Interested in participating in an inquiry circle? If so, the following circles are seeking members.
2015-2016
Innovating the Social World: Reflections on Pedagogy in Sociology and Communication
Contact: [email protected]
The study of the social world is an ongoing, constructivist project that combines quantitative and human forms of research. As such, teaching about social systems and communication should be an interpretive project involving collaboration and strong engagement between faculty and students. Put another way, unlike natural scientists scholars of the social world are in the unique position of theorizing about the very constructs that we inhabit: “[G]rant others that occur in your construction the same autonomy you practice constructing them” (Krippendorff, 1989). We seek to form a teaching inquiry circle that focuses on parallels between pedagogy in the areas of sociology and communication and media studies, with a particular emphasis on innovation in teaching and empowering students to be critical thinkers and life-long learners. What are classroom techniques that span sociology, anthropology and communication studies? How might technology be harnessed to foster forms of learning found in these intersecting fields? In the spirit of interdisciplinary collaboration characteristic of Stetson teacher-scholars, we reserve the right to forge new connections between disciplines and “nervously work with a wordy chart” (Haraway, 1997). This exploration will benefit from examination of innovative teaching techniques. How should we as professors harness new media technologies in the classroom? What are formative and summative assessments appropriate to our connected disciplines? How can the flipped classroom best facilitate faculty/student engagement? How do the contemporary media landscape and incessant communication through technology impact classroom learning in our respective areas?
Student Resilience
Contact: [email protected]
Students at Stetson University rate traumatic life events as more difficult to handle than the national average (NCHA, 2013). While faculty and staff recognize the need to positively impact student resilience, the concept of resilience is complex. Resilience factors vary and each individual is unique; given this, it proves difficult to identify and institutionalize resilience initiatives that may improve student resilience at an individual and institutional level. In this Teaching Inquiry Circle, the primary goal is to discuss, investigate, and improve knowledge around resilience, particularly in the college student population, as well as effective techniques and initiatives to improve student resilience. Anticipated outcomes of this Teaching Inquiry Circle include: apply knowledge gained around resilience and resilience initiatives to compose a proposal for improvement of student resilience at Stetson University.