Counting Tents: Pedagogical Reflections on Faculty–Student Collaboration in a Real-World Project on Homelessness

Pedagogy of Real-World Research Projects

Like prior research projects with students, we draw insights from the sociological imagination (Mills 1959) and public sociology (Burawoy 2005) to better connect student learning with real-world issues. Part of the promise of sociology is to offer empirical data and insights into contemporary social problems. This approach is consistent with efforts toward “positive sociology” (Yogan 2020), revealing the “magnificent” side of the sociological imagination (Savage 2022) and avoiding the “doom and gloom” of sociology (Johnson 2005).

Interest in real-world research is long-standing in sociology as it enhances student engagement (McKinney and Naseri 2011). A multitude of studies report that spending time in the community and real-world settings is worthwhile to students (Bach and Weinzimmer 2011; Mooney and Edwards 2001; Shostak et al. 2019). Prior studies also show that students benefit specifically from hands-on experience to critically examine social issues and real-world problems (Mobley 2007). Recent work also highlights the importance of research as a part of sociology curriculum (Peyrefitte and Lazar 2018; Wollschleger 2019). Our study emphasizes the role of students as producers of knowledge in line with other published work (Greenberg, London, and McKay 2020).

Our research model is at the intersection of three important and related pedagogical practices in higher education, including (1) active learning, (2) collaborative learning, and (3) problem-based learning. Active learning focuses on a high level of students’ involvement in their education as opposed to more passive learning. In active learning models, students see sociological ideas “firsthand” that they were previously exposed to in the classroom (Hironimus-Wendt and Wallace 2009). Foundational to our study is the idea that undergraduate students should do sociology, not just read about it, and in doing so become “effective practitioners of sociology” (Strangfeld 2013:200). Similar to Auken’s (2013) focus on both engagement and learning, our project combines active and collaborative learning.

Collaborative learning in the classroom disrupts a more traditional, faculty-led framework and enhances student learning (Killian and Bastas 2015). Unlike many undergraduate research projects that are highly curated, where the professor has a clear vision of the research study and assigns students specific data collection or analysis tasks, in this study we worked together to develop and modify the research design as it progressed. For example, in earlier research on homelessness, the lead author designed a research study for undergraduate students to collect qualitative data from residents of a sanctioned tent encampment that was hosted at Seattle Pacific University. Prior to inviting students to conduct interviews with camp residents, the research design and student expectations were clearly established. While this was an effective student learning experience with faculty–student collaboration (McKinney and Snedker 2017), it was more hierarchical and structured than the tent census.

Our research project also added elements from problem-based learning models that work well with active and collaborative modalities. This created opportunities for knowledge accumulation, development of research skills, and problem-solving capabilities (Eglitis, Buntman, and Alexander 2016). Students actively problem-solved together in both the classroom and community settings in real time. Few real-world projects for students tackle such a significant social issue with clear policy implications. Thus, our project and its scale add to the scholarship on teaching and learning by expanding the types of research projects that are possible as well as showing the efficacy of real-world projects through enhanced student learning and engagement.

Recruitment

Seattle Pacific University is a small Christian liberal arts college located five miles north of downtown Seattle. The university enrolls approximately 2,600 undergraduate and almost 800 graduate students. This project integrated course material to prepare student researchers to enter the field with the necessary substantive knowledge. Before participating in the research team, all students had completed the sociology department’s upper-division course on homelessness. Toward the end of the class, the faculty member proposed the idea of collecting data on tents. Of the 30 students enrolled in the course, 7 students joined the research team: four seniors, two juniors, and one sophomore. All but two students were sociology majors and all but one were female, consistent with the demographics of the major. All students had taken statistics, and six students had completed a research methods course. This preparation allowed for linking statistics and data gathering to larger social issues (Strangfeld 2013). The next quarter, students enrolled in a two-credit research class. The full research team collected data for the initial phase of the tent census, with the second and third authors remaining for the entire project. ³

Training

The research group met weekly during the first wave of data collection to facilitate a team environment. Familiarity and a shared interest in homelessness were already established. Trust and peer collaboration developed further as time went on. As this was a self-selected group, we did not run into issues with teamwork or needing to overcome the free-rider problem as noted by others (Bach and Weinzimmer 2011). In our first meetings, the focus was on training, procedures, and safety. This included basic logistics, dividing the workload, and becoming familiar with the necessary technology. We set up a group text for instant messaging for real-time responses to questions and used a scheduling website to coordinate time in the field.

