Zombies, Gender, and Student Active Learning

Abstract

While the use of active learning exercises and the incorporation of popular culture in the classroom have increased in recent years, the study of potential gendered effects on learning and engagement when it comes to these practices has been limited. In this study, data are collected from international politics courses using a zombie outbreak as the theme for a United Nations simulation to explore whether there are unintentional gendered outcomes from these activities. Contrary to expectations of previous literature, no statistical differences manifest between men and women in enjoyment and learning when using zombie themes in active learning.

Keywords:

• Gender
• undergraduate education
• active learning
• popular culture

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my colleague Dr. Mike Gruszczynski for his helpful advice in the process of preparing this article. I would also like to thank the discussant, panelists, and audience at the “Alternative Teaching Methods” panel at the Midwest Political Science Association conference in 2017 for their insight regarding the early stages of this article. Finally, I would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their helpful feedback.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kate Hunt

Kate Hunt’s research focuses on social movements, media, and human rights, with an emphasis on gender issues. Lately, her teaching has led her to questions about how gender intersects with learning in university classrooms.