Dawn R. Rager, Eileen M. Merges, & Laura L. Phelan
Part 1: Learning Goals & Assessment
Part 2: A New Practicum Course for Majors
Part 3: Capstone Courses

Dawn R. Rager


Our Psychology Department offers two degrees

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
■ more flexible to accommodate a 2 nd major or minor

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
■ emphasizes the rigor of scientific research
■ best suited for students interested in pursuing a
Ph.D. in psychology or a related field

 Adapted from The APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major
( www.apa.org/ed/psymajor_guideline.pdf
)

Knowledge, Skills, and Values Consistent with the Science and
Application of Psychology
1. Knowledge Base of Psychology
2. Research Methods in Psychology
3. Critical Thinking Skills in Psychology
4. Application of Psychology
5. Values in Psychology

Knowledge, Skills, and Values Consistent with a Liberal Arts Education that are Further Developed in Psychology.
6. Information/Technology Literacy & Communication Skills
7. Knowledge/Values of Sociocultural & International Awareness
8. Knowledge/Values of Personal & Career Development

Foundations Courses
Introductory Psychology
Research Methods & Writing
Basic Statistics
Practicum for Psychology Majors
Advanced/Multivariate Statistics (BS degree)
Psychological Perspectives Courses
Developmental Psychology
Social Psychology
Personality
Physiological Psychology
Learning
Cognitive
Laboratory Courses
Developmental or Social/Health Lab Learning or Cognitive Lab
Abnormal Psychology
History & Systems
Capstone Courses
Special Topics Seminar
Psychology Electives & General Education Courses


Purpose is to improve the program and student learning
 Linked to learning goals/outcomes which, in turn, are aligned with departmental and institutional missions

Developed/implemented with input from all department members and with support from the College

Factors in recommendations from various sources, e.g.,
 APA’s The Assessment CyberGuide for Learning Goals and Outcomes in the
Undergraduate Psychology Major ( www.apa.org/ed/guide_outline.html
)
 Dunn, D.S., Mehrotra, C. M. & Halonen, J.S. (Eds.) (2004). Measuring up:
Educational assessment challenges and practices for psychology.
Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Implemented in manageable way for faculty members and students

Is a work continuously in progress


Top 10 Task Force Recommendations
( www.apa.org/ed/best_practices.html
)
1. Encourage department ownership to drive the process.
2. Define your objectives in the context of your institutional mission.
3. Focus on collaboration and teamwork.
4. Clarify the purpose of assessment.
5. Identify clear, measurable, and developmental student learning
6. Use multiple measures and sources consistent with resources.
7. Implement continuous assessment with clear, manageable timelines.
8. Help students succeed on assessment tasks.
9. Interpret and use assessment results appropriately.
10. Evaluate your assessment practices.


Formal program assessment began in the 2005-06 academic year

Assessed Goal 2 – Research Methods in Psychology

Continued during the 2006-2007 academic year

Assessed Goal 4 – Application of Psychology

GOAL 2 - RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY: Students will understand and apply research methods in psychology, including design, data analysis, and interpretation.
Learning Outcomes Assessment Methods Averages
2.1
Students will be able to describe the different research methods used by psychologists, and articulate their strengths and weaknesses
(including internal and external validity).
% earning C or better in Research Methods
% earning C or better in labs
Avg. Δ scores from 1 st to 2 nd papers in labs
2.2
Students will be able to utilize basic statistical techniques and interpret statistical results (including significance and effect size).
% earning C or better in Basic Statistics
% earning C or better on cumulative final in
Basic Statistics
Avg. Δ scores from 1 st to 2 nd papers in labs
2.3
Students will be able to read and interpret psychological research with appropriate appreciation for the effects of internal and external validity on the generalizability of the research results.
% earning C or better on Seminar papers
2.4 Students will be able to design and conduct psychological research in an ethical manner, and interpret the results.
2.5 Students will be able to formulate and write all parts of an APA Style empirical paper.
Avg. Δ scores from 1 st to 2 nd papers in labs
% C or better in Research Methods & labs
86 %
97 %
+11 pts
90 %
40 %
+11 pts
89 %
+11 pts
86 % (P200)
97 % (Labs)
91 % (Total)


Our students are demonstrating appropriate progress for most aspects of Goal 2
 understanding research methods and their strengths/ weaknesses
 designing & conducting research & interpreting the results
 preparing APA style reports of their research

Area in need of improvement
 we need to help our students better understand statistics at a conceptual level

Seabrook (2006). Is the teaching of statistical calculations helpful to students’ statistical thinking? Psychology Learning and Teaching, 5 (2), 153-161.

