Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Broadening Global Perspectives: Integrating Study Abroad Experiences
Into the Classroom Professor Karl T. Smith
ECCSSA 2014
Models for Redesign in the Social and Behavioral Sciences
S.T.E.M. is important, but…
• Chemical Engineering student in U.S.
• Chemical Engineering student in Denmark
Speaks 3 languages
*Classroom learning is a great start, but…
*Ask anyone what they remember most about college
*You have a chance to learn and improve job skills
*Broaden and deepen cultural understanding
*Promote peaceful relations
How do you globalize this?
PS101 American Government Course Description: • PS101: Structure, powers, and processes of the American political system:
executive, legislative, and judicial branches; civil liberties, federalism, democratic patterns and backgrounds, public opinion, pressure group politics, political parties, constitutional mechanisms, and administrative establishment; foreign and domestic policy. Emphasis on national level. Assessment levels: EN101/101A, RD120. Three hours each week.
• PS101 fulfills a General Education Program Behavior Social Science requirement. Montgomery College’s General Education Program is designed to ensure that students have the skills, knowledge and attitudes to carry them successfully through their work and personal lives. This course provides multiple opportunities to develop two or more of the following competencies: written and oral communication, scientific and quantitative reasoning, critical analysis and reasoning, and information literacy. For more information, please see
PS101 American Government
Prof. Karl Smith
Is American democracy our best bet?
(15 participation points) We need some information on political systems before we explore the
American version of democracy. Every single country on the world has had to
adopt some sort of political system. Some have dictatorships, some have some
sort of democracy, some have experimented with communism, and others use
something completely different.
Find someone in the class that has some experience with another country
and interview them about that country’s political system. The experience could
be based on being born there, traveled there or lived and worked there.
1. Interviewee___________________________
2. Country_______________________________
3. What form of government does the country have? Parliamentary democracy? Dictatorship? Absolute
monarchy? Theocracy? If it is a mix, explain why it is a mix.
4. Do you see any benefits from living in that alternative system? For example, if you really don’t care about
politics, you might be better off in a benevolent dictatorship.
5. Does the political system emphasize freedom, order equality or ‘none of the above’?
6. Give examples of how other governments may emphasize freedom, order or equality.
PS101 Critical Thinking Essay
Compare the mainstream media in the U.S. (Washington Post, NY Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Fox News) with the mainstream media in another country that you have lived in or are very familiar with. Your analysis should focus on national based televisions or webpages, not an international media platform that broadcasts to many different countries i.e., CNN, Al-Jazeera, Univision, etc.
Is mainstream media in your other country propaganda or news? Is it privately owned? Can you give an example? Is there any mainstream media that disagree with whoever is in power?
PS101 American Government
• Constitution Checklist http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/
Country:____________________
Age of Constitution: __________
• Are there provisions to maintain order and protect property and lives?
• Give examples of specific articles or page numbers that are relevant to maintaining order.
If you want to fix it…
From Prof. Karl Smith (with help from Jeff Jacoby and
others):
Increase number of representatives
• US average:1 rep per 600,000 inhabitants
• UK average:1 rep per 85,000 inhabitants
• UK has 659 members for 56 million
• Japan has 500 members for 127 million
• Germany has 656 for 82 million
• U.S. 535 for 310 million
And speaking of the British…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZUMEgHmCY8&feature=related
http://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2014/march/prime-ministers-questions-26-march-2014/
Freedom is… Equality of Opportunity The government role is to guarantee “Due process and equal protection” -equal opportunity for employment -equal opportunity for housing -equal rights for voting -equal access to public facilities
Different Perspectives on Freedom & Equality
Different Perspectives on Freedom & Equality
Freedom is…
Equality of outcome
The government role is:
• to provide housing, medical care, education etc., in an effort to equalize wide disparities in wealth and/or mitigate extreme poverty
It’s time to play…
Who’s a socialist??
It’s time to play…Who’s a socialist?
You and your partner(s) must identify correctly all the socialists in the following pictures.
Correctly identify all the socialists and at least one of their socialist policies and you win fabulous prizes!
Your identification should be based on actual policy, not on opposition rhetoric.
It’s time to play…Who’s a socialist?
• Socialism
“Any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods.”
Webster’s Collegiate
What’s next?
*Measuring student satisfaction
*Including global perspective questions on
Outcome Assessment
*Continue Support and recruitment for Study
Abroad
