Psychology 525: Teaching Seminar

Spring Semester, 2008

Instructor: Dr. Lauren Scharff
Office: 215F McKibben Education Building
Phone: 468-1415
TEC Office: Steen Library 220D
TEC Phone: 468-1831
Hours: M 1-2, T 9-11, W 4-5, TH 1-2, or by appointment
E-mail: lscharff@sfasu.edu

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REQUIRED TEXT:

McKeachie, W. J. & Svinicki, M. (2006). Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers. (12th Edition). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

There is an additional bundle of assigned readings you should purchase at the front desk of the Psychology Department (see attached, numbered list).

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

This course is designed to provide students with the theory and skills to teach a college-level course. You will be exposed to theory and research from the leading contemporary and historical figures in the teaching of psychology. By the end of the course, you will not only have acquired the skills to teach, but you will have taught one full class period. Some of the skills you will be expected to acquire include, but are not limited to the following: syllabus construction, writing exam questions of various types, choosing a text, planning lectures, involving students in discussion, the effective use of technology in the classroom, and classroom management.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Reading: Students are responsible for ALL assigned readings prior to the class for which they are assigned.

Attendance & Participation: Regular attendance is expected. Please let me know, if possible, in advance should you need to miss a class. If you miss a class, I do not need to see an excuse. You should, however, talk with someone in the class about the discussion. Because active participation tends to enhance the learning experience, you are expected to join discussions. This means that you must come to class having read the assigned material for the day. As you read the chapters and readings, you should make note of what points most surprised you, what points most resonated with your previous experiences, and what points you think will be most valuable to you as you develop as a teacher. This course is a true seminar course in that it is not lecture based. We will meet and discuss the various topics at length each class period. You each have a unique and valuable perspective to offer, one from which we all may learn.

Special Note Regarding Attendance: Please be considerate and do not come to class if you are sick. Every time a student coughs or sneezes, or even touches a desk, germs are spread. Your sickness not a gift I wish to receive, nor does anyone else. In fact, your cold could be life threatening to someone with a compromised immune system. Please be respectful & considerate of everyone, including yourself. Stay at home until you are no longer sick!

Cell Phones & Pagers: Prior to coming to class, turn off all pagers or cell phones you may be carrying. It is a disruption to class when these ring. If you do not turn off your pager/cell phone and it goes off during class, you will be asked to leave for the remainder of that class period. Please be respectful of your classmates and the instructor by not allowing this to occur.

EVALUATION:

Your grade will come from the assignments listed below and the evaluations of your lectures.

Assignments:

Teaching Philosophy : (25/50 pts.) A teaching philosophy is a personal statement of what you perceive teaching to be. It details the philosophical/research basis for all teaching-related activities. The first thing you will do this semester, is write a teaching philosophy. Please do NOT discuss this among yourselves. This is something that should be very personal and individualized. Your initial draft of your teaching philosophy is due on February 4 (25 points). By then, we will have discussed some of the issues that will likely influence your personal perspective. On February 18, I will return these to you with comments to be revised. The ‘final’ draft will be due on May 5 along with the syllabus assignment (50 points). (Note: teaching philosophies will continue to develop as you develop.  It’s never really ‘finalized.’)

Mini-Lectures: (30 pts. each) Each of you will present a series of 15-minute-long mini-lectures. These are designed with two goals in mind. First, they allow you to become increasingly comfortable lecturing in front of a group of people. For many of us, having some degree of social phobia is a major stumbling block in the process of giving an effective presentation. Second, they will take you closer and closer to having a full lecture prepared for the end of the semester.

You will each present a total of 3 mini-lectures, all of which are done in our class. Your first task will be to determine which course you would like to choose for your full lecture (General Psychology or Human Sexuality). I would like you to approach a faculty member/instructor who is currently teaching one of those courses to obtain the initial agreement that you will lecture in their class sometime between April 13 and April 30 (including those dates). Identify the lecture topic if that is possible this early in the semester. You now have the basis for your mini-lectures!