GOAL 4 - APPLICATION OF PSYCHOLOGY: Students will understand and apply psychological principles to personal, social and/or organizational issues.
Frequencies Descriptives Learning Outcomes Assessment Methods
4.1
Students will demonstrate an understanding of how to apply the psychological concepts, theories and research to solve real world problems in areas such as health, mental health, work, education, etc.
4.2
Students will recognize that ethical issues and sociocultural contexts influence the application of psychological principles in solving problems
Evaluate samples of papers/projects that require students to demonstrate an understanding of the applications of psychology to solve real world problems and/or grapple with ethical and cultural issues. Samples will be evaluated by teams of faculty members using the following rating scale:
1 – Below Expectations
2 – Meets Expectations
3 – Exceeds Expectations
Below: 7
Meets: 8
Exceeds: 4
n = 19
Below: 1
Meets: 15
Exceeds: 2
n = 18
M =
SD =
2.11
0.68
Interobserver agreement =
44% (72%)
M =
SD =
2.25
0.46
Interobserver agreement =
56% (100%)


Health Psychology (PSYC 255) – Goals 4.1 & 4.2

Gather information about your family health history & use heath psychology theories and concepts to develop a preventative health plan for yourself

Social Psychology (PSYC 235) – Goal 4.1

Use social psychology theories and concepts to design an effective program for encouraging high school students to engage in safe sex practices

Abnormal Psychology (PSYC 401) – Goal 4.2

Case study with ethical and sociocultural implications


Our students are demonstrating reasonable progress for some aspects of Goal 4 (Application of Psychology):
 recognizing that ethical issues influence the application of psychological principles in solving problems
 understanding some ways in which psychology can be applied to solve real world problems

Areas in need of improvement – we need to help our students:
 develop a greater appreciation for how sociocultural issues influence the application of psychological principles in solving problems
 better understand various ways in which psychology may be applied to solve real world problems

 The data that we’ve collected to date also indicates that we need to:
 standardize some of our measures (e.g., paper Δ scores)
 improve the reliability of our measures for Goal 4
■ separately evaluate students’ appreciation of ethical & sociocultural issues
■ develop operational definitions for the categories in our rating scale (i.e., below, meets, and exceeds expectations)
■ possibly use more than two judges to evaluate samples of student work


Program assessment can be a challenge in that it requires

Careful thought and planning

Commitment, time, and effort

Continuous review and revision

However, despite its challenges, program assessment can
 be implemented in a way that is manageable (and interesting) for faculty and students
 provide important insights regarding the effectiveness of the program
 lead to continuous improvements in the program and student learning

Laura L. Phelan


Why offer this course?
 Students are unaware or fail to take advantage of learning opportunities
■ Ex/ fieldwork, Independent Research, Honors Program,
Psychology Club, Psi Chi

Students are not prepared to develop long term goals and effective plans for pursuing careers

Because of the large number of majors and heavy advising loads, advising sessions are spent mainly on academic advising

Practicum would allow us to promote student development in these areas

Practicum designed to achieve various elements of our student learning goals


Goal 3: Critical thinking skills in Psychology

Goal 4: Application of Psychology

Goal 5:Values in Psychology

Goal 6: Skills consistent with liberal arts education

Goal 7:Sociocultural and International awareness

Goal 8: Personal and career development


Requirement for new students starting Fall 07

Pre-requisite: “C” or better in either PSYC 200 or PSYC 201

Taken in sophomore or junior year

One section per semester team-taught by all full time faculty

20 to 40 students per class

1 credit course

S/U grade

Kuther, T.L. (2006). The psychology major’s handbook (2 nd edition) .
Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth.
Landrum, R.E. & Davis, S.F. (2007). The psychology major: Career options and strategies for success (3 rd edition).
Upper Saddle River:
Pearson Prentice Hall.


