| The modern college instructor in the United States faces several unique dilemmas due to
students’ increased access to information via the internet and social media, increased polarization
across the nation, and increased unrest resulting in more experiences impacting mental health. As
such, modern instructors are faced with the challenge of balancing the hard reality of honestly
teaching about society’s history and current issues with optimistic realism for progress already
made and progress yet to come. This research examines how using focused, optimistic
pedagogical approaches, based in learning theory, can positively influence students’ outlook on
the world and their place in it by using pre-testing and post-testing to gauge pedagogical success.
Seven unique pedagogical approaches are developed and tested to aid instructors in this
endeavor.
Key Words: Pedagogy, Optimistic Realism, Empathy, Higher Education, Social Media |