The American Psychological Association (APA) has called for psychologists to become more involved in addressing climate change. One way to address this pressing issue is through curriculum. To this end, we describe an undergraduate course that we created and teach exclusively focused on the interface of psychology and global climate change. The…

In the past decade, the psychological study of creativity has accelerated greatly. To facilitate the teaching of creativity, I provide an overview of the recent literature. The overview begins by discussing recent empirical results and research trends. This discussion specifically treats creativity's cognitive, differential, developmental, and…

Boyer (1990) and others have challenged the traditional boundaries of scholarship, calling for a broader view that includes the scholarship of integration, application, and teaching. The discipline of psychology has been productively involved in the debate, resulting in both contributions to the literature and changes in reward policies in some…

We surveyed the editorial board of "Teaching of Psychology" regarding their perspectives on the distinction between the scholarships of teaching and pedagogy. Respondents provided wide-ranging and divergent answers to our queries, suggesting that scholarship, its attendant activities, and distinctions among related terms are complex issues in need…

Scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) demands greater empirical rigor on the part of authors and the editorial process than ever before. Although admirable and important, I worry that this increasing rigor will limit opportunities and outlets for a form of pedagogical vigor--the publication of simple, experiential, but empirically…

Division 2 of the American Psychological Association was practicing the scholarship of teaching long before Boyer (1990) coined the term, but Boyer brought the idea to academe's consciousness. Over time, however, the scholarship of teaching and "scholarly teaching" have become confused. Based on Richlin's (2001) work, I attempt to resolve this…

This article provides ideas for engaging in the scholarship of teaching in psychology. Topics covered include contributing to the Society for the Teaching of Psychology's Office of Teaching Resources in Psychology and "Teaching of Psychology". Writing and editing books also constitute scholarly work. Finally, teaching with intentionality…

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…

Introduces a theme issue focusing on teaching critical thinking through college psychology courses. Defines critical thinking and asserts that "learning to think" has been called the central purpose of education. Refers to the Goals 2000 program and its emphasis on thinking skills. (CFR)

Contends that, to become a better critical thinker, one must not only develop expert thinking skills, but also become an expert at choosing the best skills for the particular situation. Reports on a study of critical thinking and metacognition among 65 college students. (CFR)

Reports on a study of effects of critical reading and writing skills among 16 college psychology students. Finds that students receiving critical thinking instruction were better able to use argumentative language in term papers. Includes two tables of statistical data. (CFR)

Discusses a model for teaching critical thinking and the changes observed in student abilities after taking a course emphasizing the model. Finds that scores on a critical thinking test were significantly higher among the 24 students in the course. Presents a graphic example of the model applied to the issue of homelessness. (CFR)

Maintains that psychology courses attract students who are interested in using their knowledge of human behavior in their professional and personal lives. Describes four approaches used in a developmental psychology course to differentiate between experimental and observational research. Discusses implications of the approaches. (CFR)

Maintains that considerable evidence suggests that educators can successfully use knowledge of cognitive development to guide college instruction. Discusses thinking processes as either primarily incidental or deliberate. Contends that separate thinking based on these principles leads to improved critical thinking skills. (CFR)

Asserts that technology and telecommunications have become integral parts of daily life. Discusses three roles that technology plays in improving the problem-solving process. Contends that students must learn to select from a variety of information sources. (CFR)