Teaching the History of Sexuality with Images

This article outlines how an in-depth engagement with visual archives has transformed the author’s pedagogical practice. It argues that working with visual sources like photographs and illustrations offers students important opportunities to develop key academic skills, and to think critically about archives and sources. It details how working with such rich materials makes space for personal reflection and discovery, especially for students engaging with histories of sex and sexuality for the first time. Outlining the strengths of this approach, it explores some of the tensions and obstacles inherent in doing this kind of work—discussing, for example, the ethical dilemmas faced when reproducing and disseminating sexualized images in the classroom, the complexities of handling student reactions, and the activities students and the instructor have created to negotiate these issues.

Resistance, Rage, Paralysis, and Paralysis by Proxy: Reflecting on Reactions to Contentious Content in the Classroom

Sociology curricula often house a variety of “hot button” or contentious topics (e.g., race relations, crime and deviance, personal freedoms/choice, gender). While departments may be giving more attention to ensuring that these topics are included in their curriculum, here I argue that we also need to engage students in reflection about their gut reaction to these divisive topics. How students take in the material will affect their ability to successfully meet the learning outcomes throughout their program. This research was guided by past work categorizing student reactions into three categories: resistance, paralysis, and rage. Preliminary results are presented, and a fourth reaction, paralysis by proxy, is also proposed. Last is a discussion of how we as educators can integrate research on student reactions into course design/implementation, thus setting students up for success.

Teaching Communicatively in a Classroom with Mobile-sourced Materials

Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) is now common in extra-curricular language learning, but, more recently, teachers have increasingly sought ways to utilise MALL as a communicative classroom tool. Research into the extent that MALL can transform a whole communicative language course, and learners’ impressions of such courses, is scarce. This study, therefore, sought the opinions of five undergraduate learners on a short communicative English language course based on communicative principles, with materials entirely sourced from learner’s own devices. Learner reflections elicited in interviews suggested that MALL had aided the facilitation of an environment that was interactive, motivating, differentiated, authentic and autonomous, at times potentially more so than on a course using traditional material sources. The novel aspect of allowing freedom in choosing materials caused some complications, though none were considered insurmountable with minor adjustments to the course plan. In summary, student reactions implied that a communicative course could be taught exclusively through mobile-sourced materials, but further research is required to identify exactly how this would best be achieved. Nevertheless, findings here give reasons for practitioners to explore methods of classroom teaching inclusive of MALL that encourage self-directed learning, the creation of a platform for interaction, personalization, differentiation, a shared experience for learners and elements of game-play.

Character Building through the Scout Extracurricular Program

One extracurricular activity that can shape the character of students for discipline, independence, responsible, has a nationalist spirit and has social attitude and self-skill is Scout activities. This study aims to describe the implementation of scout extracurricular programs by analyzing student reactions to the implementation of scout activities, analyzing the program, and the final achievement of the Scout Extracurricular Education Program. This type of this research is evaluation research with the CIPP model (context, input, process, and product). The research method uses a combination of quantitative methods and qualitative methods (Mix Method). The purposive sampling technique is used for sampling. The source of information in this study was the principal, guide teacher, and students in classes V and VI who were actively involved in scout extracurricular activities. Data collection techniques are carried out through interviews, documentation studies, and observation. Data is taken qualitatively, then analyzed descriptively to describe the implementation of scout extracurricular programs. The results showed that scout activities carried out by character buildings followed the expected goals and results, including students being more active in learning, more patient, more focused, more sensitive, more appreciating friendship, and saving a life.

Designing and Applying a Moodle-Based E-Textbook for an Academic Writing Course

This study explores the use of a Moodle-based electronic textbook (e-textbook) created for an on-campus intensive academic writing course. The role of the e-textbook in facilitating collaborative writing practice and developing academic digital literacy skills as part of a blended learning approach is investigated. The study involved 83 students used the e-textbook over a period of 10 weeks. Data from activities posted on the e-textbook web-site, e-learning journals, course evaluations, and the researchers' field notes and reflections based on classroom observations were analysed to explore 1) student reactions to the materials and the blended learning approach and 2) the effect on student writing practice and the development of academic literacy skills. The results identify practical, pedagogical, and affective aspects of student adaption to the e-textbook materials and to the blended learning approach. The intervention appears to have achieved its major aims, but further investigation is suggested, including of the role played by guidelines for creating e-textbooks.

Student reactions to traumatic material in literature: Implications for trigger warnings

Introduction While trigger warnings have garnered significant debate, few studies have investigated how students typically respond to potentially triggering material. Method In this study, three hundred and fifty-five undergraduate students from four universities read a passage describing incidences of both physical and sexual assault. Longitudinal measures of subjective distress, PTSD symptoms, and emotional reactivity were taken. Results Greater than 96% of participants read the triggering passage even when given a non-triggering alternative to read. Of those who read the triggering passage, those with triggering traumas did not report more distress although those with higher PTSD scores did. Two weeks later, those with trigger traumas and/or PTSD did not report an increase in trauma symptoms as a result of reading the triggering passage. Conclusions Students with relevant traumas do not avoid triggering material and the effects appear to be brief. Students with PTSD do not report an exacerbation of symptoms two weeks later as a function of reading the passage.

Evaluating fandom: Using blogging and a grade contract to promote fan labor in the classroom

Grade contracts offer a way to transform the relationship between labor and assessment in classrooms. By turning attention from evaluations of quality to labor completed, grade contracts make space for students to shift from a grade-driven extrinsic motivation to an interest-driven intrinsic motivation for completing coursework. Such an assessment model is well suited for fan studies classes where instructors ask students to engage in fan behavior. I share how I built an upper-division course about anime and anime fandom centered around a student-authored, publicly viewable blog. I discuss the synergy between the blogging project and a grade contract that enhanced student learning, engagement, and enjoyment. I also share my course design philosophy, approach to blogging, and student reactions to the grade contract.