Strategies for Teaching Sociology in an Era of Devaluation of Science – TILT-ing Assignments For Better Engagement

• In Event: Teaching and Learning Symposium Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 4: Sociology in Polarized Times

Abstract

In the past few years, the United States has seen the general public lose trust in science and institutions (Pew Research Center 2025). Society has also launched direct attacks on the social sciences, especially sociology (ASA 2025; Barrett 2024; Everett 2024). In this climate, teaching Introduction to Sociology presents unique challenges. How can we, as sociology instructors, help intro students understand science, interpret empirical data, and evaluate the messages from our institutions? 

Our university offers a medical school, a dental school, a nursing program, a physical therapy program, and several other health-related majors, minors, and certificates. As a result, many students in our introduction to sociology classes plan to enter the medical and healthcare fields. Teaching these students during a period of science devaluation can seem daunting. However, as sociologists, we can offer important skills and attributes to prepare these students to help their future patients and clients. We help them develop empathy, understand the scientific method, grasp the empirical nature of the social sciences, and communicate effectively with people who might be skeptical of institutions and science. 

We propose the Transparency in Teaching and Learning (TILT) method as a strategy for instructors to help pre-medical and healthcare students (Winkelmes 2026). With this approach, we explicitly state our learning outcomes and goals for assignments to the students both verbally and in the written assignments. In this presentation we will explain this TILT method and provide specific examples of assignments we use in undergraduate sociology courses.

Authors

• Miles Marsala, Augusta University

• Elizabeth Culatta, Augusta University