“City Council Meetings Are Cool”: Increasing Student Civic Engagement Through Service Learning

Abstract

This article examines the growing body of literature on service learning as a pedagogical tool within political science. It also reports the results of a service learning experiment used in a course on State and Local Politics. Students completed service learning projects that combined community service, attendance at local political meetings (i.e., city council or school board meetings), and interviews with elected officials. The students reflected on their experiences through written papers, oral presentations, and an evaluation of the service learning experience. The vignettes presented in this article highlight the potential benefits of incorporating service learning into political science courses, including enhanced civic engagement and understanding of the policymaking process. Assessment of these learning outcomes was based on the content and quality of the written and oral presentations, student self-evaluations, and a pretest=posttest. The model used in this course is easy to adapt to any political science course, offering a useful tool to promote active learning outside the classroom experience.

‘Vegelate’ and Greece: Teaching the EU through Simulations

“…However, the relationship between student engagement and student success in the classroom has been well documented and the discipline of political science has begun to emphasize the importance of engaging students through active learning (Blount, 2006;Elder et al, 2007;Hunter and Brisbin Jr., 2000;Kirlin, 2002;Perry and Wilkenfeld, 2006;Van Assendelft, 2008). Even though some researchers have noted that they may not be effective (Kille, 2002;Prince, 2004;Rochester, 2003), or that they need to be better assessed (Grosen and Washbush, 2004), the twin goals of engagement and knowledge acquisition are central to explaining the usefulness of simulations in the political science classroom (Caruson, 2005;Smith and Boyer, 1996;Wakelee, 2008), However, Frederking (2005, as well as Shellman and Turan (2006), have argued that active learning through simulations enhanced student learning and noted that their courses student learning outcomes were met and the students gained knowledge of key theories and concepts of international relations.…”

Course-Based Research: A Vehicle for Broadening Access to Undergraduate Research in the Twenty-First Century

“…The political disengagement of young adults is a wellknown and much-discussed issue, and some practitioners contend that educators can (and should) counter this trend by providing students with learning opportunities that impart the skills, knowledge, and values required by active citizenship (Ferman 2012). Incorporating community-based research into a course, which can increase civic engagement and improve student understanding of complex policy issues (Assendelft 2008), is one way to address this concern.…”

Civic Engagement in the Capstone: The “State of the Community” Event

“…Political scientists face a special challenge in educating engaged citizens in that we often are expected to address this topic at both the basic level (suitable for general-education courses) and at a more advanced level (suitable for our majors). Previous research suggests that courses presenting local-government, civic-engagement, or community-based learning opportunities can be effective in helping students to better understand the roles of local governments and the duties of informed citizens (Jackman 2012; van Assendelft 2008). This article suggests that the senior-capstone course is an excellent point at which to emphasize the importance of civic engagement and civic literacy that is meaningful to our majors as they transition from the classroom to careers.…”