The challenge of teaching communication skills outlined in Goal 4 of the "APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major" is that it occurs in many contexts and the communicator must adapt the form to match both context and purpose. We created a taxonomy of dimensions and kinds of communication that represents the various contexts…

Teaching the general psychology course provides instructors with the opportunity to invite students to explore the dynamics of behavior and mental processes through the lens of theory and research. Three innovative writing assignments were developed to teach students to think like a psychologist, operationalized as enhancing critical thinking,…

Experts have advocated anonymous grading as a means of eliminating actual or perceived evaluator bias in subjective student assessment. The utility of anonymity in assessment rests on whether information derived from student identity can unduly influence evaluation. The halo effect provides a conceptual background for why a bias might occur. In…

This annotated bibliography is a continuation of those previously published in "Teaching of Psychology" (e.g., Berry & Daniel, 1984; Fulkerson & Wise, 1987; Johnson & Schroder, 1997; Wise & Fulkerson, 1996). In this paper, the authors maintained similar search methods and criteria for inclusion that were used in previous bibliographies. They also…

Reports on a study of 91 psychology faculty who rated each of 39 extra-credit opportunities on 3 criteria: (1) their use of the item; (2) its educational value; and (3) the likelihood that all students would be able to complete the opportunity (access). Finds that approximately 82% used some form of extra-credit assignment. (CFR)

Describes a course that is built around student participation in an annual teaching of psychology professional conference. Focuses on course goals and objectives, course requirements, such as written assignments and attendance, and the evaluation of students. Considers benefits of the course. (CMK)

Describes a technique used to motivate students to complete assigned journal readings in a college psychology course. Maintains that students completing readings receive two types of tangible benefits: (1) extra course credit and (2) use of their notecards on tests. Asserts that students responded favorably to the technique. (CFR)

Describes an assignment that requires students to organize, prepare, and revise a case study in abnormal behavior. Explains that students employ a single theoretical perspective in preparing a report on a figure from history, literature, the arts, or current events. Discusses the value of the assignment for students. (SG)

Investigates compliance with required reading assignments from 1981 to 1997 (excluding 1984 and 1985) in psychology classes. Finds that compliance declined dramatically since 1981 and compliance improved as a function of increasing class level. Suggests a renewed emphasis on compliance with required reading assignments and an incorporation of…

We describe the use of a career exploration portfolio in an Industrial/Organizational psychology course (n = 22) to address students' career needs and to develop academic competencies. Students independently completed a series of assignments outside of class, which led to the construction of a personalized career development portfolio. Evaluations…

Reports on a collaborative learning project in which college-level counseling students designed and presented workshops on therapeutic intervention. Finds workshops stimulated more personal involvement with the topic and individual written papers ensured that all shared the workload. Concludes that workshops prepare students for collaborative…

Describes a project within an undergraduate developmental psychology course in which students build toys suitable for newborn to four-year-old children. Includes instructional procedures, descriptive examples of toys made during the class, grading procedures, and student evaluations of the project. (CFR)

Advocates the use of Harlequin-style romance novels in a college psychology of women course. Asserts that students develop an understanding of the content and function of gender stereotypes from the books. Describes writing assignments and student evaluation and maintains that student reaction to the approach is positive. (CFR)

Discusses the use of holistic scoring in the introductory college psychology course. Presents data showing the reliability, validity, and efficiency of the holistic scoring of students' written work by teaching assistants. Argues that holistic scoring is a high quality, low cost approach to scoring written work in large classes. (SG)

Reports on a procedure in which students read and evaluate each other's term papers. Contends that students improve their own writing and provide constructive, substantive feedback to their peers. Finds that the student reviews showed higher reliability than professional peer reviews of journal manuscripts. (CFR)