Redesigning Intro: A Co-Teaching Model

• In Event: 3532 - Innovative Techniques for Teaching Introductory Courses in Sociology

Abstract

The limits of a single semester combined with the breadth of our discipline create challenges in teaching Introduction to Sociology. Often instructors have to choose between including cursory coverage of many topics or a diving deeply into one or two, focused towards the expertise of the particular instructor. To expose students to the breadth of sociology while offering them a deeper dive, we instituted a model of co-teaching across four sections of 101 over two semesters. In this model, each instructor was the primary point of communication and assessor for one section each year, but throughout the semester we held classes together and, at other times, exchanged classes to teach sessions on material that we were most familiar and interested in teaching.

This model allowed us greater flexibility compared to the traditional 101 set-up. Students responded positively to having instructors switch classrooms multiple times to cover material with which we were most familiar and passionate about and appreciated being about to gather as a whole to partake in activities that benefited from a larger group. As instructors we contend that this model created an opportunity for students to see multiple perspectives on the same topic with instructors sometimes planning disagreement or debate to engage students further. Additionally, we found that this model netted higher numbers of majors than previous years while holding resources constant.

Authors

• Justin Schupp, Wheaton College

• Karen M. McCormack, Wheaton College