The author, a psychology instructor at an American university, describes the internationalization of his course in Human Growth and Development. The author argues that human development cannot be easily summarized by nature (i.e., biological and evolutionary predisposition) or nurture (i.e., learning through environment and experience).…

Explores the merits of using a combined cognitive and experiential approach to the teaching of psychology. Findings indicate that expanding a traditional course to include vivid personal experiences integrated with cognitive growth is an effective modification and enhances concept learning. (Author/DB)

As a result of the development of two computer statistics laboratories in the psychology department at New York's Brooklyn College, a project was undertaken to develop and implement computer program modules in undergraduate and graduate statistics courses. Rather than use the technology to merely make course presentations more exciting, the…

This publication contains a status study of psychology in secondary schools in Illinois. One of the major objectives of the study was to examine the status of the psychology course from the perspectives of three major groups of certified teachers--social studies teachers, guidance counselors, and a group of teachers representing all the other…

"Active Learning" refers to activities that help students connect new academic subjects with previous knowledge and experiences. This paper is an outline of a senior seminar on making connections between psychology and the broader lives of students. It is assumed that, for many undergraduate students, basic understandings of human nature…

This paper reports on a study which compared the background and teaching methodology of high school psychology teachers who label their courses either "humanistic" or "behavioristic." A sample of 154 humanistic and 119 behavioristic psychology teachers in Illinois provided data about variables including extent and kinds of professional and…

In an Adolescent Development course at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, activities are employed to encourage students to become active learners, to become critical consumers of information regarding adolescents, and to develop an empathetic understanding of adolescents and their experiences. One activity that promotes critical thinking…

The Research on Trial technique is designed to enable students to think critically about psychological research, to help them apply what they have learned in class in an in-depth way to this research, and to create a classroom environment in which research issues are debated. The technique employs a courtroom trial role-play, with students…

This study surveys secondary teachers and students in the state of Mississippi about the status of, and their attitudes toward, psychology courses. The results are compared with those of a similar survey conducted in Florida. In 1975, a four-page questionnaire was mailed to 375 schools in Mississippi. Of these, 198, or 52.8 percent, were filled…

This report explores the status of the teaching of psychology as a separate course on the pre-college level and examines the nature of the differences between urban-suburban and rural teachers, their courses, and their classes. One hundred sixty-two urban-suburban and 166 rural school teachers in Illinois were surveyed via questionnaires. Students…

Cooperative learning is defined by an emphasis on positive interdependence among students to learn course materials, face-to-face interaction, individual accountability, the development of interpersonal and small group skills, and group processing of group functioning. In the last 10 years, lower-, upper-, and graduate-level psychology courses at…

A study involving four sections of a general psychology course at Delta College (Michigan) was conducted to determine: (1) the effectiveness of repeated, cumulative testing on long-term retention of information; (2) its effect on students' ability to generalize information learned as measured by the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) general…

Describes a college-level psychology course in which students learn how to think about the ideas of psychology instead of memorizing psychological information. Suggests modeling of thought in lectures and other classroom activities. Recommends strategies for class discussions and student evaluation. (CFR)

Describes techniques for clarifying goals, improving organization, and evaluating students in research courses that are typically unstructured. Includes methods for assisting students in designing experiments, creating evaluation tools, and monitoring student progress throughout the course. These simple methods are appropriate for courses with an…

Outlines a laboratory group program for engaging large numbers of undergraduate psychology students in faculty research at small liberal arts colleges with limited research resources. Participating in the group enhances the students' interest in and understanding of research and improves their chances of being accepted into a graduate program.…