The editor's goal in compiling this book was to invite authors to articulate their philosophies, course designs, and teaching techniques for the introductory psychology course. The authors were told to write a chapter for all introductory psychology teachers and to address how the teaching of introductory psychology could be made more rewarding to students and teachers alike. A few authors comment specifically on the writing process of introductory textbooks, and the parallels they have found between the classes they teach and the material they write. It is hoped that these chapters help to shed light on any introductory textbook's underlying purpose, goals, and organization and thus enable teachers to use these essential texts more effectively.
This book presents recommendations for teaching the introductory psychology course, developed by the Introductory Psychology Initiative (IPI) task force appointed by APA's Board of Educational Affairs (BEA). Case studies illustrate the application of recommendations to learning goals and outcomes, course design, teacher training, and student transformation.
This new book provides a scholarly, yet practical approach to the challenges found in teaching introductory psychology. Best Practices for Teaching Introduction to Psychology addresses: • developing the course and assessing student performance • selecting which topics to cover and in how much depth • the effective use of teaching assistants (TAs) and efficient and fair ways to construct and grade exams • choosing the best textbook • assessment advice on how to demonstrate students are learning; • using on-line instruction, writing exercises, and class demonstrations • teaching majors and non-majors in the same classroom. This book will appeal to veteran and novice educators who teach introductory psychology as well as graduate students teaching the course for the first time. It will also serve as an excellent resource in faculty workshops on teaching introductory psychology.
Most new psychology instructors enter their first undergraduate classrooms with little or no formal preparation for their role as a teacher. The goal of this book is to review the body of teaching research that is available as well as some of the well-accepted lore, so as to make the first foray into teaching psychology a positive experience. Teaching Psychology outlines the major problems and issues confronting psychology teachers. It presents an overview of the "nuts and bolts" of teaching psychology including dealing with troubled and troubling students, choosing and using technology, developing evaluation instruments, and selecting methods for self-evaluation. Written by two award-winning psychology professors with over 50 years of combined teaching experience, the book offers a wide range of down-to-earth suggestions and immediately usable materials intended to help psychology teachers teach better and help students learn more. The chapters are organized to roughly parallel the sequence of tasks that new psychology teachers face, beginning with goal setting and ending with evaluation of one's teaching. Each chapter is chockfull of helpful tools including checklists, sample lecture notes, writing assignments, and grading criteria. To make it easier to customize this material, these tools are available on an accompanying CD along with a rating sheet for choosing a textbook, a student grade-record sheet, a sample statement on academic integrity and a pool of less-than-perfect test items to hone item-writing skills. This book offers guidelines for teaching such as: setting goals in line with 10 basic principles of effective teaching planning the basics including choosing a text, writing a syllabus, and creating a grading system setting a positive tone in the classroom providing tips on asking and answering questions, promoting critical thinking, and evaluating student performance. Intended for psychology graduate students who are learning to teach, faculty who train psychology instructors, and new psychology faculty at institutions ranging from high schools to universities, as well as experienced faculty wishing to hone their teaching skills.
The International Handbook of Psychology Learning and Teaching is a reference work for psychology learning and teaching worldwide that takes a multi-faceted approach and includes national, international, and intercultural perspectives. Whether readers are interested in the basics of how and what to teach, in training psychology teachers, in taking steps to improve their own teaching, or in planning or implementing research on psychology learning and teaching, this handbook will provide an excellent place to start. Chapters address ideas, issues, and innovations in the teaching of all psychology courses, whether offered in psychology programs or as part of curricula in other disciplines. The book also presents reviews of relevant literature and best practices related to everything from the basics of course organization to the use of teaching technology. Three major sections consisting of several chapters each address “Teaching Psychology in Tertiary (Higher) Education”, “Psychology Learning and Teaching for All Audiences”, and “General Educational and Instructional Approaches to Psychology Learning and Teaching”.
This book is designed to help students organize their thinking about psychology at a conceptual level. The focus on behaviour and empiricism has produced a text that is better organized, has fewer chapters, and is somewhat shorter than many of the leading books. The beginning of each section includes learning objectives; throughout the body of each section are key terms in bold followed by their definitions in italics; key takeaways, and exercises and critical thinking activities end each section.
