Many members of the academy have tried to broaden the construct of scholarship to include activities that investigate pedagogy and student learning, the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). Halpern et al. (1998) first established such a definition for the field of psychology. This article reports on a Society for the Teaching of Psychology…

We experimentally investigated the effect of crib sheet construction and use on student learning and exam performance. Students expected to use their prepared crib sheets during testing; however, unexpectedly they first completed a pretest without their crib sheets. Students scored significantly better on the same questions with crib sheets…

This study compared a traditional lecture-based life span development course to the same course redesigned using Fink's (2003) taxonomy of significant learning. The goals, activities, and feedback within the course corresponded to Fink's 6 taxa (knowledge, application, integration, human dimension, caring, learning how to learn). Undergraduates in…

Advocates the performance of live drama by teachers in the classroom as a method of promoting immediacy and involvement. Describes one such performance and student responses to the experience. (Author/DH)

This article describes how "Psychology Today" articles were used to increase the relevance of an introductory psychology course. The articles were selected to match the interests of various academic majors and career areas. Includes a sample list of articles and information on where to obtain the complete bibliography. (DH)

An advanced undergraduate comparative psychology course is described. Reviews the methodological goals and traditional roles of comparative psychology courses. Focuses on research strategies for relating group differences to specific processes and for inferring the evolutionary and developmental histories of behavior. The conclusion stresses the…

A comparative psychology course oriented around the themes of phylogeny and ontogeny is described. The course emphasizes the evolution and development of behavioral processes and includes a discussion of the concept of integrative levels and Schneirla's approach/withdrawal theory. The course evaluates genetic determinism and stresses the principle…

This article describes four components of an approach used to teach interviewing skills to first-year graduate students. The components are: (1) the "no questions asked" approach, (2) self-reflection and self-correction, (3) feedback, and (4) obtaining analogue clients. The effects of the interviews on the subjects, acquired from an introductory…

Describes a method for teaching adolescent psychology which requires that students interview adolescents on course topics. The reports of these interviews become the basis of classroom discussions which are designed to demonstrate that concepts of adolescence vary as a function of time. (Author/DH)

Reviews McIntosh's 1983 theory on the five-phase evolution of scholarship required by increasing feminism. Documents the sequence of the five phases using references to scholarly literature on the psychology of personality. Elaborates on Phase III in which investigators study women as inherently different from men and urges further study and…

Argues that educators should provide students with explicit training in asking critical questions. Describes a training strategy taught in abnormal psychology courses at Bowling Green State University (Ohio). Based on a pre- and post-test, results support the promise of using explicit questioning training in promoting the evaluative aspects of…

I tested whether students' scores on the semester's first exam would change their reported use of textbook pedagogical aids during the course of the semester. I assessed 240 introductory psychology undergraduates early and late in the semester. The reported use of aids did not positively relate to student performance on any exams and showed only…

Teaching name mnemonics on the first day of class in psychology courses can demonstrate the power of cognition via a firsthand experience. Students create mnemonics for each other in small groups. Students then describe their name mnemonics to the class. (RM)

A classroom exercise for teaching students how to examine aspects of their own impression-formation processes is described. The data generated can be used to stimulate discussion about the origins of implicit personality theories, person prototypes, and the accuracy of first impressions. (Author/DH)

Discusses the value of using narrative structures in college-level psychology instruction. States that the organization imposed by such a structure may become a key factor in learning and retention. Concludes that undergraduates prefer the narrative mode and consider it more enjoyable and more useful for learning. (Author/GEA)