Course Outline: Psychology 257

Course Information

• Department: Psychology
• Prepared By: Psychology Department
• Prepared Date: Fall 2017
• Course Title: PSY 257W Teaching of Psychology (Writing Intensive) Teaching of Psychology
• Course Code: PSY 257
• Credits: 3
• Contact Hours: 45

Catalog Description

This course is designed to expose students to current thinking about teaching and learning and the underlying content in the field of psychology.  In addition, it aims to promote understanding of psychology as a profession as it relates to a career in academia.  This is accomplished by offering students a unique opportunity to attend a professional conference on the Teaching of Psychology. During the conference students will have the unique opportunity to listen to, and participate in presentations on some of the newest ideas in the teaching of Psychology. In many cases the presentations they hear will be the first time the ideas have been presented in public.  Students will be able to observe and interact on both a formal and informal level with a group of professional Psychologists. This course is designed especially for students who have expressed an interest in continuing in the field of Psychology and/or teaching.  However, it can be a valuable experience for virtually all students, regardless of their career plans.  Note: Students cannot get credit for PSY 257 and 257W; PSY 257W can be used to fulfill the writing intensive requirement. Prerequisite(s): PSY 101. Credits: 3 (3,0)

• Prerequisites: PSY 101, PSY 130, or PSY 131 or permission from Department Chairperson.
• Required For: None
• Elective For: All curricula with a social science elective
• Required Text: None

Course Outline

Purpose

This course is designed to expose students to current thinking about teaching and learning and the underlying content in the field of psychology.  In addition it aims to promote understanding of psychology as a profession as it relates to a career in academia.  This is accomplished by offering students a unique opportunity to attend a professional conference on the Teaching of Psychology.  During the conference students will have the unique opportunity to listen to, and participate in presentations on some of the newest ideas in the teaching of Psychology.  In many cases the presentations they hear will be the first time the ideas have been presented in public.  Students will be able to observe and interact on both a formal and informal level with a group of professional Psychologists.  This course is designed especially for students who have expressed an interest in continuing in the field of Psychology &/or teaching.  However, it can be a valuable experience for virtually all students, regardless of their career plans.

The conference is not of a research nature; the attendees are, in general, a group of educators (approximately 100) who have a sincere interest in teaching and helping advance the teaching arena.  This is a conference of professionals who are truly interested in learning and developing ways to improve interaction with students.  The students exposed to this environment will likely come away with a very enlightened and expanded view of the field of Psychology in general, and teaching in particular.

Requirements

A. Meetings/Attendance

1. You are required to attend three pre-conference meetings. Each meeting will be approximately 2 hours long. If you miss any of these meetings you will be required to schedule an individual session with the instructor. It is very important that you make a concerted effort to attend these meetings. Topics to be discussed at these meetings include the following: nature and purpose of the conference, course goals, students' expectations, course requirements, the conference theme, mechanics of attending the conference (including fees, transportation, hotel arrangements, etc), and rules of conduct. The first paper will be collected and discussed at session two and returned at session three (7.2 contact hours)
2. You are required to attend the entire Teaching of Psychology conference held on 3/-- - 3/--/9- ( 2 P.M. Wed - 2 P.M. Fri). This includes networking at meals and coffee breaks, keynote speakers scheduled at meals, and attendance at the scheduled sessions. (approximately 29.4 contact hrs)
3. Each day of the conference there will be a 1 3/4 hour meeting at which you will be expected to discuss your opinions and insights regarding the sessions you attended, and the conference as a whole. It is probably a good idea to take notes during each session and bring these notes to the evening meetings. (6.3 contact hrs)
4. There will be a 2 hour post-conference meeting held on campus at a mutually convenient time. We will discuss your final impressions of the conference and course, and your final paper.(2.4 contact hrs)

B. Reading Assignments and Written Requirements

1. You will be given copies of the proposals for each of the presentations. You are required to read each one and determine which presentations you would like to attend (the conference has concurrent sessions). You are required to write a summary of each of the presentations you plan to attend including at least the following: what the presentation is about, the method of presentation, whether or not it seems to be on the conference theme, and why you are interested. These are due at the next pre-conference meeting.
2. There will be a final paper submitted discussing each presentation attended (including the keynote speakers). The paper should include a summary of each presentation and the major points expressed. Additionally, the presentations (and presenters, if appropriate), the conference as a whole, and the conference course (Psy 255) should be critiqued regarding what you liked, disliked, opinions, etc. The paper must also include your thoughts on the conference theme -- what the term ---------- means to you, the advantages, disadvantages, your experiences with it, etc., and how these views were influenced by participation in this conference. Finally, you should address the issue of how your own perceptions of psychology, psychology professors, and the teaching profession have been changed, and how your own educational and/or career goals have been influenced. This paper should be approximately 15 pages long. It is due on ________.

Overall Course Objectives

After successful completion of this course students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of current thinking about teaching and learning and the underlying content in psychology.
2. Demonstrate a greater understanding of the dynamics of a classroom and of the teachinglearning process.
3. Critically read and evaluate psychology literature that is within their level of technical expertise.
4. Critically listen to and evaluate psychology presentations that are within their level of technical expertise.
5. Make more reasoned educational and career choices related to psychology and/or teaching.
6. Present their relevant thoughts and ideas orally.
7. Present their relevant thoughts and ideas in writing.
8. Demonstrate an increased understanding of various areas of specialization within psychology.

PSY 257 JUSTIFICATION AS A CORE COURSE IN COMMUNICATIONS

PSY 257 clearly meets the goals and objectives of a General Education core course in the area of Communications. Organized around the content of teaching psychology, Psy 257 teaches students to read and listen critically so as to learn from others, and to express themselves clearly and coherently, using appropriate supporting materials, both orally and in writing.

In this class students have ample opportunities to learn to convey logical and coherent messages that are tailored to the specific setting (formal vs. informal) and the audience (fellow students vs. professors). Through their attendance at a teaching of psychology conference whose main audience is professors, students engage in formal communication experiences as part of the audience at papers sessions and as the speakers in class meetings, and in informal communication during meals and other more social settings. Working together and observing professionals present the result of collaborative efforts, students develop an appreciation of the concept of teamwork. Moreover, by listening critically to presentations and reading articles that deal with technological changes in education and multicultural issues in education they learn to think reflectively and respond appropriately to the changes inherent in a multicultural and technological society.

Evaluation in this course is based primarily on the student’s ability to communicate effectively and engage in critical reading and listening. Specifically, students must:

• Read all of the proposals submitted to the conference and critically evaluate a subset of them.
• Attend and listen critically to the conference sessions.
• Write two papers. Students are expected to employ correct grammar, express their ideas coherently, and use an organizational structure that is appropriate. They will critically evaluate what they have heard and read.
• Interact formally and informally with a variety of people and logically and appropriate convey their thoughts.
• Use an intelligible and professional standard of articulation to present their thoughts and ideas to the class both in open discussions and formal presentations.