Journal 8

"Virtual Ideology: Using Online Quizzes to Help Students Develop Personal Political Values"
by William Russell


This was a really interesting article about using different online quiz's and surveys in order to assist students discovery of their political views. As William Russel begins, many Social Studies teachers are frustrated because their students claim to be affiliated with one political party but have the views of a completely different party. This is in particular very frustrating to teachers because, as the standards state, students need to be able to answer certain questions pertaining to their own beliefs, such as: What is civic participation and how can I be involved?How has the meaning of citizenship evolved?What is the balance between rights and responsibilities? What is the role of the citizen in the community, in the nation, and in the world community? How can I make a positive difference? These quizzes are sponsored by non-profit organizations and offer explanations to views which the students hold. Another quiz asks the student a series of yes or no questions and at the end the student is scored. The student is not scored to a certain political party, but rather predicts which political philosophy the student inhabits (centrist, libertarian, left liberal, right conservative, etc.). I think this is a great way for students to learn about themselves without feeling pressure to abide by what others think.

Questions:
1.) Does this contribute to the categorization of students?
I don't think so at all. I think that is merely helps students realize what they think and why they think it. I think it promote individualized and critical thinking skills that are extremely valuable in life.

2.) Could this also be used as a platform on the importance of voting?
Absolutely! I am a strong advocate of voting and I feel like s a lot of people talk about how important it is but do not actually exercise their right to vote. When students actually understand issues and why they believe certain views, they might be more eager to get out there and stand up for what they believe in.