Interventions for “Best Practices” Teaching of an Introduction to Psychology Course
Session Title
Poster Session 1
Faculty Mentor
Kat West, Ph.D.| Matthew Hayes, Ph.D.
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Psychology
Abstract
Since 2019, our lab has focused on "best practices" for supporting student learning in an introduction to psychology (PSYC 101) course. We discovered that, seemingly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the average, overall grades of students in PSYC 101 rapidly declined. As a result, our lab began introducing various intervention strategies in hopes of raising overall scores by maximizing student support and learning. These interventions (such as the use of teaching assistants, AI-driven discussion technology, alternative "student-friendly" communication, and peer-designed study guides) were added gradually in order to confirm that they were working and/or which would be most effective. One of the more impactful interventions was a low-cost, instructor designed textbook courtesy of Sykepack.com. This textbook was interactive, fit exactly with the course materials, and included built-in study tools like flash cards. Overall, the interventions have combined to significantly improve students’ overall grades (p andlt; 0.05) as current average grades are close to pre-pandemic levels. Research is still ongoing to identify which strategies, if any, are unnecessary or unhelpful and which have been most effective and/or could benefit from minor improvements.
Previously Presented/Performed?
National Institute for the Teaching of Psychology, St. Petes Beach, FL, January 2023 | Winthrop University Showcase of Winthrop University Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors, Rock Hill, SC, April 2023
Type of Presentation
Poster presentation
Start Date
15-4-2023 12:00 PM
Interventions for “Best Practices” Teaching of an Introduction to Psychology Course
Since 2019, our lab has focused on "best practices" for supporting student learning in an introduction to psychology (PSYC 101) course. We discovered that, seemingly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the average, overall grades of students in PSYC 101 rapidly declined. As a result, our lab began introducing various intervention strategies in hopes of raising overall scores by maximizing student support and learning. These interventions (such as the use of teaching assistants, AI-driven discussion technology, alternative "student-friendly" communication, and peer-designed study guides) were added gradually in order to confirm that they were working and/or which would be most effective. One of the more impactful interventions was a low-cost, instructor designed textbook courtesy of Sykepack.com. This textbook was interactive, fit exactly with the course materials, and included built-in study tools like flash cards. Overall, the interventions have combined to significantly improve students’ overall grades (p andlt; 0.05) as current average grades are close to pre-pandemic levels. Research is still ongoing to identify which strategies, if any, are unnecessary or unhelpful and which have been most effective and/or could benefit from minor improvements.
