Teaching

My teaching philosophy connects with my research interests and is based on the principles of action teaching: a style of teaching that contributes towards social justice and turns courses into ‘live experiences through fieldwork, classroom activities, and other assignments’ (Plous, 2009). I strive towards this by focusing on two major goals. My first goal is to create a learning environment that is dialogue driven, and in which students are actively involved in their own learning. My second goal is to strive towards higher levels of student learning, moving from mere description of course concepts towards synthesis and application of course concepts to real world issues, and evaluation of evidence. To facilitate these goals, my courses are structured around three sub-goals: (i) engaging with the process of scientific inquiry, (ii) evaluating claims grounded in psychological research, and (iii) developing communication skills. Together, these goals contribute towards building critical thinking skills that resonate with liberal education goals and also equip students to meet the demands of diverse and globalized occupational settings. With these goals in mind, I use the process of backward design (Wiggins, 1999) to develop my methods of assessment (i.e., assignments and rubrics), and structure the course content (i.e., activities and course materials) so they are aligned with my pedagogical goals. As in my research, my teaching focuses on issues of social justice and I strive towards increasing students' sense of critical consciousness.

I am also interested in the scholarship of teaching and learning: I examine the best practices for increasing students’ critical thinking and social responsibility skills, as well as the impact of various online and in-class teaching practices on student learning outcomes. In an ongoing project, I am identifying the best practices for fostering a sense of scientific inquiry and social responsibility amongst undergraduate students. In this way, I use student work as data to further my teaching and research interests.

Courses Taught

Gettysburg College

General Psychology, Cultural Psychology, Advanced Laboratory in Cultural Psychology

University of Kansas

General Psychology, Stereotypes and Prejudice Across Cultures