When Students Become Political Actors: Opinion-Editorial Writing

Michel Fournier-Simard, Political Science Department, Dawson College

 

This WID project develops an Opinion-Editorial (Op-ed) module for Introduction to Political Science courses. As part of the ongoing Social Science program revision, our department expressed a willingness to diversify the type of writing exercises available for students in introductory classes. Our assignments typically have students address political events and debates from the outside, using the lenses of our discipline to understand the political world. But our role as political science professors is also to encourage and coach students toward civic participation.

This is where the Op-ed assignment comes in.  It invites students to become political actors. It allows students to leverage their newly acquired academic competencies in response to current events. As such, it directly complements the core concepts and theories of our discipline which are introduced during the semester.

This portfolio is divided in two sections. First, it details the intended educational outcomes, departmental needs, and impact on student learning of Op-ed assignments. Second, it provides resources necessary for a professor to assign an Op-ed in their classes, including an assignment template/grid, additional in-class and at home activities that can complement an Op-ed assignment, and a range of resources to help both students and professors with this experience in political participation.

 

Intended Educational Outcome

The Introduction to Political Science course ask students to engage politically with the material we submit to them. Class discussions often bridge the often-heavy theoretical and conceptual notions of our field with current events. The Ottawa occupation has, for instance, been used last winter to introduce themes such as ideology, social movements, mis- and disinformation, and radicalization. However, most Political Science written assignments currently offered at Dawson ask students to adhere to a restricted or positivist (for lack of a better word) writing style.

Creating an Op-ed module allowed for space for the political engagement and active learning we seek to enhance, outside of the parameters of a sometimes overly clinical academic writing mode. Crucially, we believe it has the strong capacity to encourage civic participation and civic literacy by having students directly apply newly acquired competencies in the hypothetical public arena.

The idea is for them to get more actively engaged with the material of the class; to coach them into becoming political actors through writing, so to speak.

This serves to decrease any latent student apathy for politics and offer an immediate means through which to engage the political system via the ground floor of advocacy and analysis. Students often speak of feeling somewhat intimidated at the prospect of studying politics. The Op-ed helps dispel any such notion by demonstrating the relevance and vitality of civic literacy in general. It provide them with a readily applicable toolkit for political engagement on their own terms.

This Op-ed WID project affects students learning through a deliberately practical element designed explicitly with the empowerment of student voices in mind. In addition, the Op-ed assignment meets the following departmental needs:

 

• Diversification of existing written assignments genres;
• Learning how to write with a specific task and audience in mind;
• Increasing the peer-review component of our Introduction classes;
• Develop critical analytical tools by learning how to recognize different types of rhetorical strategies, ideological perspectives, spurious connections and misleading information;
• Encourage and coach students toward civic participation through the application of their newly acquired academic competencies in response to current events.

 

A note on some of the key learning objectives this assignment responds to for our department, starting with critical thinking. With this module, students gain the ability to recognize and analyze a range of rhetorical and ideological argumentation techniques. They are presented and become familiar with the Op-ed style. Often these Op-ed present opposed viewpoints, or the same position with different argumentative techniques, which students are invited to identify and comment. This allows them to develop their critical thinking by learning how to recognize different types of rhetorical strategies and ideological perspectives.

In terms of writing, an Op-ed is different in many ways from the typical academic paper we ask of our students. It invites students to use the critical thinking developed in analyzing different Op-ed to develop an understanding of effective means of political communication suitable for a general audience. Students develop the capacity to distill academic theories as a frame through which to explain complex current events and to persuasively advocate for their recommended policy choice in terms that will be comprehensible and credible to a broad readership.

This is by no means a small ask for students, who are generally asked to produce postsecondary level academic papers with clear boundaries and disciplinary rules. For instance, students are told not to produce a work cited section. Instead, they must directly refer to the reference in the text or embed an URL when needed.

Students are also encouraged to use “I,” and personal anecdotes to illustrate their arguments. This is far from the objectivity and neutral writing that we teach our students in social sciences methods courses. Especially when the theme of the Op-ed is large enough to adapt to different angles, it is an occasion for students to express themselves and feel heard. It in part explains the overwhelmingly positive feedback from students.

