Customer Reviews

Sociology Through Active Learning: Student Exercises

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In this book and its essential companion, The Instructor's Manual, McKinney, Beck, and Heyl have provided an amazing resource for instructors who use an active learning perspective (versus the old, "sage on the stage" one-way talk method). The student handbook presents instructions and worksheets (when needed) for 50 exercises in 10 topic areas and 2 more general classroom process areas: theory & methods, culture, socialization and interaction, groups and social influence, stratification, organizations and bureaucracy, race & gender & sexual orientation, deviance & crime, collective behavior, social institutions, multi-topic assignments, and course structure & process.

Each set of short instructions follows the same format: rationale, instructions on actually doing the exercise, and how it will be graded. Some exercises require worksheets, which are included. The exercises were contributed by faculty who actually developed and tested them, and so most of the bugs have already been worked out. Instructors who use these exercises can modify them to suit their own classes, but they are so well-designed that I suspect most will just use them "as is."

The accompanying instructor's manual is an absolute necessity. The table of contents gives a short description of each exercise, as well as a chart indicating whether the exercise is for individuals or groups, and how much time is needed for the exercise. Each contributor has provided several pages of background for each exercise, following the same format: history and context, purpose, instructions for facilitating the exercise, other suggestions, and hints about time use.

An entire introductory sociology course could be designed around this book, or entire sections of it could be used for specific courses, e.g. on stratification or social movements. With this book and some rich supplementary readings, your students would probably not need a textbook.

The authors have provided a wonderful resource for those of us teaching from an active-learning perspective. I highly recommend the book AND the instructor's manual.

Prior to ordering this product I called the customer service department (1-800-818-SAGE) to make sure I could obtain a teacher's guide for the workbook. I was told because I teach high school sociology, not at the university level, I cannot obtain a teacher's guide. Needless to say I will not be purchasing this item. Please be cautious before ordering.