During the meetings, the faculty member led the agenda but all team members participated in the conversation. As the project developed, students reflected on the previous week’s experiences in the field and identified any concerns that arose. When an undiscussed problem arose in the field, student researchers devised solutions on the ground, which were discussed in subsequent weekly meetings. In meetings, everyone—faculty member and student researchers—developed an official protocol on how to deal with emergent issues.

Data Collection

In this project, we employed traditional data collection methods highlighting the importance of “shoe leather” as described by ethnographer Mitch Duneier (2004). Our research team organized the data collection by geographic location, breaking areas down into neighborhoods with meaningful boundaries, usually two or three areas at a time. We relied on multiple means of transportation, including cars, buses, bikes, and walking, to find and count tents. When we saw a tent or group of tents, we recorded three things: (1) a geolocation pin on Google Maps with a label, (2) a picture of the tent (containing no individuals) or general area, and (3) an entry in the log with corresponding time and date. We recorded notes in the field in various ways, at times on the physical maps, on phones, or in a handwritten journal. We logged the times, locations, and number of tents seen for each specific geolocation pin for cross-referencing.

Reflections and Presentations

While in the field and during weekly meetings, students informally reflected on the experience of participating in a research data collection project. At the end of the quarter, the faculty member included a formal opportunity to reflect on the entire experience. As used in other studies, a reflective essay was required as a useful pedagogical approach to assess student experiences (Peyrefitte and Lazar 2018). On the initial wave of the project, all members of the research team submitted reflections as a part of the class requirement. The purpose of gathering reflections was to assess if this research project was an effective pedagogical exercise in applying and expanding knowledge of homelessness and sharpening student research and problem-solving skills. Students were asked to write an open-ended reflection on the process of counting tents and participating in a research team addressing homelessness. The faculty member analyzed the reflections for themes related to student learning and engagement consistent with standard qualitative data analysis techniques (Bailey 2017). While not planned from the beginning, presentation elements were included, noted by prior research as being rewarding and transformative for students (Shostak et al. 2019). Two students shared their experiences of the process to broader audiences, including at a regional sociological conference. The faculty member presented results of the tent census at several universities.

Student Learning

All seven students reported being well equipped to engage in the research given their knowledge about homelessness. They had all completed an upper-division course, so it was not surprising that many felt that they did not learn much more about homelessness per se, which has been noted in previous studies with extensive classroom preparation prior to entering the field (McKinney and Snedker 2017). Students learned more about tent-based homelessness, conducting research, working in teams, and actively problem-solving in the field.

While students were already knowledgeable about homelessness, they did learn more about their city and local geographic patterns of tents. Students reflected that they learned a lot about their city by going street by street, neighborhood by neighborhood, to count tents. “We saw parts of the city in new ways,” commented one student. Some students expressed feeling a new connection with both the tents and the city: “I felt myself forming a geographical connection with the streets and the encampments.” They also reported a new awareness in their own neighborhood, noticing when tents appeared or moved. In the tradition of urban sociology, students became excellent observers of the city at eye level. There was a clear link between classroom learning and learning in the field, as reflected by a student’s comment: “You can read these things in a textbook, a memoir, or a journalistic article, but you get a completely different perspective and feel when you’re on the ground” (emphasis in original).

At the onset of the project, students had an idea of what the data collection process would look like based on their previous review of sociological studies and their basic understanding of research methods. Once in the field, it became more complex. Student researchers reported enhanced learning on applied research skills. They learned to adapt to the conditions on the ground and adjust data collection and management accordingly. Participating in this project dispelled the common idea that social research is simply intuitive by providing students with invaluable and transferable knowledge and skills about the research process. Student reflections show the growth in their research skills. For example,

On the tent census team, I got to apply what I have learned in my sociology classes to research on homelessness in the city of Seattle.

This project was appealing in that it would provide me with a sense of what sociological research looks like.

Both collaboration and flexibility are needed in field research. The need to make decisions on the ground in teams distinguishes this from in-class collaborations. The actual work of counting tents was characterized by some as “long and tedious,” which accurately describes the painstaking work of collecting systematic data. Others recognized that the process could also be “exciting” and “interesting.” Another student summarized that her participation in the project reinforced her “belief in the importance of good data in sociological research.” Many students’ eyes were opened to complex issues as well as the difficulties surrounding collecting good data. The project helped highlight that collecting accurate and complete data requires hard work and flexibility. Over time, the two coauthors reflected that they became more critical in their assessments of data and research designs after participating in this data collection project.

