Handbook for Teaching Introductory Psychology

Volume Ii

Michelle Rae Hebl, Charles L. Brewer, Ludy T. Benjamin, Jr.

• Publisher: Psychology Press
• Year: 2001
• ISBN:
  9781135645557
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: History & Theory in Psychology
• Index: Psychology

Like its predecessors, Volume III of the Handbook for Teaching Introductory Psychology provides introductory psychology instructors with teaching ideas and activities that can immediately be put into practice in the classroom. It contains an organized collection of articles from Teaching of Psychology (TOP), the official journal of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology, Division 2 of the American Psychological Association. Volume III contains 89 articles from TOP that have not been included in other volumes. Another distinction between this volume and its predecessors is its emphasis on testing and assessment. The book is divided into two sections. Section One, "Issues and Approaches in Teaching Introductory Psychology, " contains 52 articles on critical issues, such as: how to approach the course; understanding students' interests, perceptions, and motives; students' existing knowledge of psychology (including their misconceptions); a comparison of introductory textbooks and tips on how to evaluate them; test questions and student factors affecting exam performance; an overview of different forms of feedback; giving extra credit; and how to deal with academic dishonesty. Section Two consists of 37 articles that present demonstrations, class and laboratory projects, and other techniques to enhance teaching and learning in both the introductory, as well as advanced courses in the discipline. This section is organized so as to parallel the order of topics found in most introductory psychology textbooks. Intended for academicians who teach the introductory psychology course and/or oversee grad assistants who teach the course, all royalties of the book go directly to the Society for the Teaching of Psychology to promote its activities to further improve the teaching of psychology.

Section I
Issues and Approaches in Teaching Introductory Psychology

1.
APPROACHES TO THE INTRODUCTORY COURSE

Bringing Psychology to Life

Dale McAdam
University of Rochester

Bringing Psychology to Life (BPL) is a series of exercises that requires introductory students to find and discuss psychological explanations for their observations of behavior and mental life. It is the first set of recitations for students and teaching assistants (TAs).

The goals of BPL are: (a) to present an approach to psychology that will tap student energy and curiosity by allowing exploration of individual interests; (b) to introduce inexperienced TAs to the classroom with appropriate measures of structure, freedom, and self-reference to give them some teaching skills and confidence; and (c) to encourage students and TAs to become familiar with the textbook.

The first of these goals has been explored by Hettich (1976, 1980) who used a personal journal and by Brender (1982) who used a log-based term paper. Their approaches do not involve discussions, which can serve the goal of relating knowledge to experience (McKeachie, 1969).

In our one-semester introductory course, we provide the usual survey of psychology and training in the facile use of its language, procedures, and concepts. We offer individualized learning experiences through BPL and other guided involvements in matters close to students’ lives and interests.

Undergraduate TAs are promised that they will learn psychology by teaching it. They are junior and senior psychology majors, “near-peers” of their students. Their backgrounds include a course in statistics and four or more courses in psychology. Most aspire to graduate work in psychology or related fields, and many are preparing for GREs.

The most important TA duty is the development of projects for small groups of students. At the beginning of the semester, TAs need time to construct their projects and BPL provides the time to do so. More important, BPL provides TAs with teaching experience in a context that includes active discussion, focused effort, the support of a structured lesson plan, and freedom to use their knowledge.

Introductory students develop questions about behavior and mental life before answers to them are covered in the course. This is especially true for their questions about social and clinical psychology, the savory and sweet offered last in most introductions. Furthermore, as we pass through the early material, I highlight its relevance to what will come later. I can do this more effectively if students are acquainted with the entire text. Because searches throughout the textbook are part of BPL, it develops early familiarity.

The BPL Assignment

The basic assignment for BPL is given in the syllabus. It is deceptively simple:

Choose and explain three observations of behavior and mental life. Your report should include: (a) clear descriptions of the observations in simple, behavioral terms; (b) your (clearly noted) interpretations of the observations; and (c) most important, psychological explanations of the observations (and your interpretations of them) which are supported by (d) specific citations to your textbook. The critical presentation of alternative explanations is particularly encouraged.

