Introduction: Student motivation is a critical predictor of academic achievement, engagement, and success in higher education. Motivating students is a crucial aspect of effective teaching. Statement of the Problem: Although there is a wealth of research on student motivation, practical guidance for putting theory into practice in challenging…

Introduction: Recent advancements in generative AI (GAI) platforms appear to mark an abrupt shift in higher education. Statement of the Problem: Instructors have a responsibility to teach students to use GAI, which is a promising tool for promoting personalized, student-centered, process-focused learning environments. Literature Review: Drawing on…

Background: The advent of generative-artificial intelligence (AI) applications introduces new challenges for colleges. Importantly, the growth of these applications requires faculty to adjust their pedagogy to account for the changing technological landscape. Objective: As colleges wrestle with the implications of these applications, it is…

Introduction: The replication crisis in the behavioral and social sciences spawned a credibility revolution, calling for new open science research practices that ensure greater transparency, including preregistrations, open data and code, and open access. Statement of the Problem: Replications of published research are an important element in this…

Background: Student perceptions of inclusion have been predicted by rapport, and belongingness in face-to-face courses, although these relationships have not been studied across course delivery formats. Objective: This study clarified relationships among course multimedia characteristics, student--professor rapport, instructor and student…

Background: The teaching and learning and autobiographical memory literatures both suggest that personal stories can serve a teaching and learning function. Objective: Study 1 explored students' perceptions about whether an instructor's personal stories to enhance learning were mediated by how much the stories were liked and created a positive…

Background: Multimedia creation and curation for assignments have the potential to engage students in deeper learning. Objective: This study explored whether the same homework assignments delivered in paper versus multimedia format resulted in different student experiences. Method: Introductory psychology students submitted either traditional…

Background: Rapid changes brought on by generative artificial intelligence (AI) have emphasized the need to teach students to work with this technology while also developing the "robot proof" human skills future workers will need, such as creativity, communication, and critical thinking. Objective: The study objective was to explore…

Introduction: Internet memes are a ubiquitous part of internet culture and a common communication tool among students. Because they are a good medium for expressing ideas and concepts in a concise and fun manner, memes are a potentially valuable tool for teaching and engaging students. Statement of the Problem: Instructors may not know how to use…

Background: Critical thinking is an important student learning outcome in all psychology courses and included in the American Psychological Association's (APA's) goals for the undergraduate major. Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of integrating a general model of critical thinking into the instruction,…

Background: Student transition to university can be a challenging time. Research suggests that providing space for student reflection and goal setting may facilitate this period of transition. Objective: I describe the "Postcard to my Graduating Self Project," in which psychology students were invited to write postcards to their future…

Introduction: Relatedness--a sense of meaningful connectedness and belonging--is one of the basic psychological needs proposed by self-determination theory. Statement of the Problem: The current literature lacks evidence-based strategies that support student relatedness in the college classroom. In education, research has indicated…

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to proctor exams after the forced transition to remote teaching and learning. Objective: We evaluated students' experiences creating and answering their own exam items in an upper-level psychology course during the transition to remote teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method:…

Background: Utility-value (UV) classroom interventions typically involve students completing assignments that involve writing about the usefulness of the course material. They are widely recommended and have received some empirical support. Objective: This study tested the effectiveness of a UV intervention in an online research methods course. It…

Background: Animations of scientific concepts may improve comprehension by explaining and visualizing the steps of complex processes, but unless they engage student interest in meaningful ways, their effectiveness as teaching tools is limited. We achieve this through a novel approach to animation design that includes the target audience…