A third skill the Op-ed module is well suited for is effective peer review. Students are asked to review and assess two Op-eds of their colleagues, which allows them to see different styles. Prior to the peer review activity, they answer similar questions to those of their reviewers. After the activity, at home, the students then use their answers and contrast them with the feedback they received to improve their Op-ed. This process allows students to continuously rethink how they organize their ideas, and ensure their writing is as effective as possible.

On this, note the Op-ed is a relatively short assignment. The wordcount requirement can be anywhere between 350 and 750 words. 400-450 words is where students are most successful in our limited experiences. This short stylistic format means it is not an assignment where students will feel force to add irrelevant material to meet a wordcount. They can focus on the text and the political intentions behind it, and not the research process itself.

As for us, professors typically do not have time to give advance oral feedback on complete 18-20 pages semestrial papers. With the Op-ed it is however possible to give feedback on the entire written evaluation, as it is short enough to give feedback throughout the writing process. It can be particularly rewarding to see a paper with a lackluster title and disorganized structure transition two weeks later, due to combine professor and peer feedback, in a powerful opinion piece.

 

Designing an Op-ed for a CÉGEP Course, a step-by-step approach

This section provides the tools and step-by-step approach for a professor to include an Op-ed module and assignment in their classes. While the Module was developed with the specific needs of our department, we believe this assignment can be adapted to a wide range of courses, notably in social sciences, business administration, and humanities. In particular, we do hope that this Module garners interest from other Social Science Faculty members, for instance in Economics, History, Psychology, and Sociology, all of which clearly have valuable academic theoretical perspectives that students would be very well served to learn to mobilize in written responses to current events.

 

The Theme

The first step of adapting this exercise to another discipline is finding a suitable theme. The theme can be linked to an event relevant to both your discipline and the news. For instance, one class in the Winter 2022 semester had to write an Op-ed on Russia’s war of invasion in Ukraine. Any election, be it federal, provincial, or municipal; general or by; in Canada or elsewhere; are also optimal contexts for an Op-ed assignment. These are moment when political discussions are salient. Contemporary Op-ed on the election can also be easily found for inspiration of students, or for assignments comparing “real life” Op-ed examples.

The theme can also be linked to a recurrent topic in your discipline. For instance, one class had to write an Op-ed on electoral reform in Canada. What’s more, it could be linked to the program of your class. For instance, students in the new Society & Technology program might appreciate an Op-ed on algorithmic policing, and students in Business might prefer answering a probe on central bank policies.

The theme of the Op-ed is at the discretion of each teacher. It can be as wide or narrow as one decides. One element to consider is the peer-review component of the exercise. For students, it is helpful to have a theme that equips them with sufficient tools to provide actionable feedback for their peers. In one class, students were given a theme, but could choose any other theme if approved by their instructor. While the alternative Op-ed produced were of quality, the peer review feedback was very limited, as the reviewer had at times never read about this subject.

For instance, an election Op-ed can specifically ask students to respond a particular leader’s debate. Where this still gives much flexibility in themes to approach (the moderator, the leaders, particular promises mentioned in the debate, the unspoken themes, etc.), it is still narrow enough and ensure reviewers and writers are both creating/commenting from a same moment.

Another alternative is to let students decide and vote on the theme of the Op-ed. In Political science sections, we suggest doing the theme selection activity following the class on electoral systems, so to apply core concepts of our discipline to the debate surrounding the Op-ed theme. You will not be surprised to hear none of the groups selected FPTP as a voting mechanism.

In the Winter 2023, three Introduction to Political Science classes were asked to select a theme for the Op-ed. They respectively selected: Iran: A Feminist Revolt; The Quebec Education System; Transgender Politics. Students had to first come up with themes in small groups, a debate and vote ensued. One class discussion became slightly more heated but stayed overall respectful.

The class discussion on the theme of the Op-ed should be done a few weeks prior to the Op-ed assignment. This allows students time to think about the theme and gives you opportunities to include examples and discussions on this topic in your subsequent classes. In this sense, letting students decide of the theme will beg for slightly more preparation time for the instructor, but it will also make the grading more enjoyable.

 

Presenting the Op-ed to Your Students

As is the case with most assignments, students must be introduced to both the format and the theme you have selected.

 

In terms of format, we prepared a PWP presentation introducing the students to what an Op-ed is, without references to a specific theme. In includes elements on how to choose your topic, format, and winning writing strategies. The PWP notably has numerous links to videos presented in class. All videos are between two and five minutes.

