2027 TLC Tracks<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are three presentation format options for the 2027 Teaching and Learning Conference: track panels, workshops, and roundtables<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Track Panels<\/span>: <\/strong>All track papers are presented in a collaborative environment, with materials shared in advance and all participants serving as discussants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Among the challenges the liberal arts currently face are the enrollment cliff and an increased emphasis on career-readiness and employability. This track seeks submissions that focus on the undergraduate political science curriculum and how it responds to these challenges. Possible submissions include 1) how to focus on career skills and careers related to Political Science; 2) strategies for recruitment and retention; 3) collaborations with high schools and community colleges to encourage study in political science; and 4) helping students gain work experience and build their professional networks. <\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n Using AI in political science education is under debate, but this track is for instructors who are mindfully considering or already using AI in the classroom. This track is seeking papers about mindfully considering or using AI as it relates to a) course assignments, content, delivery, assessment, and\/or evaluation; b) addressing course accessibility for students with disabilities; c) addressing academic integrity in conjunction with using AI; c) creating course assignments, content, and\/or pedagogical tools using vibe coding platforms; and d) students\u2019 future professional workplaces and career prospects.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n The United States of America is 250 years old. While celebration is in order, so is critique of the American experiment of a nation built on the idea of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The era in which the country was first established shaped the Founders\u2019 beliefs and hopes of an American nation, one built on the foundation of self-government and a written constitution that would stand the test of time by evolving over time. This track is for folks who want to share how they are a) celebrating the nation at 250; b) facilitating critique from students and fellow scholars of how far the nation has come, and how far it has to go, in ensuring rights and liberties; c) demonstrating the endurance of written constitutions and the rule of law; d) recognizing the contemporary struggles and strains on the constitution, American political institutions, and the broad and diverse American public, and 5)Continuing the commemoration beyond 2026.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n This track considers the foundations of civic engagement and democratic values. What counts as civic engagement? What can political scientists do in the classroom to address issues such as civic trust, tolerance, and voting? How to teach and prepare students to engage in politics to meet the challenges our society and world are facing? Topics discussed in this track may include critically examining the relationship between civic knowledge and civic engagement, the origins and status of democratic values, assessing civic learning outcomes, encouraging civic engagement in courses, designing courses to incorporate civic engagement, assessing the long-term impacts of civic engagement education, and comparing methods of civic engagement in the classroom.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n High Impact practices are effective pedagogical techniques that have significant impacts on student learnings. This track seeks to explore how high impact practices can prepare students to be participatory democratic citizens. These practices could include the value of capstone courses, active learning techniques, e-portfolios, undergraduate research programs, experiential learning, internships, service-learning, writing, problem-based learning, collaborating across differences, independent research or study abroad experiences. This track would welcome submissions on how educators are using any of the practices and the successes\/challenges of implementation.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n This track focuses on how to understand the current global, political environment and the lasting impact of colonization, with the twin goals of critiquing colonization and focusing on the worth of societies that experienced colonial rule. This track seeks proposals that discuss 1) Decolonizing the content and pedagogy in political science courses; 2) Helps students understand human rights, especially for minoritized populations; 3) critically evaluates the impact of colonization and its relationship to contemporary global issues; and 4) relates colonization to the American experience as the US celebrates its 250th anniversary. <\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n This track seeks papers about a) course assignments, content, delivery, and\/or evaluation that does not use or rely on AI; b) developing students\u2019 research, writing, and\/or analysis skills independent of AI tools; c) using in-class writing assignments, oral presentations, and Socratic methods to activate learning and critical thinking; and d) illuminating the skills AI can never replace for students in their future professional and career endeavors. This isn\u2019t a track about using AI in the classroom, but rather, how to design assignments and your course that reinforce these important skills without using AI tools.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n Simulations and games are a staple in political science education because they \u201cmake real\u201d for students what real-world political actors confront, how institutions collectively behave, what processes speed up, slow down, or stop progress, and how outcomes affect the public, whether they are the rich or poor. This track is seeking papers about a) the benefits and costs of creating a new simulation or adopting an existing simulation; b) the expected and actual impact of using simulations and games in the class, in face-to-face or online modalities; c) how simulations develop students\u2019 knowledge, hard and soft skills, and abilities across contents domains of American government and politics and international relations; and d) frontiers in simulation and game design theory and application.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n Partisan polarization is reaching historic levels, in the United States and around the world. The causes and consequences of polarization are under intense debate and scrutiny at the macrolevel. However, at the micro-level of our classrooms and campuses, teaching in this polarized environment becomes front and center with our students who may vigorously express, or quietly reserve, their views on political actors, institutions, and the short and long-term consequences of political outcomes. This track is seeking papers about a) how faculty experience the pressures of polarization in the classroom, on campus, or wider college and university community; b) what faculty do to facilitate learning about the topic, its causes, consequences, and the role of students in living and working through such polarization; c) pedagogical approaches to facilitating discussion, dialogue, debate, and disagreement in the classroom; and d) reacting to intense claims and disagreement between students in and out of the classroom.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n At a time when more than half of US states have passed legislation that have dismantled Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion DEI offices and even prohibited DEI subjects in required courses, how can Political Scientists meaningfully engage students in such restrictive environments? This track seeks submissions that grapple with teaching DEI-related material, adopting inclusive & equitable practices in the classroom, and building institutional support for inclusive practices. Topics may include, but are not limited to, 1) countering misinformation about Critical Race Theory, intersectionality, disproportionate impact, anti-racism, and other related theories; 2) classroom strategies that invite critical thinking about history, politics, government, and policy, 3) inviting classroom conversations about diversity in constrained environments, and 4) ways to foster inclusive and equitable practices in the classroom, in your curriculum,and on campus.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n Workshops<\/span>:<\/strong> Provide participants with hands-on experience in the use of practical instructional methods that they can take with them to their home institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Roundtables<\/span><\/strong>: Facilitate participants to discuss and debate on a specific topic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n All attendees will be asked to select a track when registering and will expected to attend each session in the selected track.<\/strong> Workshop and roundtable attendance is not determined by track, and these sessions are open to any conference attendee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2027 TLC Tracks There are three presentation format options for the 2027 Teaching and Learning Conference: track panels, workshops, and roundtables. Track Panels: All track papers are presented in a collaborative environment, with materials shared in advance and all participants serving as discussants. Workshops: Provide participants with hands-on experience in the use of practical instructional methods that they […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28261,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-36","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/connect.apsanet.org\/tlc2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/36","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/connect.apsanet.org\/tlc2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/connect.apsanet.org\/tlc2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/connect.apsanet.org\/tlc2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28261"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/connect.apsanet.org\/tlc2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/connect.apsanet.org\/tlc2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/36\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/connect.apsanet.org\/tlc2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Adapting the Political Science Curriculum: Challenges & Opportunities in Political Science Undergraduate Education<\/summary>\n
AI in Political Science Education<\/summary>\n
America @ 250<\/summary>\n
Civic Education & Engagement<\/summary>\n
High Impact Practices<\/summary>\n
Internationalizing & De-Colonizing the Curriculum<\/summary>\n
Research, Writing, and Analysis<\/summary>\n
Simulations & Games<\/summary>\n
Teaching in a Polarized Environment<\/summary>\n
The Inclusive Classroom<\/summary>\n