Background: Prior research suggests that the teaching of abstract concepts can be enhanced by the use of concrete examples, but there are few controlled studies. Objective: To replicate key findings from experiment one from Rawson et al. (2015). Method: Experiment participants studied definitions of abstract concepts from psychology, either with…

Background: Although undergraduate psychology curriculum should cultivate performance-based skills to prepare students for helping professions, little work to date has addressed this standard. Objective: This research replicates the methods used in a previous study by examining pre-post changes in empathic communication skills and perceived…

Flipped pedagogy has become a popular approach in education. While preliminary research suggests that the flipped classroom has a positive effect on learning in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics and quantitative courses, the research on the flipped classroom in a content heavy social science course is minimal and contradictory. We…

This study investigated the influence of team-based learning (TBL) methods on exam performance and student satisfaction in an introductory psychology class. Fifteen instructors teaching 29 sections (with a combined enrollment of approximately 1,130 students) were randomly assigned to use TBL for 7 of 12 major topics or to use lecture. All students…

In 2011, the Society for the Teaching of Psychology commissioned a presidential task force to document teaching criteria for model psychology teachers in undergraduate education. The resulting list of criteria reflects activities related to face-to-face course interaction and online teaching, training, and education; course design; implementation…

During the past decades, little research has investigated the effects of immersion scheduling on the psychology classroom. Therefore, we sought to compare academic performance of students in 2-week immersion psychology courses to that of students in traditional 16-week courses. In Study 1, students who received instruction in a 2-week immersion…

The perceived relation between assigned student grades and instructor evaluations of teaching has been the subject of much debate, though few laboratory studies have been conducted with adequate controls. Marsh and Roche suggested that experimental field studies may be a particularly promising avenue for further analyses of this relation. The…

To assess the effect of a 4-question reflective learning technique on quiz performance, students engaged in an interactive activity, responded to 4 questions to encourage analyzing (i.e., what was learned), reflecting (i.e., why it is important), relating (i.e., how the material related to their personal lives), and generating (i.e., what…

This article presents student and faculty ratings of electronic editing (EE) functions (i.e., track changes, insert comments, highlighting) as used for "e-feedback" on written assignments. Students reported increased convenience, clarity of expectations, amount of feedback, and writing ability as well as substantial improvement in EE skills…

As universities increase expectations for evidence of student learning, journals like "Teaching of Psychology (ToP)" have come to expect outcome data from authors describing teaching techniques. Our comparison of ToP articles published in 1996 and 2006 showed a significant decrease in reliance on student opinion and an increase in the use of more…

I surveyed 2 samples of Canadian undergraduates (N = 629) concerning their views of a "perfect instructor." Students identified as many descriptors as they wished; I categorized them into 26 sets of qualities and behaviors. The top 10 categories included: (a) knowledgeable; (b) interesting and creative lectures; (c) approachable; (d)…

Shows how a contract approach to grading can also enrich and internalize some of the basic principles of an introductory college-level psychology course. Through class activities, students are provided with an arena for embellishing some of the theory and principles learned in class. (Author/JR)

Argues that being aware of students' concerns about teaching can improve teachers' pedagogy. Reveals that undergraduates most frequently mention organization and planning, mechanics, lecture styles and techniques, and testing as concerns. Notes the response of faculty members involved in a survey of undergraduate psychology classes. (DSK)

Discusses a study undertaken to determine variables influencing student ratings of college level courses in psychology. Findings indicated that student ratings reflect many variables other than teacher ability, including class size and student major. Suggests that the sole use of student ratings to evaluate teaching effectiveness is questionable,…

Students in 4 classes had a short exam at the start of every class. Grades were significantly better than in previous classes where the same material was taught but with only 4 exams, and there were fewer withdrawals from the exam-a-day classes. Students taught with the exam-a-day procedure also performed better on a retention test than did…