Resources

Sociological look at religious belief and practices among college students

"How . . . do we represent religious experience, in all of its various forms from apostasy to rapture, in ways that remain faithful to the rules of careful historical scholarship, but without inadvertently denigrating the experience as such by making it seem subordinate to other goals?"

This teaching piece first invites the instructor to consider four criteria when planning a small-group discussion (class size, type of class, instructor preparedness, size of groups). Then, it briefly describes a great many variations on the small-group discussion, such as the jigsaw, the KWL, the fishbowl, the buzz group, the snowball, and several others. This lesson gives the instructor a solid start on a great many kinds of discussion activities.

This brief, practical guide lists common problems with leading effective small groups, then techniques for better facilitation. Then, it describes several variations on small group discussion: the fishbowl, the snowball group, the "group round," and others. A great resource for the instructor trying to enhance her "group discussion" repertoire.

An early review of Barbara Walvoords’ study showing a "great divide" in the introductory religious-studies classroom, especially at schools with a religious affiliation: While instructors want to prioritize the development of critical thinking, students want discussion that will develop their own religious beliefs and their moral & ethical values. (This is less true at secular colleges, where students are more on board with putting critical thinking first.)

From the Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching comes this deceptively brief help on case studies. The features of a good case study are described, then a series of bullets serve as an exceedingly practical "check list" for the instructor generating her first case studies for class use.

This Boston University Center for Excellence & Innovation in Teaching article describes the elements of a proper case study, its advantages for learning, guidelines for using case studies in class, and select additional online resources.

This Times Higher Education piece introduces the "case study" as a learning activity. A bit choppy in its prose, the piece nonetheless offers a solid introduction to case studies. Includes reasons why they are valuable, a framework for the activity (motivation, exploration, analysis toward deeper understanding), instructions for preparation, and the attention to the use of case studies in examinations.

Video. A lengthy You Tube video (1 hour), and dated 2008, but still relevant. Cultural anthropologist Michael Wesch discusses "media literacy" as a site of ongoing struggle and professional development for an instructor in higher education. If our students come to us unprepared for school, does that mean they are unprepared for learning? Is the problem with them, or with school? Have we taught learners the wrong things about learning?