Members of the research team, faculty and students, both learned some unexpected things. For example, we learned that city-published neighborhood maps were not comprehensive and hence not useful for our purpose. Some student assumptions about where tents would be located (such as along the major interstate artery, I-5) and where they would be absent were confirmed, while other assumptions were challenged. Based upon what students already knew and learned about urban homelessness, there were general patterns to be expected. In other cases, though, certain locations, such as a neighborhood near downtown, had fewer tents than anticipated. One student remarked, “I felt like I had wasted my time walking and driving in some neighborhoods only to find nothing.” She then reflected, given they were observing the entire city, “Of course you will have a lot of space where you won’t find what you are looking for [tents].” Another student commented that being in the field highlighted the “importance of getting oriented in a neighborhood,” and eventually they learned “some sense of the pace at which the landscape changes.” All of this reinforced that while they were knowledgeable about homelessness, they still learned about collecting data to document where tents were located.

Student learning was enhanced by a knowledgeable and collaborative group. Students learned about what it means to be a part of a team. One student stated, “One main thing I learned from this experience was how to be on a research team.” Students reflected that the nature of the team project allowed for diverse ideas to be shared:

We all got a chance to contribute our own suggestions for how to do the research.

We all brought different strengths and insights that made the research more well-rounded.

It feels really good to be in a room full of capable, motivated people who I respect, who together are putting together something even the city has failed to do.

Students also learned problem-solving skills by conducting sociological research. During data collection, student research teams worked and collaborated to find the best way to work through any issue that arose. The faculty member provided suggestions, reassured students that they were capable of making decisions in the field, and reminded them that issues would be assessed at the next meeting. Nearly every aspect of the data collection, storage, and analysis process called for creative problem-solving as there was not a blueprint of how to conduct a tent census. The main issues revolved around creating a data management system and compatibility and efficacy issues with different technologies. We ran into some technical difficulties (e.g., losing labels on some of our geographic data points) and learned valuable lessons about overreliance on technology. We devised a strategy to deal with high-density areas along the highway. Students learned to be flexible and to adapt practices as necessary, which is typical of real-world projects (Wollschleger 2019). Frequent meetings and open communication allowed for almost immediate resolution of concerns, building student confidence as the project progressed.

The freedom and trust associated with this model gave many students a sense of pride, ownership, and excitement, sustaining high levels of engagement. Throughout the process, students expressed confidence in their ability to conduct research in line with previous studies on real-world projects (Wollschleger 2019). High-impact educational practices have been credited with making the material students learn more relevant and increasing engagement with the material (Kuh 2008). Consistent with prior research, students engaging in real-world projects developed additional research and analytical skills (Bach and Weinzimmer 2011; Peyrefitte and Lazar 2018). Like others, we found that students developed a new understanding of the difficulties and benefits of conducting sociological research (Shostak et al., 2019).

Student Engagement

According to student reflections, active and applied learning were valuable to a higher sense of engagement. Working in teams also enhanced student commitment. As suggested by Wollschleger (2019), repeated interactions from working in teams might bring forth emotional energy through joint purpose and enhance student confidence and engagement. This project was fundamentally a team effort. One student summarized, “We all learned from one another, and the collaborative nature added to the high levels of engagement.” Familiarity among the student researchers, from the previous class on homelessness, enhanced the team’s success. One student commented, “We were all engaged and ready to go, armed with our recently received knowledge about the sociological factors surrounding homelessness.”

Students reported that collecting data made them feel more engaged in homelessness as an issue as they were doing something that could be part of the solution to the problem:

I wanted very badly to feel like I was actually contributing something other than just serving food and the like.

I think taking a tent census is important, because it gets us closer to knowing the scope of problems and from there, to find solutions.

I was also excited . . . where my research could actually be used for real-life applications.

Another student felt like she was a part of the solution, acknowledging that “it’s a crisis that needs to be solved and not ignored” and that “while it’s not fun counting [tents], it needs to be done so things can improve.” This sentiment was echoed by another student: “This research was a good step in increasing my personal understanding while contributing to work that I believe will have an impact.” One student simply stated, “We were achieving something valuable.” In terms of the project’s overall efficacy, one student reflected, “I continued to develop skills in the areas of conducting research, being an engaged citizen, and putting the two together.”

One student reflected that although the main goal of the project was data collection, it was also about “the process and engagement with the work. You are connected to the work and to the people you are doing the work with, in new ways.” Students commented that “doing something about” a known problem, such as homelessness, was important to them and kept them engaged in the issue. Trying to measure what is often hidden or purposely ignored also had an influence on members of the research team. Students commented on the importance of documenting the “actual presence of tents in our city” (emphasis in original). Given the prior involvement of all students in an upper-division elective course the previous quarter, their level of empathy toward people who are experiencing homelessness was already high. Yet, many students reported that they had even “more sympathy for the homeless population.”

