ABSTRACT
In 2013, the course enrolment remained manageable for an experimental course. Fifteen students were enrolled, the same number as in 2012. Each was invited to take part in an ongoing evaluation of the course with a guarantee that if they did not take part, it would make no difference to their course or grade. The internal mechanics of the four-part research project remained the same in 2013 and 2014 but the all-encompassing ethics application used in 2012 left the students anxious about meeting their responsibilities and they required some micromanaging. Students' journals characterised the Public Sociology course as being "real," in comparison with the more abstract research methods course. Public Sociology was an autonomous learning environment that pushed students to adapt to grasp hold of the entire research process. The Public Sociology course changed the students' perception of themselves in relation to their capacity to contribute to their community.
