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)

Techniques to keep students interested include videotaped demonstrations and a self-paced, unit-mastery approach. When lecturing, teachers should use a microphone, maintain eye contact with students in all sections of the room, use an overhead projector and write clearly, talk about interesting topics, be dramatic, and share their experiences and…

The order of presentation of topics is an important factor in the success of introductory psychology courses. Criteria for judging the efficacy of a course sequence should include use of students' entry level skills as a foundation, sections following each other coherently, and motivation for students to learn "hard" material. (CS)

Describes the development and evaluation of writing-across-the curriculum teacher inservice workshop at Virginia Commonwealth University. Characterizes the approach as a faculty-based model. Workshop topics included writing activities and assessment for individual psychology courses. Provides an extensive bibliography. (NL)

Suggests specific approaches to critiquing A student's paper motivates THE student to produce better papers and to improve writing skills. Warns against overemphasis on the mechanics of writing, and points out steps the instructor may follow to involve students in the editing process. (NL)

Examines professors' resistance to implementing writing as learning. Contends that certain strategies can help inhibited teachers become receptive to writing-intensive courses. Combines strategies with surveys and observations of faculty implementing writing-intensive courses to produce a specific sequence of steps for overcoming professor…

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)

Outlines procedure for using a cooking metaphor to explain the interrelationship between genes and experience throughout development. Shows how flour which is analogous to genes interacts with other food items in cooking, which is viewed as a microcosm of development to produce various dishes. Explains how metaphor facilitates the understanding of…

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…

Presents five learning activities which are designed to enable the student of psychology to better understand the aging and the aged. Activities are concerned with current demographic data, stereotyping, perceptions of personal aging, attitudes about age found in greeting cards, and an examination of popular culture's messages about the elderly.…

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…