Presents a learning activity for students in a sociology-of-education course in which they produce their own critical-education autobiography. Describes how to prepare students for the project, the assignments used, samples of student commentary and evaluation, and potential uses and risks of this approach. (DSK)

Discusses the importance of out-of-class experiences and reviews the literature on outcomes of this "other" or "informal" curriculum. Argues that, by sharing some data on academic and professional socialization from students, faculty, and departments, most departments do not adequately provide these opportunities. Evaluates barriers to providing…

Describes a class exercise that attempts to alleviate student anxiety and fear of learning statistics. Explains that the exercise focuses on concepts associated with probability sampling theory and sampling distribution through the use of M and M's candy. Describes the four steps involved and additional considerations. (CMK)

Describes an exercise in which students analyze architectural barriers in campus buildings to understand that people with disabilities are excluded from everyday social interaction. States that through the active learning exercise students link their experiential understanding of environmental obstacles with theories and concepts about conformity…

Discusses typical first days of college courses. Describes a first day activity called "Who is the Professor?" that challenges students' expectations about learning and motivates students to wonder about social life. Presents a modification of the activity and considers suggestions, limitations, and challenges. (CMK)

Academic sociologists have recently increased their focus on improving high school sociology. Reform efforts include networking between teachers and universities, improving curriculum, and enhancing teacher training. I propose that this list be expanded to include setting curricular standards. Current trends in educational reform center on…

Recommends selection criteria for college level sociology textbooks, including appeal, coverage, interest, difficulty, and salesmanship. The article concludes with suggestions for motivating students to read the textbooks. (Author/DB)

Synthesizing results from surveys of graduates, employers, and sociology departments, this article identifies seven changes which may help students market their sociology degree to prospective employers. Among the changes identified are: (1) the need to help students identify the transferable skills they have learned, and (2) improving the image…

Acting on recent evidence indicating the potential for success in business careers for humanities and social sciences graduates, this article describes how a sociology department modified its coursework to better accommodate the business career potential of its students. (JDH)

Presents a sociology program through three models of curriculum: (1) faculty centered; (2) discipline centered; and (3) student community based curricula. Explores the experiences with these models and reveals that curricular development as a social process can be used to lay a foundation for social context based assessment. (Author/KDR)

Describes different assessment designs available for different types of curricula. Reports results from a quasi experimental design comparing the level of critical sociological reasoning skills among students near the beginning and those finishing their studies. Believes the multi dimensional diversity within sociology presents the greatest…

Discusses subcultures and countercultures. Demonstrates a method of teaching the concept of subculture to undergraduate sociology students. Offers working definitions of terms, including common culture, subculture, idioculture, and social world. Concludes with the development of a classroom exercise to help students grasp the differences among the…

Describes undergraduate family values surveys conducted at the beginning and end of a family sociology course at a large public university. States surveys were used to assess change in family values and the implications of the change. Focuses on issues such as diversity, student employment, liberal education, and socialization processes. (KDR)

Discusses what contributes to the excellence of sociology researchers. Directs focus toward advanced sociology undergraduate students and beginning graduate students. Emphasizes the personal qualities of researchers offering four examples to illustrate these qualities. Addresses the importance of files, multiple data sources, and personal…

Focuses on an adapted version of the classic deviance exercise used in a criminology course taught from 1992 to 2000. Describes how the exercise typically worked, but also discusses a time when the exercise went wrong. Addresses what lessons were learned from that experience. (CMK)