May 1, 2012

Posts by Zara Elizabeth Ricks

May 1, 2012

Add New Assignments to Your Course

Posted by Zara Elizabeth Ricks
in American Government, Comparative Government, International Relations, New Assignment, Soomo Judo | 0 comments

Soomo has so many sweet assignments that we can’t fit them all into our standard collections. So, for your perusing pleasure, we’ve added a Quick Start Guide for Adding Assignments to our handy library of Quick Start Guides. The new guide will walk you through the process of using our easy-to-edit platform to add assignments from our catalog to your Americans Governing, Between Nations, or Comparing Governments course. You can even create your own custom assignments. Now if only there were a quick start guide for Christmas shopping and family reunions!

Apr 26, 2012

Teaching IR Through Games and Films

Posted by Zara Elizabeth Ricks
in Conferences, International Relations, Video | 0 comments

At the ISA conference in San Diego, I attended a fascinating panel called, “Gaming and Films in the Teaching of International Relations.” Participants presented papers on the various films, books, and games they use in their classrooms to illustrate key concepts in IR. The biggest takeaway for me was how innovative professors can be in reaching out to students to help them better understand the discipline.

Bethany Barratt, Associate Professor at Roosevelt University, presented one of my favorite papers which focused on using the Harry Potter series of novels to teach about

Apr 26, 2012

Spotlight: New Policy Assignments

Posted by Zara Elizabeth Ricks
in American Government, New Assignment, Public Policy | 0 comments

Soomo is pleased to announce the publication of three new public policy assignments for our Americans Governing collection of online homework assignments. The new assignments, listed below with catalog descriptions, were authored by Assistant Professor Cynthia Newton of Wesley College. Click on the assignment titles to take a closer look, and email Maureen at the Polisci Desk to have them added to your Americans Governing or Central Ideas in American Government course.

Campaigns and the Public Policy Agenda

The positions expressed by political candidates reveal the policy directions they will pursue if elected. This assignment explores some congressional and presidential candidates’ campaign promises from recent elections.

What is Policy Analysis?

A think tank is an organization, institute, corporation, or group that conducts research and engages in advocacy regarding public policy. This assignment explores some major think tanks and their roles in the policymaking process.

Policy Positions

Interest groups have a substantial impact on the policymaking process. This assignment explores the positions and political advocacy of some well-known organizations that seek to influence government policy.

Apr 25, 2012

What Does China Censor?

Posted by Zara Elizabeth Ricks
in Comparative Government, Infographics | 0 comments

Ever wondered exactly what the Chinese government censors for internet users? This great infographic, from Information Is Beautiful, breaks down both the search phrases and websites that are “no-no’s” in China. The information is from 2008 data and offers a cool insight into censorship in Chinese Internet culture.

From this infographic, I also discovered greatfirewallofchina.org, which allows users to check whether or not a website URL is censored in China. I found it entertaining to enter URLs from a few blogs I read to see if they were allowed in China or not. Only 1 of the 5 blogs I read daily passed the censorship test–The Monkey Cage. I also thought it was interesting that the New York Times website is not censored, but of course Facebook is.

Tell us, do you ever discuss Internet censorship in China with your students?

Apr 3, 2012

Spotlight: Making the News

Posted by Zara Elizabeth Ricks
in American Government, New Assignment, Video | 0 comments

What is the job of a journalist really like? And how do television news stories differ from newspaper articles or radio features? Soomo’s two-part original documentary takes viewers behind the scenes with radio, television, and newspaper reporters to explore how news stories are prepared for publication.

We added two Americans Governing assignments that feature this brand-new documentary. Making the News – Part 1 focuses on story selection and news gathering, and Making the News – Part 2 follows up with editing and publication. Email the PoliSci Desk to have the assignments added to your course!