Dubnick, Mel. 1977, ” Comparing Policy Alternatives .” POLICY STUDIES JOURNAL 6 (2):368-75.
The focus of this article is the work of Elinor Ostrom and her colleagues at Indiana University who have developed a teaching strategy which can prove useful for those bothered by the usual overreliance on texts, lectures, and some of the more empty “innovations” in instruction techniques. It concentrates on the analysis and comparison of policy alternatives, but not to the necessary exclusion of concerns for policymaking or policy impacts. Much of what follows is derived from her approach as described and reported on in several sources as well as my own experience in attempting more limited applications in a variety of courses and contexts.
Dubnick, Melvin. ” Comparing Policy Alternatives ,” in TEACHING POLICY STUDIES: WHAT AND HOW, edited by W. D. Coplin. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books, 1978: 159-167.
A second version of the 1977 PSJ article.
AI-Generated Summary:
The document discusses innovative approaches to teaching policy analysis, emphasizing comparison of policy alternatives through propositional inventories and flowcharts.
Challenges in Teaching Policy Studies
- Teaching policy studies is complex due to the variety of perspectives and limited time.
- Instructors often focus on specific areas, neglecting other important aspects.
- Traditional methods tend to produce dull and abstract learning experiences.
- There is a growing need for innovative instructional strategies to improve engagement.
Elinor Ostrom’s Instructional Strategy
- Ostrom developed a method focusing on analyzing and comparing policy alternatives.
- It involves selecting relevant articles representing different policy positions.
- Students identify and transcribe justificatory statements into propositional form.
- The approach enhances critical thinking and understanding of policy arguments.
Developing Propositional Inventories and Flowcharts
- Students convert textual statements into propositions to uncover hidden hypotheses.
- They link propositions to form logical flowcharts illustrating policy theories.
- Graphical flowcharts help visualize the relationships among variables.
- This method deepens comprehension of policy alternatives’ logical structure.
Comparing Policy Perspectives
- Students analyze flowcharts to identify points of agreement and disagreement.
- Comparing assumptions reveals fundamental differences among policy schools.
- The approach encourages critical evaluation of competing theories.
- It fosters skills in logical analysis and policy critique.
Extending to Empirical Testing
- Students can design research projects to test hypotheses derived from flowcharts.
- This involves operationalizing variables and planning data collection.
- The method promotes understanding of empirical validation in policy analysis.
- It prepares students for conducting formal research and testing policy claims.