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Strategies for enhancing learning in the “blow-off” course

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Abstract

Lower division courses are typically perceived by students as “blow-off” courses. We can overcome this image. This paper contrasts active and passivelearning environments, and describes efforts to create an active, critical learning environment in both “Introduction to Sociology” and “The Family System”-typical lower division courses in Sociology. A review of grade distributions, quantitative course evaluations, qualitative course evaluations, and a survey asking students to subjectively compare the active learning course structure to the “typical” multiple choice format provide evaluation data. Finally, the paper discusses problems in using these innovations.

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Authors
  1. Randy Stoecker
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Additional information

Randy Stoecker recently received a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Minnesota, and has been exploring alternative pedagogies since 1982. He has published in the areas of social theory and social movements. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Midwest Sociological Society Annual Meetings, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1988. Many thanks for insightful comments by Tuck Green, Ron Berger, and an anonymousInnovative Higher Education referee.

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Stoecker, R. Strategies for enhancing learning in the “blow-off” course. Innov High Educ 14, 141–153 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00889615

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