Abstract
Drawing on the wealth of literature regarding scaffolding, the author explores the use of data analysis under conditions of remote learning to help students think and talk about a divisive election, whilst building the skills necessary to not only undertake independent research, but to become creators of knowledge. The chapter explores the structures that can support students as they move from passive recipients of knowledge to producers of knowledge, as well as ways that the educational institution can support faculty members in the transition from exclusively face-to-face instruction to online learning. The combination of remote learning and data analysis, as a major learning goal, may contribute to a more analytical, hence less controversial or confrontational, learning environment.
TopIntroduction
Among the most important public goods that virtually all states either provide or attempt to provide, healthcare and education rank highly. The SARS-COV2 virus profoundly threatened both on a global scale. Whilst in the healthcare arena, the World Healthcare Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) provide transnational and national guidance with respect to implementation of emergency measures. No such governing bodies exist in the field of education: no one stands at the ready to provide guidance, recommendations and best practices in the midst of chaos. Educators were, thus, left mostly to their own devices to re-invent the wheel in a week or two. Just as healthcare providers continually re-evaluated and re-assessed the measures they put in place; educators utilized the intersession to re-evaluate and prepare anew. With the benefit of more than a year of hindsight, educators have begun the follow-up process of assessing the damage and evaluating their emergency and post-emergency measures. Unsurprisingly, the damage is considerable. Anxiety and depression (Stephensen, 2021) are up; math and reading scores (Dorn et al, 2020; 2021) are down. Failure has increased (Fulton, 2021). Yet there are also successes, however small, which should shape our future pedagogy, just as virtual appointments will remain a useful tool in healthcare. This chapter explores the adaptation of one face to face (F2F) course to a remote learning format at a small liberal arts college that previously offered no hybrid or online courses. Moreover, the course itself focused on American voting behavior in the midst of the most divisive election in recent memory.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Remote Learning: Occurs when the student(s) and instructor are not present in same physical space but rather communicate via technology.
Existentialism: Is a branch of philosophy that centers around the search for meaning or purpose in our lives.
Peer Learning: Occurs when students learn with and from each other in structured and semi-structured ways.
Epistemology: Is a branch of philosophy that concerns itself with the study of knowledge.
Self-Authorship: Is a theory of education which encourages students to construct their own future selves by making thoughtful and purposeful choices.
Political Science Curriculum: Is the structure of courses and requirements that colleges or universities utilize to produce politically literate majors, minors, capable of deep thinking about the world we share.