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The Sloan Work and Family Research Network provides multidisciplinary, credible resources to classroom teachers and their students. To best meet the information needs of these user groups, the Network formed two task forces to promote effective methods for teaching work and family. Based on the work of these task forces, and insights generated in numerous teaching workshops, here are ways the Network can be used to inform family course designs, the implementation of class activities, and the engagement of students in active learning.
Using the Network for Course DevelopmentDeveloping new courses in any subject area requires many decisions. What textbooks should I use? What topics should I cover? How should I evaluate students’ progress? To help answer these questions for work-family courses, the Network provides a rich archive of syllabi. These syllabi, created by leading work-family teacher-scholars, represent courses in diverse disciplines. Instructors can scan these syllabi to understand:
You are welcome to submit new syllabi to the Network for posting. (Submit to Stephen Sweet: ssweet@ithaca.edu) |
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Using the Network for Class Activities
Students—especially those who have yet to experience work-family tensions—commonly lack the experiences or knowledge needed to fully grasp the challenges inherent in managing a career and a family. To help address this concern, the Network provides numerous summaries of successful class activities and workshops, as well as elaborate multisession teaching modules. The Network offers a wide range of teaching activities that provide numerous strategies to enliven courses through:
- Group discussions
- Field observations
- Film presentations
- Content analysis activities
- Other innovative pedagogies
Work-family teachers are making substantial inroads in crafting innovative teaching strategies. As instructors develop new teaching activities, they can submit these to the Network. (Submit to Stephen Sweet: ssweet@ithaca.edu)
Using the Network to Introduce Work-Family Issues to Students
Few work and family books are designed specifically for undergraduate student audiences, leaving it to instructors to compile sets of readings. The Network provides another option, as the wealth of information in the Work and Family Encyclopedia is readily available online and free of charge. In addition, the Network offers resources about workplace issues and information on state public policy.
In 2008 and 2009, members of the Teaching Task Force organized their class syllabi so that students would be encouraged to use the Network. This enabled teachers to assign students to:
- “Surf” the Network to understand the wide range of issues addressed by the work-family community of scholars.
- Select specific readings in the Work and Family Encyclopedia.
- Survey the resources found in the Topic Pages for use in student-led class presentations.
- Examine employer case studies and consider how a “business case” may be established for family-responsive practices
To read examples of courses that integrated the Sloan Work and Family Research Network as a primary source for students, see:
Instructors who develop new strategies for engaging students in the Network are encouraged to share their materials. (Send to Stephen Sweet: ssweet@ithaca.edu)
Using the Network for Student Research Projects
One of the biggest challenges that many students face is locating reliable sources of information, and their work can be hampered by difficulties in locating credible research. This concern is compounded by the multidisciplinary nature of work-family research. Because few library database searches cross disciplinary boundaries, traditional methods of locating work-family scholarship may prove inadequate.
The Network has earned the distinction as the premier online destination for information about work and family. The Network’s numerous resources provide a venue for investigation of work-family dynamics that enable students to examine:
- Specific demographic groups
- Particular industries and employers
- The latest work-family legislation and state policy
- Cutting-edge workplace practices
The Network offers numerous resources, including the Work and Family Encyclopedia, the Work and Family Glossary, the Statistics Database, Flexibility Case Studies, Family-Friendly Employers, the Bills and Statutes Database, and links to additional work-family websites. In addition, the Literature Database provides citations of publications in scholarly journals and, in many cases, offers access to full-text articles. It also offers Topic Pages of information on critical work and family concerns.
Instructors who develop innovative ways of engaging students in research are encouraged to share their approaches. (Contact Stephen Sweet: ssweet@ithaca.edu)
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E-mail: Phone: 617-552-1708 Fax: 617-552-9202 |
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