Students also reported a new level of political engagement. This suggests that being involved in such an important and politicized issue as homelessness “created an even deeper form of engagement through local news and politics,” as one student noted. Students reflected on the political relevance of the project and being a part of a possible solution to homelessness—at least to the extent that accurate data can inform policy decisions. One student reported, “I am less motivated by specifically the process of counting tents and arriving at a number than by the general sense that this could be helpful, informative work.” Another student identified the importance of tent data to inform the homelessness debate so that “policies are based on reality instead of personal experience, biases, or reactions to outliers.” Connecting research to practice was important for students. Many students reflected on the significance of participating in research in the hopes that someone holding a political office or working in a social service agency might find our data useful in addressing homelessness.

Active learning strategies, such as team-based learning, even in the traditional classroom, also led students to report more positive attitudes toward the discipline of sociology (Killian and Bastas 2015; McKinney and Day 2012). Active learning models can give students opportunities to gain job skills and a better understanding of civic engagement (Mooney and Edwards 2001). In fact, participating in this research project inspired three of the students to participate in a volunteer-based regional data collection effort related to homelessness (2020 Point-in-Time Count). Like prior research, this experience gave students a better command of the research process and a higher level of engagement in community service (Bach and Weinzimmer 2011).

Involvement in real-world research projects might also be associated with future plans and career success. Practical research experiences, like our tent census, can lay the foundation for employment (Pike et al. 2017). After graduation, the second author went on to work for the U.S. 2020 Census, including working on a voluntary project to ensure that people experiencing homelessness are counted in the census, and is now employed as a field interviewer by NORC at the University of Chicago. The third author worked for a downtown homeless organization and has now transitioned to a research position at the University of Washington. Our results are similar to those of a research-based capstone course that reported that students expressed confidence in their ability to do research and felt prepared for graduate school and jobs (McKinney and Day 2012). The level of involvement, including conference presentations, advocacy work, and employment, is a clear outcome reflecting a high level of self-motivation and long-lasting engagement, influencing students well after project completion. This also speaks to the level of engagement the professor was able to generate from both the course and the real-world project.

Even though the unit of analysis for the research project was tents and not people, students commented that they continued to have deep conversations about the social causes and consequences of homelessness. Students continued to critically engage with national stories and local conversations about homelessness, getting a new perspective when our research became part of the public debate. For example, the project gained media attention. ⁴ This served as an important reminder that research of this type has direct, real-world implications.

Prior research highlights the importance of investment of time, energy, and resources by faculty, programs, and institutions for collaborative learning and student engagement (Kuh et al. 2007). The university provided students critical summer stipends and small research grants to assist with this project. This project exhibits that even with a small amount of financial support from an institution, novel and ambitious real-world projects are possible.

Challenges and Limitations

Students identified several challenges and limitations with participating in this kind of research project. The gravity of the work was not lost on students. The scope of the data collection part of the project was also sometimes overwhelming. Documenting more tents meant that more people were unsheltered, which was distressing to students. One student noted the disconnect in searching for tents and the enthusiasm that followed: “It is strange to celebrate finding more tents as if on a treasure hunt.” Another student expressed a similar concern, characterizing the “strange satisfaction” the team members got when they found a tent: “It felt very convoluted to be excited about spotting a tent, because we were excited to be finding data, but of course the reality of the situation should not be an exciting thing at all.”

The project’s impact on students was great but limited in its reach. The independent research study class was small, with only seven student participants with limited reflections. In hindsight, more written student reflections should have been gathered as there were opportunities in weekly meetings. Focusing on the research side of the project and time constraints were the main impediments to collecting more student reflection data. Even though most of the student researchers were involved for only a portion of the project, it was still influential for all students. Research shows that students benefit from even partial participation in real-world research projects (Wollschleger 2019). In addition, the amount of faculty time and effort that this type of active learning research project requires makes it difficult to implement widely. Despite some of the challenges and limitations, we report academic growth, personal growth, and greater engagement with the community consistent with other community-engaged and research-based learning opportunities for undergraduate students (Greenberg et al. 2020).

Lessons Learned and Recommendations

As a faculty member leading this team, I experienced several challenges. First, I found it difficult to predict what information to share or reinforce in the weekly meeting to better prepare students to enter the field in the following week. The biggest issue I faced as a faculty member was dealing with the tension between enhancing data collection and student learning. This was not resolved, nor perhaps can it be, but future faculty–student collaborations will need to address this balance and consider the trade-offs between data reliability and student learning. I erred on the side of student learning (and safety) but could have been more explicit with students about the tension and subsequent data limitations. Future student research projects could improve upon this model by adding more opportunities to measure student learning and engagement.

On the basis of my experience with this research project, I offer several practical recommendations that are applicable to other real-world research projects with students: