Abstract
Volume 44, No. 2
Topical Articles
Should Students Have the Power to Change Course Structure?
Gerald P. McDonnell & Michael D. Dodd
Teaching of Psychology, 44(2), 91–99.
In the present article, we describe a course exercise in which students were administered four course evaluation forms throughout the semester, on which they provided their overall impressions of the class as well as their desire to change certain aspects of the course. Critically, during the semester, a total of three changes were made to the structure of the course as voted on by the students. Compared to the previous semester where students completed only end-of-semester evaluations, improvements in exam performance as well as instructor ratings were observed. Furthermore, students indicated that the changes made throughout the semester improved the course, and they hoped that other classes would adopt a similar classroom developmental strategy. This supports a growing body of evidence, suggesting that midsemester feedback is crucial for optimizing the learning environment for the student, particularly when concrete changes are made after the administration of course feedback.
Cultures of Diversity: Considering Scientific and Humanistic Understandings in Introductory Psychology
Andrew M. Guest, Zachary L. Simmons, Andrew Downs & Mark R. Pitzer
Teaching of Psychology, 44(2), 100–107.
Teachers of psychology tend to agree that learning about diversity is an important goal for undergraduate psychology courses. There is significantly less agreement about what aspects of diversity psychology students should understand. The current research proposes and investigates two potentially distinct ways students might understand diversity: more scientific understandings of topical knowledge related to nature and nurture and more humanistic understandings related to multicultural awareness and sensitivity. Drawing on standardized surveys and open-ended responses to diversity questions from the beginning and end of introductory psychology courses, results indicate that students’ topical knowledge of diversity is not strongly associated with multicultural sensitivity. These results emphasize the importance of clarifying the meanings of addressing diversity as a course goal and are discussed in relation to the multiple challenges of teaching about diversity in psychology courses.
Psychological Literacy in Applied Psychology Disciplines: Back to, or Beyond, the Basics?
Thomas J. Tomcho & Rob Foels
Teaching of Psychology, 44(2), 108–116.
Undergraduate psychology majors need a broad base of knowledge in order to be viewed as competent graduates. In addition to acquiring basic knowledge, the American Psychological Association (APA) has guidelines for applied knowledge as well. In order to ensure a broad base of knowledge, teachers therefore need to know what the important psychological concepts are not only in both basic and applied areas of psychology. We examined key concepts across five applied areas of psychology and identified 30 key concepts that occur in two or more applied areas of psychology. It is evident from our findings that there is notable intersection between applied psychology and basic psychological science but also important applied concepts that stand alone from basic psychology. We discuss how these findings are directly relevant to APA’s undergraduate learning goal of psychological literacy.
An Active-Learning Approach to Fostering Understanding of Research Methods in Large Classes
Jennifer LaCosse, Sarah E. Ainsworth, Melissa A. Shepherd, Michael Ent, Kelly M. Klein, Lauren A. Holland-Carter, Justin H. Moss, Mark Licht & Barbara Licht
Teaching of Psychology, 44(2), 117–123.
The current investigation tested the effectiveness of an online student research project designed to supplement traditional methods (e.g., lectures, discussions, and assigned readings) of teaching research methods in a large-enrollment Introduction to Psychology course. Over the course of the semester, students completed seven assignments, each representing a stage of the research process. Students formed hypotheses, tested their hypotheses using data from the class, interpreted their results, generated future directions, created PowerPoint slides summarizing their projects, and presented their results in a poster session. We found support for the hypothesis that the research methods intervention would lead to better performance on a research methods quiz compared to students in a nonintervention section taught by the same instructor. This intervention demonstrated that it is feasible to use project-oriented active-learning techniques to foster understanding of research methods in large classes.
Virtual Learning Environments in Social Psychology: Using The SIMs3 to Teach Self-Related Processes
Jessica A. Stansbury
Teaching of Psychology, 44(2), 124–133.
An interactive learning module was developed and implemented in a social psychology course to teach concepts of the self via selfexploration and game play using The SIMS3. Students volunteered to play the computer video game throughout a 5–week summer session as a supplement to reading the chapter in the textbook. Results revealed that students who played the game demonstrated a significant increase in content knowledge compared to those who engaged in other active learning projects; interestingly, students who played the game reported lower levels of confidence with course material. Student’s overall perceived experience (e.g., engagement, fun) of the learning module was also explored.
Effects of Three Pedagogies on Learning Outcomes in a Psychology of Gender Lecture: A Quasi-Experimental Study
Jeffrey S. Reber, Samuel D. Downs & Julie A. Peterson Nelson
Teaching of Psychology, 44(2), 134–144.
This study employed a quasi-experimental design to test the effects of three pedagogies on learning outcomes in a simulated psychology of gender lecture. Results showed that meaning and relational pedagogies, as well as a combination of meaning, relational, and explanatory pedagogies, significantly improved participant learning beyond self-study and produced a significant improvement in retention as well. Interestingly, participants in the relational condition excelled on these learning outcomes even though the instructor covered very little reading material in that condition. Despite the benefits of these pedagogies, participants showed a clear preference for the lower performing explanatory instructional approach, which suggests that students may not readily recognize pedagogies that best contribute to effective learning and retention in classes like the psychology of gender.