Intended as a resource for psychology educators ranging from teaching assistants to experienced faculty, this book shows readers how to effectively create and manage an online psychology course. Guidelines for preparing courses, facilitating communication, and assigning grades are provided along with activities and assessments geared specifically towards psychology. Pedagogical theories and research are fused with the authors’ teaching experiences to help maximize the reader’s abilities as an online psychology instructor. The book focuses on psychology education at the undergraduate level but it also includes material appropriate for graduate students and professionals. Readers will find helpful examples from all the major content areas including introductory, social, developmental, biological, abnormal, and positive psychology, and human sexuality. Every chapter is organized around 3 sections. The Purpose part introduces the key concepts, theory, and research. The Implementation section reviews the ‘nuts and bolts’ of online teaching, and the Troubleshooting section addresses key problems and potential solutions. 'Text boxes' highlight important tips. The website http://www.TeachingPsychologyOnline.com provides additional tips, links to related articles and other resources, and examples of online psychology assignments from across the discipline. The book addresses: launching your online course; enhancing student/instructor communication; modes of multimedia and how to integrate them into your course including lecture videos, podcasting, blogging, wikis, and social networking sites; creating activities for online courses; assessment and grading; and online education trend including doctoral level education. Ideal for instructors teaching ANY psychology course, from introductory to upper-level undergraduate to graduate courses, this text can be used for developing on line courses in applied areas such as counseling, health, and industrial psychology as well as for courses in social, cognitive, and developmental psychology. Instructors of any technical skill level can use this book, including those familiar with Blackboard to those who are just getting started. Whether you are a seasoned pro or new to teaching psychology online, the tips in this book can help improve your instruction, reduce your prep time, and enhance your students’ success.
A Guide to Teaching Introductory Psychology focuses on the critical aspects of teaching introductory psychology to undergraduate students. It includes ideas, tips, and strategies for effectively teaching this course and provides useful answers to commonly asked questions. A concise and accessible guide to teaching introductory courses in Psychology Begins with an orienting history of the course· Evaluates current trends in teaching and offers suggestions for developing personal techniques Addresses a number of relevant issues, including how to teach difficult topics; linking course content to everyday experience; developing and using class presentations, lectures, and active learning ideas; and increasing interest in course topics Supported by a website that provides links to useful websites and handouts that instructors can use in their classes (http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/teachpsychscience/lucas/)
This volume provides thoroughly updated guidelines for preparing and teaching an entire course in psychology. Based on best principles and effective psychological and pedagogical research, it offers practical suggestions for planning a course, choosing teaching methods, integrating technology appropriately and effectively, developing student evaluation instruments and programs, and ideas for evaluation of your own teaching effectiveness. While research-based, this book was developed to be a basic outline of "what to do" when you teach. It is intended as a self-help guide for relatively inexperienced psychology teachers, whether graduate students or new faculty, but also as a core reading assignment for those who train psychology instructors. Experienced faculty who wish to hone their teaching skills will find the book useful, too.
Introductory and capstone experiences in the undergraduate psychology program are crucial ways to engage students in their major and psychology department, impart realistic expectations, and prepare them for life beyond college. Providing the right orientation and capstone courses in psychology education is increasingly a concern of instructors, department chairs, program directors, and deans, and both types of courses have become important sources for gathering pre- and post-coursework assessment data for degree learning outcomes. The strategies presented here have been designed to help educators examine issues around teaching the introductory or careers course and developing a psychology-specific orientation program. The authors also provide concrete suggestions for building capstone experiences designed to fit the needs of a department, its pedagogical philosophy, or the educational agenda of the college or university. Undergraduate psychology curriculum designers and instructors can benefit from learning innovative and effective strategies for introducing the major to first-year students and, at graduation, for bringing closure, reinforcing the overall departmental learning outcomes, and helping students apply their disciplinary knowledge in capstone experiences and post-graduate life. In this collection of articles, psychology instructors involved in the improvement of teaching and learning review the research and share their own successes and challenges in the classroom. Discussions include effective practices for helping students become acclimated to and engaged in the psychology major, application of developmental knowledge and learning communities to course design, and use of quality benchmarks to improve introductory and capstone courses. Other chapters describe innovations in the design of stand-alone courses and offer concrete advice on counseling psychology graduates about how to use what they have learned beyond their higher education experiences.
