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Teaching Experimental Political Science
The teacher-scholars featured in this book explain how to spark a students natural curiosity about the world they live in by using experimental design to test basic intuition, generate and answer “what if” questions, and address real world problems that matter deeply to students, researchers, policymakers, political practitioners, and the community at large.
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Critical Acclaim
Contributors
Contents
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This insightful book delivers a wealth of innovative ideas, models, examples, and advice for teaching experimental political science in the classroom and beyond, emphasising that teaching experimental research is necessary to prepare students to succeed as researchers, practitioners, active citizens and civic leaders. It illustrates how teaching experimental methods sparks students curiosity by allowing them to ask and answer questions about the world they live in.
With a core focus on successfully engaging a diverse range of students at all levels, this book includes a variety of approaches from contributing authors who are leading scholars in their field. Chapters provide both new and experienced teachers with concrete guidance on how to: facilitate student-designed survey experiments, use workbooks and templates to overcome mathematical and writing anxiety; use mock Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviews to teach students about the ethics of experimental research; follow an apprenticeship model to teach students to carry out their own lab experiments; and train students to go out into the field. Proposed models of teaching are supported throughout by the latest empirical research on the science of learning.
Teaching Experimental Political Science will be a key resource for faculty and staff working across a variety of educational contexts including political science, international relations, international politics, domestic politics, public administration and public policy.
With a core focus on successfully engaging a diverse range of students at all levels, this book includes a variety of approaches from contributing authors who are leading scholars in their field. Chapters provide both new and experienced teachers with concrete guidance on how to: facilitate student-designed survey experiments, use workbooks and templates to overcome mathematical and writing anxiety; use mock Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviews to teach students about the ethics of experimental research; follow an apprenticeship model to teach students to carry out their own lab experiments; and train students to go out into the field. Proposed models of teaching are supported throughout by the latest empirical research on the science of learning.
Teaching Experimental Political Science will be a key resource for faculty and staff working across a variety of educational contexts including political science, international relations, international politics, domestic politics, public administration and public policy.
Critical Acclaim
‘The infectious enthusiasm with which the authors convey their teaching techniques and experiences draws the reader in, much as the hands-on pedagogy of experimental political science draws in students who might otherwise be reluctant to learn about research methods. Readers will find a wealth of innovative teaching ideas, but mainly they will be struck by the authors’ deep commitment to making political science research relevant and meaningful to students from all walks of life.’
– Donald P. Green, Columbia University, US
‘This essential volume demonstrates how to bring one of the most important developments in social science—the experimental revolution—to the classroom. While teaching and research are often thought to be at odds, this book demonstrates that they can—and should—go together. Instructors will benefit from the concrete examples and advice; their students will benefit from being taught state of the art research methods. We all will benefit from a more informed citizenry.’
– David E. Campbell, University of Notre Dame, US
– Donald P. Green, Columbia University, US
‘This essential volume demonstrates how to bring one of the most important developments in social science—the experimental revolution—to the classroom. While teaching and research are often thought to be at odds, this book demonstrates that they can—and should—go together. Instructors will benefit from the concrete examples and advice; their students will benefit from being taught state of the art research methods. We all will benefit from a more informed citizenry.’
– David E. Campbell, University of Notre Dame, US
Contributors
Contributors include: Jennifer Bachner, Elizabeth A. Bennion, Jeffrey L. Bernstein, Reagan Bijou, Angie Bos, Elaine K. Denny, Lindsay R. Dolan, Elizabeth I. Dorssom, Kim Fridkin, Manuel Gutierrez, Trudy Horsting, Debra Leiter, Eric Loepp, Christopher B. Mann, Rose McDermott, Melissa R. Michelson, Mara Ostfeld, Jonathan Rogers, Bas Van Doorn, Beth Miller Vonnahme, Alexandra M. Williams
Contents
Contents:
Introduction: innovative approaches to teaching experimental
methods in the political science classroom 1
Elizabeth A. Bennion
1 Experiments for all! Introducing freshmen to social
science research using innovative experiments 16
Debra Leiter and Beth Miller Vonnahme
2 Included and set up to succeed: an evidence-based
approach to teaching experiments in the diverse classroom 33
Elaine K. Denny and Reagan Bijou
3 Engaging students as researchers: the value of an
inquiry-based one-semester survey experiment 52
Jeffrey L. Bernstein
4 Using class-designed survey experiments to teach data
collection, analysis, and reporting protocols 66
Jennifer Bachner
5 Using templates to make survey experiments accessible to
math-anxious students 85
Eric Loepp
6 Nurturing problem-solvers: using workbooks to teach
experiments in international development 105
Lindsay R. Dolan
7 Incorporating experimental methods training into your
political science courses: a practical, topic-informed approach 124
Angie Bos and Bas van Doorn
8 From concept to implementation: engaging student
researchers in get-out-the-vote field experiments 137
Melissa R. Michelson and Mara Ostfeld
9 Train the trainer: a field experiment workshop for
graduate students and faculty 155
Elizabeth I. Dorssom
10 Teaching lab experiments using an apprenticeship model 177
Rose McDermott
11 Using mock institutional review boards to teach the ethics
of experimental research 194
Christopher B. Mann
12 When things go wrong in the lab: teaching new
experimenters to anticipate and adapt to the unexpected 212
Jonathan Rogers
13 Creating an experimental lab on your campus 226
Kim Fridkin, Manuel Gutierrez, Trudy Horsting, and
Alexandra M. Williams
Index
Introduction: innovative approaches to teaching experimental
methods in the political science classroom 1
Elizabeth A. Bennion
1 Experiments for all! Introducing freshmen to social
science research using innovative experiments 16
Debra Leiter and Beth Miller Vonnahme
2 Included and set up to succeed: an evidence-based
approach to teaching experiments in the diverse classroom 33
Elaine K. Denny and Reagan Bijou
3 Engaging students as researchers: the value of an
inquiry-based one-semester survey experiment 52
Jeffrey L. Bernstein
4 Using class-designed survey experiments to teach data
collection, analysis, and reporting protocols 66
Jennifer Bachner
5 Using templates to make survey experiments accessible to
math-anxious students 85
Eric Loepp
6 Nurturing problem-solvers: using workbooks to teach
experiments in international development 105
Lindsay R. Dolan
7 Incorporating experimental methods training into your
political science courses: a practical, topic-informed approach 124
Angie Bos and Bas van Doorn
8 From concept to implementation: engaging student
researchers in get-out-the-vote field experiments 137
Melissa R. Michelson and Mara Ostfeld
9 Train the trainer: a field experiment workshop for
graduate students and faculty 155
Elizabeth I. Dorssom
10 Teaching lab experiments using an apprenticeship model 177
Rose McDermott
11 Using mock institutional review boards to teach the ethics
of experimental research 194
Christopher B. Mann
12 When things go wrong in the lab: teaching new
experimenters to anticipate and adapt to the unexpected 212
Jonathan Rogers
13 Creating an experimental lab on your campus 226
Kim Fridkin, Manuel Gutierrez, Trudy Horsting, and
Alexandra M. Williams
Index