Faculty Forum
Predicting Academic Success With Early, Middle, and Late Semester Assessment of Student–Instructor Rapport
William J. Lammers, J. Arthur Gillaspy Jr. & Felecia Hancock
Teaching of Psychology, 44(2), 145–149.
We used a brief scale to measure student–instructor rapport and assessed the degree to which student’s perceived rapport at the beginning, middle, and end of the semester predicted final course grades in a traditional course. Results showed a positive correlation between rapport scores and final grades such that rapport at each of the time points during the semester predicted final course grade. Those students for whom rapport decreased across the semester showed significantly lower final grades than students for whom rapport remained stable or increased. Results support the psychometric properties of the Student–Instructor Rapport Scale-9 and that student–instructor rapport formed early in the semester predicts academic success.
Effects of an Interteaching Probe on Learning and Generalization of American Psychological Association (APA) Style
Jonathan M. Slezak & Caitlin Faas
Teaching of Psychology, 44(2), 150–154.
This study implemented the components of interteaching as a probe to teach American Psychological Association (APA) Style to undergraduate university students in a psychology research methods and statistics course. The interteaching method was compared to the traditional lecture-based approach between two sections of the course with the same instructor. Both teaching strategies significantly increased student performance on the APA Style knowledge relative to pretest performance, with a greater average increase and larger effect size for students exposed to interteaching methods. However, 2 months after the initial intervention, the application of APA Style knowledge to a draft of a research report resulted in no significant differences. Future research is warranted to determine conditions that result in enhanced generalization and retention of APA Style knowledge.
An Intervention Designed to Reduce Plagiarism in a Research Methods Classroom
Rita Obeid & Darryl B. Hill
Teaching of Psychology, 44(2), 155–159.
Research has shown that plagiarism is on the increase in higher education. Some state that this is due to poor knowledge rather than intentional cheating. Other researchers explain that plagiarism is on the rise due to increased competitiveness in college and easy access to work that has already been completed. In this study, we show how a 2–hr intervention in a research methods classes, available free online, successfully reduced plagiarism in a sample of undergraduate students registered in a research methods in psychology class across three semesters. The implications of this study are that students need specific training and knowledge, not simply the threat of being caught, before their plagiarism is reduced.
Student Responses to Active Learning Activities With Live and Virtual Rats in Psychology Teaching Laboratories
Maree J. Hunt & Anne C. Macaskill
Teaching of Psychology, 44(2), 160–164.
Taking an ethical approach to using nonhuman animals in teaching requires assessment of the learning benefits of using animals and how these compare to the benefits of alternative teaching practices. It is also important to consider whether students have ethical reservations about completing exercises with animals. We compared upper level undergraduate students’ evaluations of psychology laboratories using live rats with their evaluations of using a virtual rat (Sniffy). Students reported that the live-rat labs were ethically acceptable and that working with live rats enhanced their learning to a greater extent than working with Sniffy. These results support the retention of laboratories using live rats in psychology courses.
Using the Dead to Teach the Living: Making the Classroom Come Alive With Obituaries
Dana E. Boccio & Andrea M. Macari
Teaching of Psychology, 44(2), 165–168.
The American Psychologist did not regularly publish the obituaries of prominent psychologists until 1979. The objective of the obituary section was not to canonize the deceased, but rather to respond to the field’s budding interest in the history of psychology. This article argues that the obituary, when viewed as a historical document, offers great pedagogical value in the psychology classroom. With distinct advantages over traditional instructional approaches, the obituaries of preeminent psychologists (1) include anecdotes that are often not covered in typical psychology textbooks, (2) present biographical information that has the potential to increase personal relevance to students and capitalize on the self-reference effect, and (3) reflect the zeitgeist of the field. Specific recommendations for how to incorporate obituaries into the psychology curriculum are suggested.
Coverage of Rosenhan’s ‘‘On Being Sane in Insane Places’’ in Abnormal Psychology Textbooks
Jared M. Bartels & Daniel Peters
Teaching of Psychology, 44(2), 169–173.
The present study examined 12 abnormal psychology textbooks to determine whether Rosenhan’s classic study, “Being sane in insane places,” was covered, and if so, the nature of that coverage. Only 50% covered the study, with all describing the study as demonstrating the biasing power of psychiatric labels. Two key aspects of the study (the diagnoses of schizophrenia and their supposed subsequent influence on the hospital staff’s perception of the pseudopatients’ normal behavior as pathological) were commonly discussed. However, although the study has been heavily criticized, only two texts discussed any criticism of it. Teachers and text authors are urged to become more familiar with the critical literature on this study, and suggestions for class discussions of the study are provided.
The Generalist’s Corner
Confronting Bias Through Teaching: Insights From Social Psychology
Chelsea Crittle & Keith B. Maddox
Teaching of Psychology, 44(2), 174–180.
Research in social psychology has the potential to address real-world issues involving racial stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. Literature on confrontation suggests that addressing racism can be seen as a persuasive act that will allow for more effective interpersonal interactions. In this article, we explore the persuasive communication literature in the context of classroom education on the pervasiveness of racial bias. We examine some of the challenges instructors might face from students. Finally, we suggest strategies that might allow for a more effective classroom experience.