The first mini-lecture should introduce the subject matter as well as begin to move into the meat of it. The second mini-lecture should continue the lecture material. Your final mini-lecture should include some type of visual tool (e. g., overheads, PowerPoint, video clip, website, etc.) relevant to your lecture. For each, be sure to not "start cold" or end without closure. We will videotape the 2nd and 3rd mini-lectures for you to be able to review your own performance.

Evaluation of these mini-lectures will be done as follows. I and each of your classmates will evaluate you using the form at the end of this syllabus. It uses a Likert scale to assess various aspects of your presentation. Only MY subjective evaluation will determine the number of points you receive. However, this does not mean that the evaluations from your peers are worthless! I encourage you to heed their feedback as well. We each notice different things and have unique preferences when it comes to listening to a lecture.

Class Lecture: (100 pts.) Each of you will give a "guest" lecture in a faculty member's 100-level course. You may choose among General Psychology or Human Sexuality. Again, during the first week of this semester, I would like you to approach the faculty member/instructor of your choice to arrange this lecture. If they are able to tell you the topic for that day, all the better.

Attend Guest Lectures of Your Classmates: (12 pts. each) You will be required to attend a minimum of 5 of your peers’ guest lectures. The dates and times will be announced so that you may mark your schedule. It would be beneficial for you to attend as many of them as possible. Doing so offers you more insight into the process, can serve to alleviate some of your anxiety, and provides additional feedback of a more professional nature for your classmate.

Sample Test Items: (40 pts.; 5 pts. each question) You will create exam questions based on your guest lecture: 5 multiple-choice questions, 2 short answer questions, and 1 essay question. These will be due on March 29. When writing these questions you should keep in mind the related readings and our class discussion of how to create effective questions.

PSYCHTEACHER Listserve: I would like each of you to join the PSYCHTEACHER listserve. There is no charge to be a member of the list. Go to http://list.kennesaw.edu/archives/psychteacher.html to register. We will very likely incorporate some of the discussions from this list in our class discussions.

Course Syllabus and Rationale: (100 pts.) You will create a complete syllabus for a course in General Psychology. A syllabus is a reflection of you, both as a person and as a teacher; your personality and style will be clearly demonstrated in this document. You should keep in mind all the things addressed in this course as you construct your syllabus (e.g., number of exams, type of questions, assignments, writing, etc.). A syllabus should leave the reader with few if any questions because the guidelines and expectations are so clearly explained.

With your syllabus, you must turn in a rationale for the choices you have made. For example, why did you choose to give 4 exams instead of 5; chapter quizzes instead of exams; require 1 rather than 2 research participations; offer extra credit? Why did you include or not include a statement regarding cell phones in the classroom? All of your choices should be justified based on our readings and discussions.

Your syllabus, rationale and revised teaching philosophy will be due by 5:00 pm on May 5th.

Special Arrangements: To obtain disability related accommodations and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS), Human Services Building, Room 325, 468-3004/ 468-1004 (TDD) as early as possible in the semester. Once verified, ODS will notify the course instructor and outline the accommodation and/or auxiliary aids to be provided. Should you require special arrangements for taking exams, and you are registered with Disability Services, please see me as soon as possible to discuss this.

Summary of Course Grading:

Teaching Philosophy

25/50

Mini-Lecture #1

30

Mini-Lecture #2

30

Mini-Lecture #3

30

Class Lecture

100

Attend Guest Lectures

60

Sample Test Items

40

Course Syllabus / Rationale

100

TOTAL

465

 COURSE SCHEDULE:

DATE

TOPIC (subject to change with notice)

RELATED READINGS *

1/14

Introduction to Class / Discuss Ch 1 and Call to Teach / Teaching Philosophy assignment given

Ch 1, Reading #1, #2

1/16

Effective (and not) Teacher Characteristics

Readings #3, #4




1/21

Course Preparation: Goals, Choosing a Text

Ch. 2; Readings #5, #6

1/23

Course Preparation: Schedules, Compliance, Building in Objectives

Ch. 2 cont., Ch 4 ; Reading #7




1/28

Course Preparation: Syllabus

Reading #8

1/30

Meeting the Class / Rapport / Classroom presence

Ch. 3; Readings #9, #9a, #9b




2/4

Developing Lectures

Teaching Philosophy Due

Ch. 6; Reading #10, #11

2/6

Developing Lectures / CD Scenarios

Reading #12, #12a




2/11

MINI-LECTURE #1


2/13

MINI-LECTURE #1





2/18

Mini-lecture debrief / Return & Discuss Teaching Philosophies / Teacher’s Role

Ch 21

2/20

It’s More Than Lecturing: Class Discussion & Collaborative Learning

Ch 5, Ch 16, Ch 19 Reading #13




2/25

Collaborative Learning Workshop (TEC)

