2026 Schedule

8:15-9:00  Registration, breakfast

9:00-9:20  Welcome

9:20-10:40      Short presentations

Dance Your r  Out: Teaching Correlation With Motion

Albee Mendoza, Delaware State University

AI as a Teaching Assistant: Using NotebookLM to Create Engaging Materials

Parita Vithlani, Community College of Baltimore County

6 Two-Minute Memory Activities

Mark Schweizer, Camden County College 

An Active Learning Approach to Teaching Critical Thinking in the Classroom

Jacob Coutts, University of Maryland

10:40-10:50 Break

10:50-11:50   Keynote

Shared Attention, Please!

Beth Morling, University of Delaware 

11:50-12:40    Lunch

12:40-1:40       Short presentations

Goal-Directed Behavior and Selectivity for High-Value Information
Cynthia Duffy, Anne Arundel Community College

What Do You Already Know?: Using Neuromyths to Inspire a Paradigm Shift From the Outset
Natalie Davies, Episcopal High School

Structured AI Dialogue to Foster Higher-Order Thinking in Intro Psychology
Josh Wede, Penn State University 

1:40-1:50      Break

1:50-2:20    Roundtable discussions

Rookies and Veterans: Different Perspectives on Psi Beta 

Andrew Mueller, Baltimore City Community College

Forget Me Not: Memory Tricks That Stick

Albee Mendoza, Delaware State University

Sharing the Syllabus: Co-Creating Course Design with Students 

Alexis Briggs, The George Washington University 

From Surviving to Self‑Regulating: Helping Students Thrive in College Learning Environments
Mary Jenson, Delaware State University 

2:20-2:30      Break

2:30-3:30    Short presentations

What is Normal? 

Juli Hawk, Anne Arundel Community College

Reel Life: Helping Students Apply Ecological Systems Theory Through Media 

Alexis Briggs, The George Washington University 

Escape Your Parenting Style: An Adapted Sorting Activity for the Introductory Classroom 

Jarred Jenkins, Anne Arundel Community College

3:30-3:40     Break

3:40-4:10    Roundtable discussions

Details coming soon!

4:10-4:30     Closing, giveaways, next steps

15-minute presentations

Dance Your r  Out: Teaching Correlation with Motion

Description: Dance-based teaching of research methods have been endorsed by the British Psychological Society and published in Frontiers in Psychology, supporting kinesthetic approaches to understanding statistical concepts (e.g., Irving, 2015). In this interactive session, Dr. Albee Mendoza will demonstrate how to incorporate dance and movement when teaching correlational research concepts such as positive vs. negative correlations and direction vs. strength of the correlation coefficient, r. Attendees will discuss how to scale these techniques for their own comfort level and their own Introduction to Psychology courses as well as how to access existing resources on this pedagogical technique.

Dr. Albee Mendoza is a Filipino-American Assistant Professor at Delaware State University. Her PhD in Health Psychology (Track: Pediatric School Psychology) enables her to teach courses including General Psychology, Learning, and Senior Research. Albee’s commitment to inclusive teaching and experiential learning is exemplified in the Psych Pals Program, where DSU students collaborate with neurodiverse peers in activities that foster self-awareness and skill-building. She champions the Collaborative Replication and Education Project (CREP) and engages her students in open science research. As a servant leader, Albee contributes to the field as an Associate Editor for the Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research, a member of the Committee on Associate and Baccalaureate Education (CABE) for the American Psychological Association, and the Executive Director of the Mid-Atlantic Teaching of Psychology (MATOP) Conference. Her dedication has earned her numerous accolades including the Emerging Scholars Award, Civic Engagement Award, and Excellence in Leadership Award.

AI as a Teaching Assistant: Using NotebookLM to Create Engaging Materials 

Description: Many instructors are curious about generative AI but unsure how to use it responsibly and efficiently. This session demonstrates how NotebookLM can function as a teaching assistant in Introductory Psychology courses. Participants will see a step-by-step workflow for transforming textbook chapters, slide decks, and course materials into concise lecture videos, structured study guides, and targeted review materials. The session focuses on practical implementation, time-saving strategies, and instructional guardrails that maintain academic integrity. Attendees will leave with concrete examples, a replicable workflow, and ready-to-adapt resources they can use immediately in their own classrooms.

