Describes the use of the jigsaw teaching technique (which requires each member of a small group to provide a key piece of information) in undergraduate psychology laboratory and discussion classes. Results indicate that students evaluate the approach favorably and that their academic performance improves with use of the jigsaw technique. (JDH)

Describes a strategy for teaching the history and systems of psychology. The approach uses A. H. Smith's (1982) "great ideas model," and T. S. Kuhn's (1962) conception of paradigm shifts and revolution in science as analytical devises. A summary of evaluations of this approach by students is provided. (Author/JDH)

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)

Reports a strategy for integrating questioning and essay writing in a course on personality. Students wrote sample essay questions which were then discussed and classified according to Bloom's taxonomy. Rough drafts of essays were discussed in small groups. Ninety percent of the students viewed these activities positively. (Author/JDH)

Reports how 10 college students in a psychology of personality course increased their awareness of their own implicit theories of personality by completing an 18-item questionnaire dealing with various issues of personality. Instructor-supplied responses representing the perspectives of Freud, Skinner, Rogers, and Glasser were used to foster…

Presents an in-class activity which uses videotaped television shows to teach time sampling, event sampling, and trait rating techniques. Students responded favorably to this activity, and many reported that it increased their understanding of the different observation techniques. (Author/JDH)

Reveals the need for departments to offer course instruction in behavioral self-change. Describes a self-change course which offers students an opportunity to apply proven psychological principles to their own lives and thus meets the need for personal relevance of education. Provides suggestions for implementation of a self-change course.…

Describes an exercise that teaches students about methodological issues concerned with making reliable observations of behavior. Students learned Eckman's (1972) Facial Affect Scoring Technique from a microcomputer program and then applied it in real life. This exercise generated much discussion about research methods, built observational skills,…

A classroom game, based on a trivia-type game format, to help students prepare for the cumulative final exam in a physiological psychology course is presented. Details of game construction and play are described. (Author)

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)

Describes a method for teaching writing based on a psychodynamic theoretical orientation and critiques other conceptualizations. Gives examples of the hermeneutic dialogue that teaches writing through an interpretive exchange between student and instructor. Explores the difficulties with this method as well as others reviewed. (Author/NL)

Describes an approach to devising realistic laboratory projects to enhance research training for undergraduates. Students replicate all or part of an experiment from a core article that provides the framework for the research project in terms of scope, method, and reporting. Advantages and limitations of the method are discussed. (GEA)

Presents a method for enhancing student understanding of negative reinforcement. Suggests a quiz be administered to determine students' degrees of misunderstanding. Introduces remedies for inadequate understanding. Urges the use of the consequence-grid matrix, delineating between negative reinforcement and punishment, and student analysis of their…

Reports on a study of 96 undergraduate developmental psychology students and their performance on student-developed "pop quizzes." Students who participated in writing test items had significantly higher scores than students who did not. Calls for more research into the effectiveness of other student-developed evaluation methods. (CFR)

Reports on a study of peer teaching through small group instruction in a college level psychology program. Describes how upper level undergraduate students designed, implemented, and evaluated projects to teach psychology to introductory students. Finds that both the introductory and advanced students enjoyed the experience and recommended that…