Brief Field Experiences: An Instructional Tool For Undergraduate Political Science Classes

Abstract

For introductory American government courses, I require students to attend a public forum, community meeting, or legislative session. In reaction papers, students are urged to consider any pre-meeting publicity, public accessibility of the meeting sites and times, and participant interaction, as well as the opportunity for community members to air their opinions. After the event, class members must appraise the quality, quantity, and emphasis of the media coverage. Students often question whether they and the reporters had attended the same meeting and these students thus learn to evaluate