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Article
Teaching Better, Teaching Together: A Coordinated Student Exit Poll Across the States
Journal of Political Science Education (2014)
  • Jennifer Kelkres Emery, University of West Florida
  • Alison D. Howard, Department of Political Science and International Studies, Dominican University of California
  • Jocelyn Evans, University of West Florida
Abstract
Student exit polling has demonstrated value in the classroom (Berry and Robinson 2012; Evans and Lagergren 2007; Lelieveldt and Rossen 2009), but faculty typically operate these polls in isolation. When faculty collaborate, however, students gain additional benefits from the experience. Collaboration provides a geographically diverse “student community” that allows students to engage in experiential learning beyond the confines of their immediate classrooms. The authors have created assignments and an instructor's manual on running student exit polls in undergraduate courses. Three institutions used these assignments during the Fall 2012 semester. By using structured assignments, these instructors created an opportunity to participate collaboratively with others in survey design and data analysis. Student assessment data showed that students explored their own political communities and honed skills across learning domains. Most importantly, students applied relevant political science concepts to the electoral process, exercised critical thinking, practiced oral and written communication, and grappled with project management. This type of collaboration provides political perspective and community engagement within political science for both faculty and students.
Keywords
  • civic engagement,
  • collaboration,
  • exit polling
Publication Date
November, 2014
Citation Information
Jennifer Kelkres Emery, Alison D. Howard and Jocelyn Evans. "Teaching Better, Teaching Together: A Coordinated Student Exit Poll Across the States" Journal of Political Science Education Vol. 10 Iss. 4 (2014) p. 471 - 486 ISSN: 1551-2177
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/alison_howard/14/