Virtual Integration in U.S. Senate Campaigns: An Active Learning Tool for Teaching American Government

Abstract

The learning objectives of the introductory American Government course, one of the most common entry-level political science classes in American universities, span both content knowledge and civic education. Much research has shown the pedagogical value of integrated learning—taking part in active and authentic experiences with democracy at the local, state, and national level—which links content to real-world experiences and solidifies these learning objectives. But what if it is difficult or impossible (due to resources, logistics, or location) to immerse a college classroom in a political process? In this article, I present a classroom exercise that brings content to life through a virtual integration in real-life American politics. Built around the biennial U.S. election cycle, this exercise assigns each student a candidate for a Senate race to follow throughout the course of the semester. This virtual integration engages the students in active learning by involving them in a real-time investigation of democracy in action, bringing classroom concepts to life and emphasizing the institutionalized uncertainty of electoral outcomes.

Keywords:

• Active learning
• civic engagement
• undergraduate education
• American government
• international students

Notes

Acknowledgments

I thank Nick Mitchell, Scott Curtis, participants of the American Political Science Association 2016 panel “Transformational Learning in the U.S. Politics Classroom,” and the anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions, as well as all of my American Politics students for enjoying the electoral ride with me. This article is dedicated to my eighth-grade social studies teacher, Mr. Bristol, for immersing our class in the Maine gubernatorial elections and sparking my interest in politics.

Notes

1 Housing these blogs on an online course website (such as Yellowdig, Canvas, or Blackboard) combines the online and interactive experience of blogging with the privacy of a closed group, reserved only for fellow registrants to the class.

2 Online methods of student discussion and interaction are particularly useful for engaging shyer students, especially in larger classes. Allowing for online interactions provides the space for all students to contribute to the forum of ideas.

3 To protect student privacy, names have been omitted.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jocelyn Sage Mitchell

Jocelyn Sage Mitchell is Assistant Professor in Residence in the Liberal Arts Program (Political Science) at Northwestern University in Qatar. Mitchell’s research interests include state-society relations, political economy, public opinion, and nation-building, focusing on the Middle East.