• A first interview with Lisa De Bode explains to students how to choose the topic of their Op-ed.
• A second extract from a conference by Thomas Friedman explains the difference between an Op-ed that aims to enlighten readers, and an Op-ed that aims to provoke a reaction, or heat.
• A third video summarizes the structure of an Op-ed, repeating elements already in the PWP.
• A fourth (Michel Fournier-Simard, CÉGEP Dawson) and fifth (Andrew Rosenthal, New York Times) video gives advice on writing an efficient Op-ed.

1. What is an Op-ed (Students)

 

When introducing the Op-ed to students, I also present and read with them an Op-ed writing tips document. It is adapted from the McGill Institutional Communications Department (MICD) website. I tailored some of the tips for CÉGEP students, added a few, and took away some advice that do not apply. Note that while the emphasis is mine, the text is (mostly) not.

2. Op-Ed Writing Tips

 

In the introduction to Op-ed class, I also like to conduct a fifteen-minute activity where my students read examples my previous classes: one light, and one heat. Students then discuss both Op-ed. This gives them a better idea of what is expected of them.

3. Election Op-Ed – Students Example Heat vs. Enlighten

 

As per the theme, it will be class dependent and to the discretion of the professor how much information or direction is given to students. Some themes will be directly in line with what has been discussed in class in the previous weeks, and therefore need less presentation. Other will take longer to introduce or contextualize. For instance, students given the theme of electoral reform in Canada had already read a textbook chapter and participated to class discussion on the subject. Many of the slides therefore come from previous PWP students have seen in the course, and act as refreshers. The PWP also includes a myriad of resources in the form of links for students to start their research.

4. Theme Electoral Reform PWP Example

 

As some students might not be familiar with specific themes (especially when it was selected by the group), extra attention may be necessary to ensure students have enough information on the theme to start their research on solid grounds. When appropriate, different Op-ed can be shared to inspire students. Information or lexicon pages might also be helpful for some themes.

 

Associated Short Assignments That Complement the Op-ed

 

The Op-ed assignment can be given to students alone without any additional assignment. However, to optimize the learning outcome of students and accompany them in this writing process, we developed a serie of in-class and at home short assignments. The condense format of the Op-ed is well adapted to complementary assignments, as it allows students to spend quality time on the writing process over a two-to-four-week period, polishing their work, re-thinking arguments, and fishing for attention-grabbing strategies. We are particularly proud of the four-step peer review assignment design we developed.

 

Bring an Op-ed to Class Assignment

A first assignment we developed is called Bring an Op-ed to Class Assignment. This has a homework component, as students must find an Op-ed on their topic, read it, and bring a printed copy to class. Then, in teams of two, they read and answer questions on their respective selected Op-ed. This assignment meets two functions. First, it has students start their research on the theme of the Op-ed. Second, it familiarizes themselves with the format of the assignment.

 

Note that students can access many news organization archives via a BANQ account. One can organize a short session with the library services at Dawson to provide students with the tools to find a variety of Op-ed.

 

The students could alternatively be presented a series of theme-based Op-ed by the professor. This might be necessary if the subject is complex, or if one wants to help students narrow down their theme.

5. Bring an Op-Ed to Class Activity

 

Political Debate Watching Homework

This assignment was created in the context of general elections themed Op-ed. In the class preceding the debate, students as asked to write down their expectations and questions they have for politicians. During the debate, students are asked to take notes, notably in line with their expectations and questions. In this era of multi-screening (we all do it), having a task related to the debate invites students to actively engage with it. This homework was designed for a political debate, but it could easily be adapted to a documentary, a podcast, or even a text. It serves as an introduction to the theme of the Op-ed.

6. Election Op-Ed – Debate watching

 

Op-ed Plan In-Class Assignment

Once the theme is introduced to students, they can now brainstorm and plan their Op-ed. Here, it can be helpful to revise some of the elements from the Op-ed PWP format introduction. The wider the topic, the harder it is to select a specific angle. The assignment notably asks students to write why they care about this topic, and what is their big idea. The more specific the better. Knowing why your write and the one element you want readers to remember helps structure your arguments.