Students will

Review skills necessary to be successful psychology majors

Explore psychology learning opportunities

Explore career opportunities

Prepare job/graduate school materials


Self-reflection and identification of personal and professional values

Imagine that you have just passed on. You have devoted yourself to your life’s work and have been successful in its execution. What contribution did you make to a better world? When all is said and done, what statement did your life make? Use your answers to these questions to prepare your obituary.

Brainstorm and research potential career choices

Research a career that you are interested in and one that you are not interested in.

Review and explore academic and extracurricular experiences

Psychology Involvement Session: The class will recruit students to speak in class about their involvement in learning experiences outside of the classroom


Prepare graduate school and/or employment application

Resume, vita, personal statements

Cultivate professional relationships

Requesting letters of recommendation questionnaire

Work on interview skills

Mock interviews

Discuss potential changes in careers and emphasize the importance of continuing education and becoming a life-long learner

Attitudes and Options exercise (Landrum & Davis, 2007): Quiz on attitudes towards growth in a career


Our practicum covers important topics in an Intro to the major course consistent with those identified in Landrum, Shoemaker, and
Davis (2003)

Plan to assess effectiveness of the course
 Psychology Major Career Information Survey Items (Thomas &
McDaniel, 2004)

Psychology Survey (Landrum & Davis, 2007)

Kuther, T.L. (2006). The psychology major’s handbook (2 nd edition) .
Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth.
Landrum, R.E., & Davis, S.F. (2007). The psychology major: Career options and strategies for success (3 rd edition).
Upper Saddle River:
Pearson Prentice Hall.
Landrum, R.E., Shoemaker, C.S., & Davis, S.F. (2003). Important topics in an “Introduction to the Psychology Major” course.
Teaching of Psychology , 30 , 48-51.
Thomas, J.H., & McDaniel, C.R. (2004). Effectiveness of a required course in career planning for psychology majors. Teaching of
Psychology , 31 , 22-27.

Eileen M. Merges

 Opportunity for students “to demonstrate comprehensive learning in their major through some type of product or performance”
(Palomba & Banta, 1999, p.124)
 Palomba, C.A. & Banta, T.W. (1999). Assessment essentials: Planning, implementing, and improving assessment in higher education.
San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass Publishers.
 “Requires students to bring together the skills that have been developed in their program of study” (Halpern, 2004, p. 22)
 Halpern, D.F. (2004). Outcomes assessment 101. In Dunn, D.S., Mehrotra,
C. M. & Halonen, J.S. (Eds.), Measuring up: Educational assessment challenges and practices for psychology (pp. 11-26) .
Washington, DC:
American Psychological Association.


History and Systems of Psychology (PSYC 415)

Abnormal Psychology (PSYC 401)

Seminar in Psychology (PSYC 407)


Assignments

Major paper
■Examples: The Mind-Body problem, History of a particular discipline, biography of historical figure within context of psychology

Presentation


Topic of seminar changes each semester. Recent examples include:

Sleep

Eating Behavior

Human Sexuality

Detective Fiction and Psychology
 Women’s Health Issues

Political psychology


Topic decided by individual faculty

Emphasis on reading and discussing primary sources

Assignments must include a major paper and a presentation


Etiology and treatment of major diagnostic categories are considered from the major theoretical perspectives

Biological

Cognitive

Behavioral

Socio-Cultural

Psychodynamic

Humanistic


Assignments

Weekly case studies
■formulating case conceptualizations from a variety of perspectives
■provide opportunity to discuss the socio-cultural factors that impact the development and expression of psychological disorders

 Assignments (cont’d)

Major paper - examining a disorder from at least 2 of the major theoretical perspectives

Includes thorough review of relevant literature

Requires critical reasoning abilities to analyze and critique literature and formulate own conclusions


Papers in seminar courses used to assess goal 2.3
(consume literature)

Goal 4.1 & 4.2 (application and ethical/socio-cultural issues) assessed in Abnormal Psychology

Departmental discussion surrounding comprehensive exam in Abnormal and/or History & Systems to assess knowledge base in Psychology