Ch. 22

2/27

Motivation / Writing Assignments and Alternate Teaching Approaches

Ch 12, Ch 15, Ch 17




3/3

MINI-LECTURE #2


3/5

MINI-LECTURE #2





3/10-3/15

Spring Break!!!





3/17

Using Technology and Powerpoint

Ch 18, Reading #21

3/19

Equipment and pedagogy of online teaching / hybrid courses





3/24

MINI-LECTURE #3


3/26

MINI-LECTURE #3





3/31

Problem Students / Classroom Management / Diversity

Ch 13, Ch 14, Ch 25, Readings #19, #20, #20a

4/2

[SWPA]





4/7

Constructing an Exam / Exam Assignment Given

Ch 7, Ch 8, Ch 9, Readings # 14, #15, #16

4/9

Grading / Item Analysis / Cheating

Ch 10, Ch 11, Reading #17, #18




4/14

Go over exam questions / Exam Questions Due / Assign Syllabus & Rationale


4/14 - 4/25

CLASS LECTURES: Attend at least 5 of your classmates' lectures





4/28

Review of Class Lectures / CD scenarios and discussion


4/30

Learning is Lifelong: How to Remain Vital

Ch. 26; Reading #22, #23




5/5

5:00 p.m.

Syllabus / Rationale / Revised Teaching Philosophy Due


* See numbers on the printed list of additional readings below.

ADDITIONAL READINGS


1. Buskist, W., Benson, T., & Sikorski, J. F. (2005). The call to teach. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 24, 111-122.

2. Van Note Chism, N. (1998). Developing a philosophy of teaching statement. Class Action, 1. Retrieved from http://virtual.clemson.edu/groups/OTEI/newspdf/s992.pdf

3. Buskist, W., Sikorski, J., Buckley, T., & Saville, B. K. (2002). Elements of master teaching. In S. F. Davis, & W. Buskist (Eds.), The teaching of psychology: Essays in honor of Wilbert J. McKeachie and Charles L. Brewer (pp. 27-39). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

4.    Buskist, W. (2000). Common mistakes made by graduate teaching assistants and suggestions for correcting them. Teaching of Psychology, 27, 280-282.

5.    Benjamin, L. T., Jr. (2005). Setting course goals: Privileges and responsibilities in a world of ideas. Teaching of Psychology, 32, 146-149.

6.    Dewey, R. A. (1999). Finding the right introductory psychology textbook. In B. Perlman, L. I. McCann, & S. H. McFadden (Eds.), Lessons learned: Practical advice for the teaching of psychology (Vol. 1) (pp. 25-28). Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Society.

7.    Sappington, J., Kinsey, K., & Munsayac, K. (2002). Two studies of reading compliance among college students. Teaching of Psychology, 29, 272-274.

8.    Appleby, D. C. (1999). How to improve your teaching with the course syllabus. In B. Perlman, L. I. McCann, & S. H. McFadden (Eds.), Lessons learned: Practical advice for the teaching of psychology (Vol. 1) (pp. 19-24). Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Society.

9.    Buskist, W., & Saville, B. K. (2001). Rapport-building: Creating positive emotional contexts for enhancing teaching and learning, APS Observer, 14, _____.

9a. Halonen, J. (2002). Classroom presence. In S. F. Davis, & W. Buskist (Eds.), The teaching of psychology: Essays in honor of Wilbert J. McKeachie and Charles L. Brewer (pp. 41-55). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

9b. Wilson, J. & Wilson, S. (2007). The first day of class affects student motivation: An experimental study.  Teaching of Psychology, 34 (4), 226-230.

