May 1, 2012

Partisan Bias in Grading?

Posted by Mary Jane
in American Government, Conferences | 1 comment

Mark clearly has a liberal bias. I am a Christian, moderate Republican and think that everyone’s personal views, including mine, influence my thoughts on ethical issues. Mark graded me down because I acknowledged that my personal beliefs influence my policy decisions. (Anonymous, 2006)

That RateMyProfessor.com post directed at Mark Carl Rom, an associate professor at Georgetown University, sparked a genuine interest in partisan grading bias that eventually led to a fantastic paper presented at TLC and again at MPSA. Co-authored with Paul Musgrave, a doctoral student at Georgetown University’s Department of Government, “Political Bias in Grading: The Impact of Caricature Bias on Student Grades” stimulated lots of discussion at both conferences.

Here’s the gist of their study design: They recruited a panel of undergraduate

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

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 3, 2012

Teaching Social Contract Theory with Postapocalyptic Fiction

Posted by Maureen Yann
in American Government, Comparative Government, Global Studies, International Relations | 0 comments

Looking for a way to get your students interested in social contract theory? Trying to find some way to work a discussion of The Hunger Games into your class? If so, Postapocalyptic Fiction and the Social Contract: “We’ll Not Go Home Again” by Claire P. Curtis may interest you. As the title suggests, Curtis uses social contract theory as a framework to examine postapocalyptic novels and short stories.

In a review of it published in the most recent volume of Perspectives On Politics, Soomo user Joseph Lane, Jr. (Hawthorne Associate Professor at Emory and Henry College) says that the “book should be of particular value to those

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!

Want to find out what happens next? Watch Part 2 now.

Mar 26, 2012

SCOTUS Considers Constitutionality of Health Care Law

Posted by Mary Jane
in American Government, Public Policy, Video | 1 comment

No doubt you’ve heard that the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this week about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). The three days of hearings will focus on four separate issues that are nicely explained by C-SPAN on their new Supreme Court Oral Arguments on Health Care site devoted to coverage of these arguments. Surely there’s something here to share with students and get them prepped for some discussion. Here’s the schedule: