Abstract
Volume 25 No. 2, 2019
Improving exam performance in an undergraduate statistics course for at-risk students through peer tutoring
Milushka Elbulok-Charcape, Evan Grandoit, Lorin Berman, Joshua Fogel, Lauren Fink and Laura Rabin
Psychology Teaching Review, 25(2), 3–17.
Peer tutoring is an effective method of improving undergraduate students’ academic performance, especially for those at-risk for poor grades. Peer tutoring has seldom been explored in undergraduate statistics, a difficult but required course for many college majors. The current study investigated the benefits of peer tutoring for 180 demographically-diverse undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory psychology statistics course at an urban public university. We investigated the predictive value of attendance at peer tutoring sessions for in-class examination performance. We also studied the role of help-seeking and self-efficacy. Results indicated that peer tutoring attendance was associated with higher grades for in-class examination among at-risk students. Help-seeking and self-efficacy were not associated with in-class examination scores. Peer tutors can help at-risk students increase scores in statistics courses. Departments offering undergraduate introductory statistics courses should allocate resources to allow for funding of peer tutoring programs.
peer tutoring, undergraduate students, psychology, introductory statistics; self-efficacy, help-seeking
Psychology internship as partnership: Four perspectives
Benita Stitles-Smith, Nadine Isler, Barbara Kennedy and Jenni Beckett
Psychology Teaching Review, 25(2), 18–29.
Internships for psychologists are intended to provide grounding and training for practice in the field. We posit that this, though certainly bringing focused attention to content and competencies, is best completed within collaborative working relationships intentionally nurtured between educational and practice settings on behalf of the intern to greater degrees than are normally present in most internships. This article brings views from four perspectives: Those of the University Programme Co-ordinator in overview, the Intern Psychologist, the Psychologist Site Supervisor, and the Psychologist University Supervisor. Using a mountaineering metaphor, we present a chronicle of the experience, useful learnings, and practical recommendations. The four authors worked together through the internship year, with the intern working in an on-campus student health centre. Internship detail of this setting is provided to anchor the narrative, but the learnings generalise across internship settings.
psychology internship, internship supervisor, site supervisor, university supervisor, internship competencies, competency-based learning, integrative learning
Use and impact of the open source online editor Etherpad in a psychology students’ statistics class
Sarah Bebermeier and Denise Kerkhoff
Psychology Teaching Review, 25(2), 30–38.
The Etherpad is an open source online editor providing the possibility for collaborative writing and discussions in real-time via a shared link. Previous research has shown that the use of technology in higher education can be effective and that online editors can facilitate collaborative learning. This article outlines the use of the Etherpad in a psychology Master’s students’ statistics class. During the lecture, students asked and answered questions in the Etherpad, followed the discussion of others, and/or gave general comments on the lecture and its topics. A tutor and the lecturer acted as moderators of the Etherpad. For evaluative purposes, students’ participation in the Etherpad and their feedback in a mixed-methods survey were investigated. In all, 50 out of 90 students attending the course sessions participated in the evaluation. Students’ commitment and feedback were very positive. We conclude by discussing implications of the Etherpad use for lecturers teaching statistics.
Etherpad, online editor, large group teaching, statistics education, technology enhanced learning
Teaching scientific thinking using recent archival revelations about the Stanford Prison Experiment
Richard A. Griggs and Jared M. Bartels
Psychology Teaching Review, 25(2), 39–47.
Although the Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE) has been challenged on methodological, theoretical, and ethical grounds, these criticisms have been largely ignored by teachers and textbook authors.
Recent revelations arising from an analysis of the SPE archival materials, however, not only strongly support these past criticisms but also question the scientific validity of the SPE and the accuracy of Zimbardo’s published and media accounts of it. These revelations have led some psychologists to call for the removal of SPE coverage in psychology courses and textbooks. We agree with this call but recommend that coverage of the SPE in light of the archival revelations replace it in order to teach psychology students about science and scientific thinking, critical elements in the psychology curriculum. We provide examples of how this can be done to teach the critical role of falsification in science and the negative influence of careerism on scientific research.
scientific thinking, Stanford Prison Experiment, Philip Zimbardo
On the other side: Learning about being a service user or carer during simulation training on a clinical psychology doctorate programme
Pieter W. Nel and Lizette Nolte
Psychology Teaching Review, 25(2), 49–54.
Training clinical psychologists to be able to work with those who will use their services in ways that are not ‘othering’ or stigmatising and that facilitate a safe, compassionate and accepting place from where psychological therapy can be undertaken, is an essential task for trainers. Although simulation training is widely used in some healthcare professions, it is a relatively new method in clinical psychology training. In this article we describe a simulation training exercise as one effective way to achieve the goals described above.
Simulation, clinical psychology training, service user or carer
Writing to reduce anxiety and improve outcomes in introduction to statistics for psychology majors
Yosefa Modiano and Marianna Bonanome
Psychology Teaching Review, 25(2), 55–63.
No Abstract
Teaching reproducible research: Brief report on a DART-P workshop
Mark Gardner
Psychology Teaching Review, 25(2), 64–66.
No Abstract
DART-P Second Annual Conference
Kate Jury
Psychology Teaching Review, 25(2), 67–68.
No Abstract
DARTP conference combined abstracts and symposium
Various
Psychology Teaching Review, 25(2), 69–89.
No Absract
Abstracts from the conference. Too many to include (see PDF).
Developing creative thinking skills in adolescents through play-based pedagogic planning principles
Bridget Mawtus, Sara Rodriguez-Cuadrado, Karen M. Ludke and Roderick I. Nicolson
Psychology Teaching Review, 25(2), 91–94.
It is becoming clear that in the 21st century, a focus on skill development in education is necessary to complement the curriculum, particularly with regards to creative problem solving. The emerging Pedagogy of Play seems to provide a framework to facilitate this but is not easily applicable in the mainstream UK due to difficulties in empowering teachers to use it on an everyday basis. In response to this, a simple methodology was developed to encourage teachers to implement a Pedagogy of Play approach in the secondary UK classroom, and a control experimental Student Focused method was explored in a similar way. A classroom evaluation of the two methods was undertaken along with a control teaching as usual group. This was done in a classroom timeframe collecting pre-and-post measurements of creative thinking using the Widening, Connecting and Reorganising model of creativity, in addition to teacher generated attainment at the same time points. Results indicated that teachers showed clear appreciation of, and engagement with, the approach for both innovative methods. The use of Pedagogy of Play led to significant enhancements of creative thinking while the Student Focused method did not, although this group did show a significant improvement in subject attainment. This indicates it is possible to enhance creativity within the school curriculum and that Pedagogy of Play may be a way of doing this. Future research should focus on the exploration of a hybrid methodology to enhance both creative thinking and increase subject attainment.
planning, teaching, play, creativity
Back to the chalkboard: Lessons in scaffolding using SOLO taxonomy from school teachers for university educators
Eva A. Sprecher
Psychology Teaching Review, 25(2), 95–102.
This paper has been developed from a practical oral presentation given by the author as a bursary winner at the second annual DART-P Conference which took place at the University of Cardiff in June 2019.
University–school mentoring to support transition into and out of higher education
Alana I. James
Psychology Teaching Review, 25(2), 103–107.
No Abstract
Traditional versus interactive teaching: Out with the old, in with the new?
Paula J. Miles
Psychology Teaching Review, 25(2), 108–113.
No Abstract
Higher education psychology teacher of the year: Finalist case study 2019
Yvonne Skipper
Psychology Teaching Review, 25(2), 114–118.
No Abstract
Book reviews
Psychology Teaching Review, 25(2), 119–125.
No abstract
Note. The full articles are published in Psychology Teaching Review, Volume 25, No. 2, which can be downloaded from: https://shop.bps.org.uk/psychology-teaching-review-vol-25-no-2-2019.html