ACTIVE LEARNING AND RESEARCH METHODS

The traditional lecture-based classroom is becoming less effective as more open-source lecture resources are available to students. Students want increased engagement, and active learning is more popular (Raymond and Usherwood Reference Raymond and Usherwood2013). They do not want to be passive consumers of content. There is a wide range of active-learning techniques (Bromley Reference Bromley2013) with numerous benefits. Active learning helps students to learn and retain material (Archer and Miller Reference Archer and Miller2011), comprehend complex concepts (Omelicheva and Avdeyeva Reference Omelicheva and Avdeyeva2008), perform better on quizzes (Levin-Banchik Reference Levin-Banchik2018; Powner and Allendoerfer Reference Powner and Allendoerfer2008), achieve higher-order learning outcomes (Archer and Miller Reference Archer and Miller2011), and it increases student enjoyment (Hendrickson Reference Hendrickson2019).

Positive learning outcomes are crucially important in research methods courses in which students learn how knowledge is generated, what quality research looks like, and why the field can make claims about social phenomena. Common active-learning techniques in methods courses include discussions, searching databases, and using statistical software to analyze data. Important concepts such as theory development and operationalization are taught by dissecting academic articles (Fisher and Justwan Reference Fisher and Justwan2018) and student papers (Murphy Reference Murphy2015). However, even clearly developed articles present challenges for students trying to understand theoretical concepts, research design, operationalization, and data. Most articles lack a discussion of why measures were not included or how a design changed because of external constraints—important components of the research process (Pfeffer and Rogalin Reference Pfeffer and Rogalin2012). Participation in these activities is time consuming and feels forced, reducing student commitment that hinders actual (Tews et al. Reference Tews, Jackson, Ramsay and Michel2015) and perceived (Deslauriers et al. Reference Deslauriers, McCarty, Miller, Callaghan and Kestin2018) learning.

Research design and operationalization present unique challenges because students must acquire knowledge and skills to successfully conduct independent research (Adriaensen, Kerremans, and Slootmaeckers Reference Adriaensen, Kerremans and Slootmaeckers2015). Students struggle to acquire these crucial skills when material is dry and there are few engaging experiences. Acknowledging these limitations, methods faculty created more relatable learning opportunities. Some are as simple as having outside faculty share research experiences so that students can contextualize the research process (Pfeffer and Rogalin Reference Pfeffer and Rogalin2012). Others focus on leveraging current student knowledge to operationalize seemingly well understood concepts (Asal et al. Reference Asal, Jahanbani, Lee and Ren2018), creating collaborative teams of student researchers (Campisi and Finn Reference Campisi and Finn2011; Ishiyama Reference Ishiyama2012; Lundahl Reference Lundahl2008), using games to teach concepts (Kollars and Rosen Reference Kollars and Rosen2017; McCarty Reference McCarty2019), and using material that is more relevant to a student’s everyday life (Rosen Reference Rosen2018). These methods help students better connect to material, achieve the benefits of active learning, and provide a more complete picture of the research process by providing real-life context.

Rosen (Reference Rosen2018) made significant strides in creating a more relatable research experience by developing a semester-long project focused on eating breakfast. The activity requires students to define the “best” breakfast, develop measurements, eat at restaurants, and report their results in a final research paper. Although this is an important contribution, there are limitations.

First, Rosen’s activity is a semester-long project requiring a significant time commitment. Several class sessions are dedicated to the preparation, collection, and analysis of the data necessary for the final project. This comes at the cost of other material, requiring the instructor to reduce or eliminate content. The fast food delivery exercise allows the instructor more flexibility, with much of the work completed in a limited number of class sessions with the option of continuing the activity through the semester. Even if it is conducted during only a single week, the activity provides a conceptual anchor for students as they learn more about the research process.

Second, there are issues of equity involved in the Rosen (Reference Rosen2018, 174) activity. There are two paths to collecting data: “…(1) a mix of observation and evaluation, in which students generate a questionnaire, visit their assigned restaurant, and evaluate it according to a set of criteria and procedures; or (2) a survey of their fellows students or community.” The pressures of a group decision and prospect of the additional work associated with an Institutional Review Board approval steer the choice in the direction of eating at restaurants regardless of a student’s individual or financial concerns. Rosen admitted that students have never chosen the survey route. The fast food delivery does not overcome the financial concerns, but it shifts the burden to the instructor. Although the associated cost might dissuade faculty, they have that option as they develop a syllabus. Students are unaware that they will incur a financial cost when registering for the class.

Third, as Rosen (Reference Rosen2018, 177) noted, the breakfast activity does not engage in hypothesis testing, a crucial component of political science research. The fast food delivery activity fills this gap.

FAST FOOD DELIVERY ACTIVE-LEARNING EXERCISE

This section describes the steps for using the active-learning activity. Additional resources including discussion questions, examples, and assignments are in the supplemental materials.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Active learning has many benefits. It engages students in the learning process, encourages understanding of complex concepts, and helps with the retention of material. The fast food delivery activity is not only engaging; it also is a fun way for students to draw on their lived experience and learn about research methods. As the course progresses and students engage with more difficult concepts, the instructor can draw from this activity and data to reinforce concepts such as design decisions, operationalization, observations, dependent and independent variables, theory development, and data analysis. Thinking through the decisions necessary to successfully develop a research project prepares students to digest more complex political science articles and engage in independent research.

Much like the research process, accomplishing the learning objectives does not proceed linearly. Table 1 summarizes when learning objectives are achieved during the activity.

Table 1

Achieving Fast Food Delivery Learning Objectives

ASSESSMENT

Assessment can occur in several ways, and more information is provided in the supplemental materials. First, after completing the observational design, the instructor assigns articles and asks students to identify certain components: research question, design type, operationalizations, and cases. Instructors also can assign articles that measure the same concept differently and discuss the research implications. Second, the instructor can provide concepts found in political science and ask students to operationalize them: power, war, democracy, and justice. Third, worksheets can be provided to help in understanding basic statistical concepts using the data collected.

VARIATIONS AND LIMITATIONS

This activity is best used in upper-level political science research methods courses. However, the flexibility of the activity allows for wider application. Steps 1–3 can be useful in a first-year political science course to teach the basics of research design. Setting up the study, ordering, and debriefing can be accomplished in a single week. The activity covers many key learning objectives and provides an anchor for students as they think about more advanced concepts. By ordering from multiple restaurants, instructors also can make the activity more complex to challenge undergraduates.

Discussions can be structured in various ways. Instead of class discussions, the instructor can use the pair-and-share method in which small groups develop operationalization measures and then discuss as a class. Groups can work on all variables or each group can work on operationalizing a different concept. Online discussion boards provide students the opportunity to think through their ideas, post them, and receive feedback from colleagues. Online discussion-board assignments before class can be used to ensure that students come to class prepared.

The major limitation of this exercise is the cost associated with the activity. Whereas a single delivery might be a nominal cost, ordering multiple times during the semester significantly increases the cost. Instructors are encouraged to seek support from their department, dean, and provost. This is an engaging way to teach complex topics in a challenging class.

Substantively, there are topics taught in methods classes not covered by the fast food delivery activity. For example, literature reviews are fundamental to successfully framing a research project in the discipline. However, separating the activity from literature helps students to feel more comfortable participating when they are not concerned about giving a “wrong answer” that does not align with a reading.

Finally, this activity showcases many complex topics in political science. The burden is on the instructor to manage discussions, make connections, and ensure that students are learning the material.