The statistical package chosen to aid in teaching quantitative methods is at the instructor's discretion, but little research has investigated student attitude toward these different packages. This study compared Google Sheets, a spreadsheet package similar to Microsoft Excel, and a traditional package, SPSS, to determine which of the two programs…

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…

Background: The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education has sparked numerous discussions about its implications. ChatGPT, a prominent AI conversational model, has attracted significant attention for its ability to generate essays and formulate responses. Objective: The current study sought to explore how and why students are…

Background: Psychology instructors frequently assign writing-to-learn exercises that include personal reflection. Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) can write text that passes for humans in other domains. Objective: Do students and faculty rate a reflection written by GenAI differently than reflections written by students? Do students and…

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant, unforeseen changes in classroom instructions, including the evaluation of students. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate college students' cheating both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of (a) preponderance of cheating, (b) the factors that may have led to an…

Two controversial topics related to the teaching of statistics to psychology students are (a) when to introduce statistical software and (b) which statistical software package to use. The current research looked at the use of statistical software in statistics classes from every university with a psychology program in Canada. Researchers collected…

Background: Recent evidence suggests PechaKucha--a presentation style utilizing simplified visuals, narration, and rigid time constraints--may promote various learning outcomes and instructor goals better than traditional PowerPoint presentations. Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of students' PechaKucha compared…

Improving students' knowledge and application of American Psychological Association (APA) formatting rules typically involves spending class time reviewing or practicing these rules. Screencasts (narrated lectures with real-time screen capture) can reduce the time professors devote to teaching APA format. In addition to imparting rules,…

Microsoft PowerPoint and similar presentation tools have become commonplace in higher education, yet there is very little research on the effectiveness of different PowerPoint formats for implementing this software. This study compared two PowerPoint presentation techniques: a more traditional format employing heavy use of bullet points with text…

To understand the relevance of cognitive psychology, students in a cognitive psychology course were required to complete a detailed plan for a public service announcement focusing on environmental issues. The final exam was a Microsoft Office PowerPoint presentation incorporating at least eight concepts from the course. Students in the course…

This study examined the costs and benefits of using demonstrations in an upper level psychology course. For 6 topics, half of the class read a chapter that explained the concept and theoretical explanations for the described effects, and the other half participated in a demonstration in addition to the reading. Students overwhelmingly reported…

Students enrolled in a single-subject design course studied the repeated acquisition of response sequences by using CHAINS, a QuickBASIC 4.5 program, which runs in DOS or Windows. For about 2 months, students examined the learning of such sequences as a function of various treatments. Each week students graphed their data, discussed their…

We assessed the effects of using LearnStar[TM], an interactive, computer-based teaching tool, as an in-class exam review method. Students with higher LearnStar review scores had higher grades. Furthermore, students' satisfaction ratings indicated that LearnStar reviews were more enjoyable and conducive to participation than traditional reviews.…

Describes a computer program called Estimating Statistics (ESTAT). Focuses on the benefits of the program for teaching statistics to psychology students. Explains that the program is interactive and graphics-based. Explores students' interactions with ESTAT and addresses the criticisms of the program. (CMK)