Active Learning Exercises for Research Methods in Social Sciences

Dr. Beth Pamela Skott is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and Chair of the Social Science Program at the University of Bridgeport. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut in 2003, however, she still considers herself a Blue Hen after receiving her BA from the University of Delaware in 1994. She has been teaching Research Methods since Fall 2000, using numerous textbooks and teaching techniques and this led her to develop various active learning techniques to enhance the learning process. Dr. Skott has also developed a cross-cultural teaching technique, which is in the second edition of Active Learning Through Sociology, a Pine Forge publication. This text inspired her to ask, why isn’t there one of these for Research Methods? Dr. Skott lives in Norwalk, Connecticut with her husband and daughter. Masjo Ward is a graduate of the University of Bridgeport with degrees in both International Political Economy and Diplomacy and Social Science. He studied Research Methods under Dr. Skott and served as her teaching assistant for 2 semesters. In the fall of 2011 he began studying law at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington DC.

• Chapter 1. Inquiry and SamplingChapter 2. Things that VaryChapter 3. Survey MethodsChapter 4. Qualitative Methods, Observational MethodsChapter 5. Qualitative Methods, Interview/Focus GroupsChapter 6. Quantitative MethodsChapter 7. Mixed Methods

“The key strength is the non formal nature of the dialogue, setting a tone of comfort around a subject that typically creates stress for students. Secondly, students get to test their learning in a non-threatening way using the activities.”