primarily state but sometimes local or federal, or with political parties or individual campaigns. Students confer with faculty coordinator and reflect on their experiences; they write papers reflecting their learning and observations.
International & Comparative Politics	Govt. 130, International Politics	Interactive direct instruction. Media enhanced instruction with use of power point and overhead transparencies. Collaborative learning, with small group assignments.
	Govt. 131, International Organizations	Interactive direct instruction. Small groups write a report together and give oral presentation to class. Powerpoint used for some lecture material; use of Internet in class presentation for examples such as going to web pages for United Nations or Campaign to Ban Landmines or other examples of international organizations.
	Govt. 132, War and Peace in Nuclear Age	Interactive direct instruction. Media enhanced instruction with use of films and videotapes.
	Govt. 134, War, Peace and Mass Media	Interactive direct instruction. Small group work focused on key concepts. Groups asked to define a concept, devising a set of characteristics in rank order of importance and write a definition. Results charted on overhead during “all class” discussion. “Free forum” at beginning of each class session offers students opportunity to bring up any issue.
	Govt. 135, American Foreign Policy	Interactive direct instruction. “Card work” requires students to respond at class's end to a prompt involving lecture material; helps clarify understanding and learning “gaps” which are then addressed by professor. “Free forum” as described above for Govt. 134.
	Govt. 136, International Political Economy	Interactive direct instruction. Collaborative learning where students in groups of three write responses to questions based on reading assignment. Class then discusses the questions and groups' responses.
	Govt. 137, Nationalism	Interactive direct instruction. Media enhanced instruction with use of Powerpoint to summarize and present material. Collaborative learning with small group exercises. “Classroom Preparation Work” assignments require students to address specific questions at issue in the course, e.g. why does this scholar argue for a bi-polar world over a multi polar world?
	Govt. 138, U.N. Simulation	Active simulation involving students in taking the role of a country within the United Nations. Collaborative learning, as groups of students do
	Govt. 138, U.N. Simulation (continued)	research on issues and develop and present positions. Media enhanced instruction as students use internet resources to research issues.
	Govt. 143, Global Politics	Interactive direct instruction in regular classroom. Web-based instruction in distance learning option. Collaborative group learning where students are put into groups to develop more expertise in a region of the world and on a contemporary problem within that region, e.g. Middle East, Russia and Slavic Europe, Asia, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, etc. Groups present oral report or web presentation on results of their research and write major paper incorporating critiques of their presentations.
	Govt. 147, Government and Politics in Latin America	Interactive direct instruction using Powerpoint and overheads. Use of Internet in class for maps of the region and news. Small groups undertake focused discussions and collaborative work.
Public Law	Govt. 120A, Constitutional Law	Interactive direct instruction with students studying Supreme Court cases and closely dissecting arguments regarding points of Constitutional law.
	Govt. 120B, Rights and Liberties	Same as above. Essay examinations present students with a hypothetical case before the Supreme Court that includes a set of facts and issues; students must write the Court's decision.
	Govt. 123, Elements of Law	Interactive direct instruction. Research papers and regular essays with written instructor feedback and extensive required revisions in response to detailed comments. Use of Internet for student-initiated research.
	Govt. 125, Politics of Justice	Interactive direct instruction. Collaborative learning as students in small groups debate assigned topics in class. Debate groups also respond to questions from professor, which further explore the issues under discussion.
	Govt. 126, Politics and Lawyers	Interactive direct instruction. Role-playing involving controversial topics. Sequentially submitted drafts of major research papers with detailed review and feedback for faculty member. Extensive use of both Internet and conventional library resources.
	Govt. 127, International Law	Interactive direct instruction. Role-playing involving controversial topics in international law. Students select topic for research paper involving international conflict; student presentations and critiques of research results. Extensive use of Internet to access the most current resources.