All students receive that assignment and information about signing up and earning credit for BPL along with the following (imperfect) sample.

My roomie is ordinarily a shy person who does not meet other people easily (especially girls) and who is usually very quiet in a group. However, his whole personality changes when he’s partying. He flirts, and he’s boisterous and funny. He says the alcohol “stimulates” him, and without it he’s nerdy. But we know that alcohol is a depressant and, according to Carlson (p. 108), the apparent stimulation effects really are due to the depression of parts of the brain that are inhibiting behavior.

A critical approach to the sample is supported by several questions that are pointed at its imperfections:

Which parts of the first sentence are observations, and which are interpretations? Does the report support the contention that the change after a few beers constitutes a “whole” personality change? What about other explanations for the observations; for example, those based in his roomie’s expectations about drinking and about not drinking, or in the social facilitation provided by the party setting?

Procedures

There are three weekly meetings beginning the 3rd week of the semester. The first is an introduction, the second a workshop, and the third a presentation and discussion of student work. A written report is due the day after the third meeting. Each TA works with two BPL sections.

Efforts are made to keep meetings informal. Chairs or desks are set in a circle. The TAs begin the first meeting by introducing and telling something about themselves, ineluding how and why they came to be TAs. Students are asked to introduce and say something about themselves, an important start in getting them to speak in recitations.

The syllabus example is discussed, and the questions posed are worked over, including those involving observation versus interpretation of behavior. The TAs present their own examples. The organization of the textbook is reviewed, and attention is called to the expanded table of contents and index as places to begin and to facilitate searches.

At the end of this meeting, students gather their observations. They are encouraged to begin to develop explanations, but not to worry if they have trouble because the next week’s workshop will be a place to get help.

Students have three goals in the workshop: (a) to learn how to search skillfully through the textbook for explanations of their samples, (b) to seek alternative explanations (they should be highly suspicious of an observation with but a single unambiguous psychological explanation), and (c) to clarify matters about the written report and the nature of the final meeting.

The last meeting is more formal. Each student presents at least one sample that did not receive full discussion previously. The TA, now more chairperson than teacher, sees that everyone has an opportunity to speak, alternative explanations are explored, and there is a brisk progression across a wide sampling of topics.

The written reports are two to three pages. They are read and commented on by the students’ TAs who also recommend grades. The recommendations can be influenced by students’ participation in discussion. Final assignment of points is made by me and two graduate student graders.

The grading scale is as follows: honors (A+), very good (A), good (B), satisfactory (C), barely creditable (D), and no credit (F). These are associated with point values of 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0, respectively. Compared to the total of 200 possible points on the examinations, BPL points do not usually determine students’ final course grades, but a few points can sometimes make a critical difference.

TA Considerations

From the TAs’ view, BPL is well supported. First, there is enough structure associated with it. Second, we talk about procedures and run through several examples in two meetings before recitations start. Third, we meet during the weeks that recitations are held, and TAs share their experiences. Fourth, TAs discover that they know, or can recover quickly, a good amount of psychology. Fifth, they gain support from the textbook as they use it.

However, this is the first time TAs have been responsible for teaching classes and they are anxious. This is a bear, and it matters not whether it’s a James-Lange bear or a CannonBard bear; the emotion and the behavior are both salient. The anxiety usually lifts when both TAs and students survive the first meeting with more grace than anyone had expected.

Experiences With BPL

In 1985, of the 370 students, 297 (80%) signed up for BPL and attended the first recitation. Of these, 262 (88%) participated in the meetings. Of this last group, 180 (69%) completed a written report and received points for the activity. There were 17 TAs. The mean group size was 7.7 students, and the range was from 5 to 11.

These levels of participation reflect a bala...

Table of contents

• TABLE OF CONTENTS
• PREFACE
• Section I Issues and Approaches in Teaching Introductory Psychology
• Section II Demonstrations and Activities in Introductory Psychology
• APPENDIX: CITATION INFORMATION
• SUBJECT INDEX