10.    Zakrajsek, T. (1999). Developing effective lectures. In B. Perlman, L. I. McCann, & S. H. McFadden (Eds.), Lessons learned: Practical advice for the teaching of psychology (Vol. 1) (pp. 81-86). Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Society.

11.    Benjamin, L. T. (2002). Lecturing. In S. F. Davis, & W. Buskist (Eds.), The teaching of psychology: Essays in honor of Wilbert J. McKeachie and Charles L. Brewer (pp. 57-67). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

12.    Sternberg, R. J. (1999). Twenty tips for teaching introductory psychology. In B. Perlman, L. I. McCann, & S. H. McFadden (Eds.), Lessons learned: Practical advice for the teaching of psychology (Vol. 1) (pp. 99-104). Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Society.

12a. Wilson, K. & Horn, J. (2007). Attention during lectures: Beyond Ten minutes. Teaching of Psychology, 34(2), 85 – 89.

13.    Kramer, T. J., & Korn, J. H. (1999). Class discussions: Promoting participation and preventing problems. In B. Perlman, L. I. McCann, & S. H. McFadden (Eds.), Lessons learned: Practical advice for the teaching of psychology (Vol. 1) (pp. 99-104). Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Society.

14.    Renner, C. H., & Renner, M. J. (1999). How to create a good exam. In B. Perlman, L. I. McCann, & S. H. McFadden (Eds.), Lessons learned: Practical advice for the teaching of psychology (Vol. 1) (pp. 43-47). Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Society.

15.    Sechrest, L., Kihlstrom, J. F., & Bootzin, R. (1999). How to develop multiple-choice tests. In B. Perlman, L. I. McCann, & S. H. McFadden (Eds.), Lessons learned: Practical advice for the teaching of psychology (Vol. 1) (pp. 49-56). Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Society.

16.    Ory, J. C. (2004). The final exam. In B. Perlman, L. I. McCann, & S. H. McFadden (Eds.), Lessons learned: Practical advice for the teaching of psychology (Vol. 2) (pp. 275-284). Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Society.

17.    Zlokovich, M. S. (2004). Grading for optimal student learning. In B. Perlman, L. I. McCann, & S. H. McFadden (Eds.), Lessons learned: Practical advice for the teaching of psychology (Vol. 2) (pp. 255-264). Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Society.

18.    McBurney, D. H. (1999). Cheating: Preventing and dealing with academic dishonesty. In B. Perlman, L. I. McCann, & S. H. McFadden (Eds.), Lessons learned: Practical advice for the teaching of psychology (Vol. 1) (pp. 81-86). Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Society.

19.    Goss, S. S. (1999). Dealing with problem students in the classroom. In B. Perlman, L. I. McCann, & S. H. McFadden (Eds.), Lessons learned: Practical advice for the teaching of psychology (Vol. 1) (pp. 209-212). Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Society.

20.    Wittig, A. F., Perkins, D. V., Balogh, D. W., Whitley, B. E., & Keith-Spiegel, P. (1999). Treating students differentially: Ethics in shades of gray. In B. Perlman, L. I. McCann, & S. H. McFadden (Eds.), Lessons learned: Practical advice for the teaching of psychology (Vol. 1) (pp. 219-224). Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Society.

20a. Warren, L. (2007). Class in the classroom. POD Newsletter (winter).

21.    Daniel, David B. (2005). How to ruin a perfectly good lecture: Presentation software as a teaching tool. In B. Perlman, L. I. McCann, & W. Buskist (Eds.), Voices of Experience: Memorable Talks From the National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology (Vol. 1) (pp. 119-130). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

22.    Bernstein, D. A. (2005). Was it good for you, too? Keeping teaching exciting for us and for them. In B. Perlman, L. I. McCann, & W. Buskist (Eds.), Voices of Experience: Memorable Talks From the National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology (Vol. 1) (pp. 111-118). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

23.    Brewer, C. L. (2002). Reflections on an academic career: From which side of the looking glass? In S. F. Davis, & W. Buskist (Eds.), The teaching of psychology: Essays in honor of Wilbert J. McKeachie and Charles L. Brewer (pp. 499-507). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.