Parita Vithlani is an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of Psychology at the Dundalk Campus of the Community College of Baltimore County. She focuses on using technological tools to enhance student engagement and support diverse learners. She is also committed to expanding her interest in distance learning and innovative instructional practices.

6 Two-Minute Memory Activities

Description: In this demonstration we will run through six very short activities to illustrate concepts such as chunking, the serial position effect, and elaboration.

Mark Schweizer has been an adjunct professor for the past 25 years in the Department of Psychology at Camden County College in Blackwood New Jersey.  He has taught courses in Social, Developmental, Educational, Child, Abnormal, and Introductory Psychology. He is also Co-Advisor of the Psychology Club at Camden County College.

After receiving his B.A. in Psychology from Gettysburg College, he received his teaching Certifications in Biology and Comprehensive Science from West Chester University. While teaching for 36 years at Winslow Township High School, he obtained his M.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from West Chester University. He is a member of Kappa Delta Pi Educational Honor Society and APA, Division 2.

An Active Learning Approach to Teaching Critical Thinking in the Classroom

Description: Critical thinking is more important than ever. In an age where scientific institutions are under attack and pseudoscience solutions to problems run rampant, instructors should be teaching our students to avoid falling victim to confirmation bias and challenge information presented to them. In this talk, I will implement popular survey software (Qualtrics) to illustrate issues with personality tests, our tendency to believe misinformation, and talk about how we identify falsehoods on hot-button issues.

Dr. Jacob Coutts is a lecturer in the Department of Psychology and Social Data Science Major at the University of Maryland, College Park. He holds a PhD in Quantitative Psychology and is a firm believer in the unity of teaching and research. His research interests are primarily in mediation, moderation, resampling techniques, and—recently—the quality of quantitative training offered to psychology students around the country. In the classroom, he applies active learning techniques and stays at the forefront of current techniques (e.g., the integration of AI) to make learning statistics effective and fun. He is currently a Generative AI Pedagogy Fellow with the Kirwin Center.

Goal-Directed Behavior and Selectivity for High-Value Information

Description: People have the ability to prioritize high-value over low-value information. That is, we can selectively attend to and remember information that is more important. This ability depends on prior goals and recognition of value. In the classroom, a short demo involving memory for a list of words reveals how goal-directed behavior serves to guide attention and memory; the effects of being selective are likely to impact student performance beyond this activity.

Dr. Cynthia Duffy is originally from sunny California. She is a cognitive psychologist with a background in processing speed, face perception, and memory. She received her master's and PhD from Washington University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University. She also worked in a clinical setting conducting research with dementia patients. Her hobbies include baking, writing, and snuggling with her pug.

What Do You Already Know?: Using Neuromyths to Inspire a Paradigm Shift From the Outset

Description: Many of us kick off our course with exposure to a variety of neuromyths to get students engaged. This activity does a deep dive, generating discussion around source credibility and asking students to do their own research into popular psychology myths. The goal is help students understand, from the very beginning of the course, the need to filter information through an academic and scientific lens.

Natalie Davies earned her M.A. in Counseling Psychology at Northwestern University, and after a very (very) brief stint in the clinical world, moved into education. She currently teaches Psychology at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia. She has designed introductory psychology courses at three different independent schools over the past twenty years, always with an emphasis on scientific literacy first. She especially enjoys providing high school students a taste of what it means to be a social scientist, and then hearing later from former students who have decided to study psychology in college.

Structured AI Dialogue to Foster Higher-Order Thinking in Intro Psychology

Description: Students in a large introductory psychology course completed an optional extra-credit assignment that required engaging in a structured Socratic dialogue with an artificial intelligence system. The AI prompted students to critically examine one of two foundational debates in psychology: genes versus environment or common sense versus scientific evidence. Following the dialogue, students reflected on their experience, describing what they found valuable and what they believed they learned. This presentation reports students’ perceptions of the assignment and situates the findings within a pedagogical framework for AI integration grounded in Bloom’s taxonomy, highlighting how structured AI dialogue can support higher-order thinking. 

