ASHE+2011

Hello!
 * We look forward to seeing you at ASHE. We aim for this session to be highly interactive, guided by the questions below: **
 * How do you teach qualitative methods that move beyond didactic introductory qualitative texts, given that local, socio-political, economic, and historical contexts and participants (if/when engaged) matter? What are your strategies that work? Challenges you face?
 * What strategies do you employ that help graduate students understand the ways in which specific methods flow directly from (are “congruent” with) their epistemological / philosophical / methodological approach?

__**Overview of session **__
 * Title of session **Teaching Qualitative Methods: Examples from the Field


 * Session overview **Symposium panelists are qualitative researchers who teach qualitative methods at their respective institutions. The goal of the session is to examine and share strategies for effectively teaching qualitative methods courses. In the symposium, we envision a productive and highly interactive conversation stimulated by the four symposium papers.

The **objectives** of the session are: -To further our understanding of qualitative methodologies-To highlight the art and challenges of teaching qualitative methods -To provide practical examples of activities and strategies for qualitative methods courses -To facilitate discussion about the topic

** Significance **

How often do we make assumptions about what to teach, what projects to assign and how to convey course material? And at the same time, how often do we make the time to brainstorm with colleagues – either within our institutions or beyond – about the best ways to teach? In //Teaching at Its Best//, Nilson (2003) argues that in order to improve one’s teaching, professors should make use of support networks in an effort to reflect on how to improve teaching. The importance of reflexivity in teaching takes on additional significance when course content derives from a continually evolving field such as qualitative methods. The significance of the symposium lies in its intent to further our understanding of the qualitative field and in its relevance to practice .