Course Description
The objective of this course is to review the literature pertaining to teaching in the psychological sciences, to develop pedagogically-sound techniques through which to present psychological material, and to gain hands-on experience in psychological instruction.
Required Textbooks & Materials
Svinicki, M., & McKeachie, W. J. (2014). McKeachie’s teaching tips: Strategy, research, and theory for college and university teachers (14th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. (Referred to as McKeachie)
Obeid, R., Schwartz, A., Shane-Simpson, C., & Brooks, P. J. (Eds.). (2017). How We Teach Now: The GSTA Guide to Student-Centered Teaching. Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology web site: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/howweteachnow (Available on D2L and referred to as GSTA V1)
Ober, T. M., Che, E., Brodsky, J. E., Raffaele, C. & Brooks, P. J. (Eds.). (2020). How We Teach Now: The GSTA Guide to Transformative Teaching. Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology web site: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/howweteachnow-transformative (Available on D2L and referred to as GSTA V2).
Other required readings/materials are available on the D2L page for this course.
Course Purpose & Goals
This 3-credit hour course will provide graduate students in Psychology with an opportunity to examine issues, information, and techniques concerning college teaching; consider the diverse aspects and options involved in an academic career; and participate in some preliminary, constructive experiences in teaching of psychology as well as applying to academic positions. The majority of this course will focus on the “nuts and bolts” of teaching college courses at the undergraduate level. We will consider topics such as syllabus preparation, lecturing, grading and providing feedback, leading a discussion-format class, conducting an on-line course, etc. Theory and research on teaching will be emphasized. We will also spend time in this course discussing careers in academia more broadly and include discussions on applying for and getting an academic job, professor life, mentoring, evaluating teaching effectiveness, ethics, etc. The course consists of both a didactic component (discussion format) and a practicum component, which requires students to lead discussions, create a syllabus, teach an undergraduate topic, observe and critique peer teaching, and prepare a portion of an application for an academic position.
Course Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this course, students are expected to:
Develop and plan a course, including constructing a course syllabus and effectively choosing course materials.
Organize and present course material in a clear and concise manner.
Encourage and facilitate critical thinking in the classroom.
Use methods in the classroom to help motivate students within and outside of class.
Properly assess student knowledge of course material using testing and/or other methods of assessment in a way that encourages learning and comprehension of course material.
Grade student assignments fairly and consistently.
Create a student teaching assessment and to use student feedback to guide lectures and to improve teaching methods.
Properly manage the classroom to create an encouraging learning environment for all students.
Appreciate and utilize diversity within the classroom.
Effectively approach student issues and problems.
Evaluate his/her own and other instructors’ performance in the classroom, identifying strengths and weaknesses of his/her and others’ ability to teach the course and ways in which he/she and others can improve.
Act in an ethical and professional manner when interacting with students in and out of the classroom.