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…

Recent research compared the use of case studies to online discussion boards to teach about anxiety disorders. The current study extends this research to mood disorders, reports pretest and posttest scores on four learning outcomes, and compares midterm exam scores from Fall 2016 and Fall 2017 when case studies and online discussion boards were…

Recent changes to the diagnosis of child antisocial behavior provide different methods of conceptualizing it (e.g., traditional symptom-based diagnoses and alternative trait-based methods). However, there is little research on how psychology students might use these different methods and what kind of instructional formats might be amenable to…

Case study and journal record methods are described and positive outcomes for learners are noted. A "live" case, along with journal records, was used in teaching adolescent psychology. Evaluation indicates benefits to both college students and involved teenagers. Suggestions for future research are discussed. (Author)

The history of social psychology should be given primary emphasis in undergraduate seminars. A college senior seminar which uses historical case studies is described. (AM)

Describes the use of drama students to role play subjects of case studies in simulations of standard interviews in a college-level abnormal psychology class. Graduate drama students role-played clients in interviews with instructors or student panels. After the interviews, class discussion covered alternative possible diagnoses and possible…

Describes a variation of the case study method where adolescent psychology students composed hypothetical cases, proposed solutions to problems, and surveyed other groups regarding case dilemmas and adolescent issues. (Author/JDH)

Analysis of life histories as case material requiring disciplined observation and objectivity and exemplifying basic principles and theories of behavior is described as a teaching technique for a course in the psychology of personality. (JH)

A course in which students gather data for an original case study of another person is described. The task requires the student to design the study, collect the interview data, write the case narrative, and interpret the findings. (DE)

Discusses the case study approach and describes an advanced graduate seminar organized around this method. Suggests that cases may be used to place historical developments in the field of psychology in the broader context of political, sociological, philosophical, and theological issues.

Describes a writing assignment based on the main character of a novel, an autobiography, or a biography about mental illness. Requests students to describe the characters' symptoms, to provide a diagnosis, to suggest a treatment plan, and to describe the treatment received. Notes the assignment promotes critical thinking and empathy for the…

Describes a course designed to train students to read original empirical articles independently and critically. Uses a case-study approach to help students develop data-reading skills and a coherent writing style. Includes methods for teaching the course and guidelines for the critical reading of empirical articles. (Author/GEA)

Presents a description of an undergraduate abnormal psychology course developed from a theory of instruction and active student participation, the theoretical basis for the course, student course evaluation, and an interpretation of the students' performances. (Author/CK)

This study investigated the effectiveness of portfolios as an instructional technique to reduce errors associated with test scoring by graduate students. Both the control and experimental conditions consisted of a lecture and demonstration on proper administration and scoring followed by a discussion. The experimental condition also required…

Describes the application of the problem method, or case study approach, to teach undergraduate research methods. Maintains that the approach is particularly applicable because research design is a classic ill-defined task. Reports that students find the method challenging and interesting. (CFR)