Peer Review

This publication is product of an effort to engage student participation and learning in sociology. This introductory sociology class was led by Professor and department chair Sharon Raz at Lake Washington Institute of Technology. She created an assignment to have students express themselves, both verbally and visually, through personal definitions of a sociology concept. Librarians Sue Wozniak and Greg Bem assisted Professor Raz providing instruction on open source licensing. Students were tasked with creating a personal definition of a sociological concept within a category, to describe and illustrate how the concept relates to their perspective of life given their culture, identity, background, and/or other factors that influence a personal lens. Students were asked to give a description and had the option of adding an image or expression in another form that illustrates the concept for them. This project is a form of open pedagogy, engaging student ideas in the process of learning and contributing to course materials for others to learn from. Open pedagogy is part of a broader concept of open education – a philosophy that attempts to remove barriers to learning and create equity in the learning process. The glossary is a work in progress that will be available by anyone to view, including future sociology students who will build the glossary with their own additions and adaptations of the concepts.

Open Education Textbook - Sociology Reference

This should not be used by students as a glossary of sociological concepts.  There are more reliable sources that provide definitions and appropriate examples.  There are at least two definitions for each concept.  

Since it is browser-based, no special software, plug-ins, or downloads are required. Users only need a modern web browser (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge) and an internet connection.

Compatibility and Access

• Fully accessible on both desktop and mobile devices.

• Responsive design allows reading on tablets and smartphones.

• No registration or login is required to access the content.

Navigation and Features

• Organized using Pressbooks’ chapter/section structure, allowing easy browsing of glossary entries.

• Users can jump between concepts via the table of contents.

• Internal hyperlinks and headings provide a clear, consistent layout.

• Some entries include images or multimedia, though alt-text is not always consistently applied.

Accessibility Considerations

• Text is scalable, making it easier for learners who require larger fonts.

• Standard Pressbooks accessibility features are present (semantic headings, readable navigation).

• Areas for improvement include: ensuring all images have alt-text, maintaining strong color contrast, and providing captions or descriptions for any multimedia elements.

Overall, the technical requirements are minimal and user-friendly, making this resource widely accessible for students and instructors across devices.

This was an effort to engage student participation and learning in sociology.  It may offer instructors a model of an alternative to multiple choice/short answer questions in assessing student knowledge of sociological concepts.

The primary goals of the LWTech Students’ Sociology Glossary are to:

• Support students in learning and applying key sociological concepts.

• Encourage learners to interpret concepts through their own cultural, social, and personal lenses.

• Foster critical thinking by linking academic knowledge with lived experience.

• Demonstrate the principles of open pedagogy, where students are not just consumers but also creators of educational content.

• Build an evolving, collaborative glossary that benefits both current and future sociology students.

Instructors

• No advanced background in sociology is required.

• Some familiarity with basic sociological vocabulary (e.g., culture, norms, values) is helpful but not essential.

• First-year college readiness (basic reading, reflection, and critical thinking skills) is sufficient.