Another question asked to students is what their targeted audience is. It is not the same to write an Op-ed to Canadian parliamentarians as it is to write to the Dawson community in the Plant. Classes where the plan assignment was assigned produced significantly less off topic or off style Op-ed. Writing with a clear goal and mind, and a clear audience helps students translate their ideas effectively.

7. Op-Ed Plan In-Class Assignment

 

Op-ed peer review

It can be challenging to develop a peer-review activity in class that is useful for students. This four steps assignment design aims to optimize the benefit of peer-reviewing, for both the reader and the author. It has proved quite successful in improving students work and received much positive feedback.

 

First, writers are asked to answer a series of questions at the beginning of class. To avoid yes/no answers, writers are asked to qualify their responses.

Questions includes, for instance:

• Who is your targeted audience? How do you make this clear?
• What is the big idea / thesis? In a few words.
• What do you want the reader to remember? Be concise. How do you make sure this is the case?

 

Second, in pair, reviewers read their colleague’s Op-ed, and answer a slightly longer list of questions. Importantly, multiple questions are the same:

• Who do you think your colleague is trying to target as an audience? Where do you get this insight from?
• What is the big idea / thesis? Is it clear? If yes, what is it? If no, why?
• What do you think you will remember from this Op-Ed? Be concise.

 

Third, the reviewer and writer explain their respective feedback. This oral component of the peer review process has proved to be particularly helpful for students. In the case of unmatching responses to matched questions (two different targeted audiences, for instance) writers can explain what they were trying to do, and the person giving feedback can suggest ways this would have worked for them. This review process can be done twice in a class, for instance with one reviewer selected by students, and one by the instructor.

 

Fourth, students must submit a +/- 200-word assignment in link with the peer review activity. This can be submitted 24h before final submission, or with the final Op-ed. This is the graded part of the peer-review assignment. It has students take the time to review the feedback they receive in contrast with their answers one more time. Students are also asked if and how they have changed their Op-ed, and why. They can also explain why they do not agree with the feedback or explain how the two reviewers agreed or disagreed. This final part of the peer review assignment helps students internalize the feedback they received from their peers as they are preparing their final submission.

 

Once again, the Op-ed is a relatively short assignment. This means students can spend quality time on the rewriting process. Because the audience of an Op-ed is often the public (i.e the Canadian voters, or the Dawson community), students can also get feedback from family and peers, which are not always equipped to comment on academic papers. Professors should encourage students to seek external feedback for all papers, but in particular the Op-ed.

8. Peer Review Assignment

 

Perfecting the Op-ed Art

This last assignment is done a few weeks after the Op-ed was submitted. Often, students submit an assignment and move on to the next one, without taking time to revise their work. This assignment is aimed at giving a chance for student to revise their own work. It invites students to perfect their Op-ed, using the benefit of time, as well as your feedback. Students are asked, in class, to polish their Op-ed. They then re-submit it with track changes in word and comments explaining their modifications, how it answers your feedback, etc. Students are given two classes to complete this new submission and can also work on it from home.

 

Extra material

 

9. Op-Ed Assignment Template

 

10. Op-Ed Grid + Comments Sheet (To Print)

 

11. Steps of an Op-Ed (For Professors who want to assign Op-Ed)

 

12. Student Examples

 

Update: One student published his Op-Ed in the Journal de Montréal

 

 

Evaluation of the Module and Professor Feedback

If you assign the Op-ed in your class, please let us know! We hope to build a bank of themes and develop a collection of student Op-ed examples. Professors are invited to communicate their experiences with the module with Michel Fournier-Simard.

 

About Our Team

Our team is composed of three Political Science Faculty members, including one WID alumnus. The module we developed firstly responds to program objectives specific to the Introduction to Political Science course. It stems from discussions we have had in parallel to the ongoing program revision process. The three of us have taught many of the Introduction to Political science sections offered at Dawson in the past three years. In April/May 2023, the Op-ed replaced the final exam as the course comprehensive assessment in three Introduction classes. This follows trials in Winter 2022, Fall 2022, and the beginning of the Winter 2023 semester.

Report on Process

 

Lead and corresponding author:

Michel Fournier-Simard, PhD, Faculty, Political Science

msimard@dawsoncollege.qc.ca / LinkedIn

 

In collaboration with:

Dónal Gill, PhD, Faculty, Political Science, LSJ Coordinator

 

And valuable advice from:

Vanessa Gordon, Faculty, Political Science