Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: I have been placing students in political internships for over 25 years – first undergraduates, and more recently masters students. During that time I have seen experiential education grow more popular; but as it has done so, it has also come to be seen more and more as a way of encouraging citizenship, broadening students’ experience, and giving them practical training.

Those objectives are worthwhile, but I believe we need more emphasis on experiential education as a way to teach basic political science – from such basic concepts as power, authority, and legitimacy, to more subfield-specific such as the conditions determining the relative power of party and committee leaders in a legislative body. Therefore I am submitting this proposal under the pedagogy theme, rather than as civic education, service learning,

Educational theorists from John Dewey to David Kolb have argued that while some students learn best when they begin with theoretical abstractions and then work out their applications to the world of experience, others do best with just the opposite approach: first experiencing the world, then processing that experience into theoretical abstractions.

My presentation showed how political science can be taught experientially, using the methods I developed (with help from many others) for the undergraduate political science internship at Suffolk University. Elements covered include:
• Student journals – how to instruct students, what to get out of them, how to interact with students about them
• Reading assignments – what sort of reading to look for, what objectives are possible
• Internship seminars – their purpose, how to conduct them, why they are needed
• Site visits – why you should do them, what you learn from them
• The instructor’s role
• Evaluation – what does a grade mean? What do you evaluate? Alternative methods of evaluation

Publication Type: Poster
Abstract: Findings from a collaborative study designed to incorporate ideologies of reflective practice from social work and special education to teach interviewing skills using streaming-video and role-plays will be shared.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Paper describes the impact of a partnership program between a School of Education and a number of community organizations on participating teachers choice of classroom pedagogy.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This paper examines (a) pre-service teacher outcomes associated with experiential learning in domestic and international settings and (b) pre-service vs. experienced teacher outcomes associated with experiential learning in international settings.

Publication Type: Abstract
Abstract: Objectives: Develop a system to capture, organize, archive and retrieve PEPSIG questions and responses; create a mentor program to link novice experiential personnel with expertise among PEPSIG members.

Methods: A committee of experiential program directors was convened to strategize on methods to develop a web-based “Ask the Expert” resource and a Mentor Program. To create the “Ask the Expert” resource, a process will be developed to capture, archive and retrieve PEPSIG questions. A form will be developed to categorize questions, capture contact information, response date, response and any attachments. To create the Mentor Program, methods to identify mentors, methods to specify mentor qualifications and disseminate information to PEPSIG members will be developed. Committee members will create a mentor signup form and determine mentor criteria such as providing a brief biosketch, indicating years of experience, highlighting accomplishments/areas of expertise, describing reasons for wanting to be a mentor, and providing preferred method of contact. Using web-based technology, the Mentor Program would provide access to the mentor’s information to facilitate appropriate alignment with the mentee’s developmental needs. Mentors and mentees will be surveyed in one year to assess effectiveness of the program.

Results: The complete processes for the “Ask the Expert” resource and the Mentor Program will be described.

Implications: These programs should facilitate novice transitions, improve communication, promote collaboration, foster innovation, facilitate program development and advancements in experiential education, and increase professional satisfaction.