Pop culture, twitter, and study abroad: Estonia as a case study

Abstract

Abstract This article highlights a number of different pedagogical practices that can be used with study abroad programs, both classroom methods and out-of-class techniques. In this particular class - which focused on Estonia's Singing Revolution and included a 10-day trip abroad to Estonia - social media platforms like Twitter and Tumblr were frequently used to create collaboration among students. In addition, Estonian music and pop culture were studied, giving students a unique insight into a culture very foreign from their own. Although Estonia was the focus of this particular class, the results of these methods are generalizable to help others who lead study abroad programs and develop creative ways to foster interaction. This article also demonstrates why social media platforms are helpful to political scientists and the political science discipline more generally. Copyright © American Political Science Association 2014.