Dr. Michael Follert and fourth-year sociology student Hassan Khan recently participated in the Students as Partners Program (SaPP) to assess student reflections on their learning outcomes in the first-year sociology courses SOCI 1001: Introduction to Sociology and SOCI 1005: Sociology for Bachelor of Commerce students.
The Students as Partners Program (SaPP), funded by Teaching and Learning Services (TLS), provided Dr. Follert, a contract instructor with the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, with an opportunity to provide a paid work experience to Hassan Khan, an undergraduate student studying sociology.
Dr. Follert was interested in studying how learning outcomes varied between SOCI 1001 and SOCI 1005. He wanted to learn what students thought they got out of their course, and how those outcomes tied to the intended learning outcomes outlined in course syllabi. Dr. Follert and Hassan noted that sociology, with its conceptual tools, “can offer reprieve to students living through difficult times.”
“The one thing that strikes me as most interesting and timely,” Dr. Follert notes, “is how students seemed to appreciate the perspective and insight sociology brought them in making sense of the difficult times they are living through.” When coupled with opportunities to connect with other students in online discussion forums, Dr. Follert mentions that “these perspectives and insights seemed to offer a respite from the sense of isolation that comes from living under lockdown.”
Click here to find out more about the Students as Partners Program.