My artifact is an overall course redesign based on the process of “working backwards” from revised learning goals. First, I revised the learning goals slightly since the first draft to clarify and to make the work more reasonable for a short Winter intercession. Working backwards, I’m now thinking about the projects and assessments I’ll use during each module to measure these goals. I’ve also established a rhythm for synchronous and asynchronous work.
I need to finish planning the third module, and lastly I’ll figure out “what I’m doing and assigning” so students can meet those goals.
Course Learning Goals
- By the end of this course, students will gain skills to describe, understand, and discuss the scope and degree of inequality in the United States. Students will be able to
- Locate, access, and understand contemporary Sociological data about inequality produced by researchers and institutions in the U.S.
- Recognize and analyze stratification associated with race, gender, sexuality, and other identities, statuses, and roles from an intersectional perspective.
- Analyze contemporary issues of inequality as discussed in the media and in relation to their everyday lives using the Sociological imagination.
- Use these ideas and concepts to make an informed argument about inequality, social mobility, and democracy in capitalist societies.
- Students will gain an understanding of key areas of inquiry in the Sociology of Inequality, and will be able to deploy the ideas and vocabulary developed in this class to analyze inequality in the U.S. These areas include
- The Individual attributes and the structural approach to understanding and explaining inequality and the use of the Sociological imagination in analyzing and explaining our experiences, identities, and worldviews.
- Racial capitalism and its relationship to contemporary forms of inequality.
- Class power and the relational and dynamic view of class, social mobility, and democracy in capitalist societies.
- Social movements against inequality from an intersectional perspective.
Synch Mon,Tues, Fri
Asynch Wed, Thurs
Course Modules
Course Introduction and Introduction to Inequality
Jan 3-7
Goals: 1,2,A
This module will include
- Wealth inequality guessing game. Students will estimate the wealth distribution in the U.S. and compare their estimates to data.
- Short in-class exploration and research assignments using Social Explorer designed to introduce students to mapping inequality, give them the opportunity to learn and explore the software, and to introduce them to the scope and degree of inequality in the U.S.
- Small research projects exploring and describing stratification in the labor market re: race and gender according to published data and reports.
- Sociological Imagination exercise
Capitalism, Class, and Democracy
Jan 10-14
Goals 3,4,A,B,C
This module will include
- How capitalism is supposed to work / how it works short essay
- Social Explorer map-making project visualizing a chosen aspect of inequality
- An introduction to social explorer stories, and practice
- Annotation and discussion of youtube videos on vocat re: social construction of race, and racial inequality
- Analysis of inequality in news media
Social Movements and Social Mobility
1/17-1/21
4 replies on “Benjamin Adam”
Do you include an assessment of student participation? I struggle with the assessment component of participation. Over the many years of teaching, I have observed its usually 5 students who actively participate in class (this is a fixed number and not sensitive to class size which for me range from 45 to 114). Also this was when I attributed 5% of the grade to class participation and defined class participation as engaging in the Q&A sessions. Even 5% didn’t motivate them. I since dropped the 5%.
I have the same pattern in some of my classes. I do assess participation, but in my experience grading for the purposes of motivating students doesn’t work out well. It ends up feeling competitive (there is only so much time to earn the available points), and judgmental (students feel pressured to make ‘good’ comments).
In some classes I ask students to fill out engagement self-evaluations which ask about their participation and preparation, ask them to set goals to improve, and to reflect on their progress.
Students are generous with their evaluations but I find it motivates participation so many end up earning the grades they give themselves. I also tell them this happens!
Amita, I well understand your concern about student participation. Over the years, I have encountered the same problem. During in-person classes, I found it worked to have the students work in pairs or small groups. For on-line, obviously this won’t work the same way, however sometimes I will give them a question to think about at home and then we discuss it in class. I will also introduce subjects they get passionate about (e.g. US/Mexico uneven relationship); I don’t know if you teach a subject which lends itself to this kind of debate. Finally, I will ask questions about family history which tends to engage them more.
Hi Ben, I am just so impressed (and a bit overwhelmed) by the depth of the changes you’re making! I really like your use of the learning objectives for each section. In my new syllabus/class discussions, I am going to include similar types of learning objectives.