Dr. Josh Wede is a Teaching Professor of Psychology at Penn State University, where he specializes in evidence-based teaching, large-course design, and the integration of emerging technologies into introductory psychology. He teaches large-enrollment courses with a focus on helping students develop effective learning strategies grounded in cognitive science. Beyond the classroom, Dr. Wede is deeply engaged in faculty development and institutional leadership. He has held multiple roles in Penn State's Faculty Senate, including Chair, contributing to initiatives around teaching effectiveness, faculty development, and shared governance. His current work explores how generative AI can be meaningfully integrated into psychology education to foster deeper learning, critical thinking, and reflective dialogue. Through both his teaching and scholarship, Dr. Wede aims to enhance the student learning experience and strengthen the broader culture of teaching in higher education.

What is Normal?

Description: This activity is the lead-in to my unit on Psychological Disorders. It will cover a new way for students to think about the idea of normal/abnormal. It includes a short demonstration of different scenarios for students to weigh in on. There are included discussion questions that are often used and lead the way into the importance of the 3 D’s (Distress, Dysfunction, Deviance) and the APA definition of mental disorders.

Bio: Juli Hawk, PhD, is an assistant professor of Psychology. She delights in sharing her love of learning with others, particularly in the following areas: adverse childhood experiences, resilience, emerging adults, suicide prevention, educational psychology, and leadership. Outside of psychology, she likes to play board games, read books, and wear fun earrings.

Reel Life: Helping Students Apply Ecological Systems Theory Through Media

Description: I’ll be talking about the most important things to cover when teaching about psychological disorders and treatment (I’m a clinical psychologist/ therapist and a teacher). I’ll show examples of activities I use in class and show what I assign to my Intro Psych students for a semester-long group project.

Alexis Briggs, PhD, is a community psychologist based in Prince George’s County, Maryland. She is a researcher and evaluator focused on youth mental health and wellbeing, with an emphasis on equity-centered, community-engaged approaches. She currently teaches Community Interventions as an adjunct professor at George Washington University in Washington, DC. Her work integrates critical engaged pedagogy, drawing on bell hooks’ Teaching to Transgress and Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed, to design learning environments that prioritize student engagement, peer learning, and critical thinking. She focuses on translating psychological theory into applied community intervention design, with attention to structural conditions shaping youth development and wellbeing. Her teaching and scholarship emphasize rigorous analysis, participatory methods, and the connection between lived experience and research practice.

Escape Your Parenting Style: An Adapted Sorting Activity for the Introductory Classroom

Description: Sorting tasks give students the opportunity to collaborate, debate, and learn from one another. In this activity, my students practice Baumrind’s four parenting styles. While the original activity was designed by Kim Graybill, I have modified it for my classroom, turning it into a mildly competitive and engaging activity with an escape-room-like feel. The adjusted format can easily be adapted to other psychology concepts that involve categorization, such as attachment styles, operant conditioning strategies, and/or symptoms of psychological disorders.

Jarred Jenkins, Ph.D., is an associate professor of psychology at Anne Arundel Community College. Trained in animal behavior and experimental psychology, Jarred focuses most of his current efforts on teaching the introductory course. He’s particularly passionate about integrating research into the curriculum and reminding students that psychologists don’t just study humans.    

Beth Morling, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Delaware and director of undergraduate education for the department. She is the author of Research Methods in Psychology (2021, W. W. Norton).

Morling focuses on both undergraduate teaching and cultural psychology research. She regularly teaches courses on research methods, cultural psychology, the self-concept, and the teaching of psychology. Her most recent scholarly research has focused on how culture shapes human motivation and social life, as well as where cultural differences are located and measured—whether within the person, or in cultural products such as media, texts, or buildings.

Morling is a Fulbright scholar, having lectured and conducted research in Kyoto, Japan from 2010-11. She is the Delaware State Professor of the Year (2014), an award from CASE and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.