Innovations in the Teaching of Psychology

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Innovations in the Teaching of Psychology

• Ed Morris, ed.morris_at_kctcs.edu
• Sally Kuhlenschmidt, Sally.kuhlenschmidt_at_wku.edu
• Katrina Phelps, katrina.phelps_at_wku.edu
• Nov 9, 2007
• Kentucky Psychological Association
• Louisville, KY

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Agenda

• Introduction Sally Kuhlenschmidt
• Specific Technology Examples Ed Morris
• Service Learning Katrina Phelps

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Quick Survey

• Online teaching?
• YouTube?
• MySpace or Facebook?
• Own iPOD or mp3 player?
• Second Life?

• Active Learning?
• PBL?
• Coop Learning?
• Learning Community?
• Service Learning?

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Matching Task

• From Kentucky Psychology Department websites
• Our messages to prospective students about our
  teaching.
• Your conclusions?

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Innovation

• Merriam-Webster print The introduction of
  something new a new method, idea, or device.
• Wikipedia (horrors!) 6 definitions including
  lengthy discussion with commentary by outside
  reviewers.

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Visual Thesaurus
www.visualthesaurus.com/
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Some Types of Innovation

• Changes in the nature of our roles,
• e.g., accountability, disaggregation
• Changes in the form of our teaching
• e.g., tech tools, Internet courses
• Changes in the function of our teaching,
• e.g., Active learning methods, such as Service
  Learning

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Changes in the nature of our roles

• Accountability Movement
• Learner-centered institutions
• For teachers externally defined
• Student ratings
• Emphasis Instructional Alignment
• Objectives, Activities and Assessments align.
• A language of college teaching.

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Professionalization of role

• Preparing Future Faculty
• Over 60 Centers in US for GTA prep. (e.g., UK).
• Certification to teach at college level (e.g.,
  WKU for CC).
• Ex. Online Course on Becoming a Teacher of
  Statistics
• U Minnesota, gaddy001_at_umn.edu

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www.qualitymatters.org

• External peer review of course design
• Morehead, UL, WKU
• Like research article peer review
• Currently rubric for online classes, preparing
  hybrid
• First courses in Kentucky to be reviewed CIS
  101, then Psy 361.

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Consequences

• Higher standards
• Measurability of teaching choices
• A 2nd discipline college teaching is added to
  your role.
• Language, body of knowledge
• Course of Study w/life long updates
• Research methodology
• Social contract to be accountable

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Changes in the form of our teaching

• The Internet
• Introduces Competition to Educational
  Institutions.
• Regional claims are not safe.
• Online teaching
• exponential growth.
• and measurable
• and accessible.

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Form Connectivity

• Online classes.
• Email - Youtube - cell phones
• information is volatile, networked, collective.
• Undermines claims to expertise
• Ex., We are Smarter Than Me book.
• Flattens the power curve.

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Disaggregation

• Traditional teacher is now a Content Expert
  vs Expert
• And students cross-check you against the
  Internet.
• Disaggregates traditional faculty role.

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Internet cont.

• Teaching is now public
• Online especiallyleaves record
• f2f toobecause people talk online.
• Legal issues
• Accessibility FERPA, intellectual property.

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Consequences

• On average, learn to teach on-line
• Evaluate technology for impact on learning.
• Keep an eye on tech that connects.
• Consider legal issues.

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Re-define Role in Cyberspace

• Analysis, or problem-solving
• Sorter/filter of information.
• Teaching isnt about lecturing.
• Its about

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Changes in the function of our teaching,

• Critical Thinking (how to measure?)
• Constructivism
• Emphasis on student participation, discovery.
• Social context for learning Service,
  Cooperative, Collaborative, Problem-Based
  Learning Learning Communities

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Competition for Attention

• Games, e.g., Quandary
• http//www.halfbakedsoftware.com/quandary.php
• Ex diagnosis
• http//www.wku.edu/sally.kuhlenschmidt/psy440/dia
  gnosis/
• Ex Should I learn this technology?
• http//www.wku.edu/Dept/Support/AcadAffairs/CTL/on
  line/usetech.htm

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Shift from bell-shaped curve to networks

• Social Network sites like MySpace and Facebook
• Students present projects to the world.
• Collaboration in products
• Wikis, Blogs, Google Documents

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Sort/Choose Information

• Social bookmarking
• Del.icio.us share, annotate bookmarks.
• Google Custom Search Engine
• http//www.wku.edu/teaching/csekyfacdev.html
• http//www.wku.edu/teaching/csekyed.html

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Consequences

• Teacher as Facilitator or Guide on the side.
• Measurement challenge.
• Information is cheap, available, annoying.
• To what end? For what purpose?
• (Instructional alignment again)

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Summary

• Changes in faculty role
• Changes in form of teaching online.
• Changes in style or function of teaching.
• Innovations clash or complement.
• Choose based on your objectives.

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Next

• Ed specific examples of cutting edge
  technologies.
• Katrinaexample of innovative instructional
  method.