Innovations in the
Teaching of Psychology
Ed Morris, ed.morris@kctcs.edu
Sally Kuhlenschmidt, Sally.kuhlenschmidt@wku.edu
Katrina Phelps, katrina.phelps@wku.edu
Nov 9, 2007
Kentucky Psychological Association
Louisville, KY
Agenda
• Introduction – Sally
Kuhlenschmidt
• Specific Technology Examples –
Ed Morris
• Service Learning – Katrina
Phelps
Quick Survey
• Online
teaching?
• YouTube?
• MySpace or
Facebook?
• Own iPOD or
mp3 player?
• Second Life?
• Active
Learning?
• PBL?
• Coop Learning?
• Learning
Community?
• Service
Learning?
Matching Task
• From Kentucky Psychology
Department websites
– Our messages to prospective
students about our teaching.
– Your conclusions?
“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.
Visual Thesaurus
www.visualthesaurus.com/
Some Types of Innovation
1. Changes in the nature of our roles,
–
e.g., accountability, disaggregation
2. Changes in the form of our teaching
–
e.g., tech tools, Internet courses
3. Changes in the function of our
teaching,
–
e.g., Active learning methods, such as
Service Learning
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.
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@umn.edu
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.
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
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.
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.
Disaggregation
• “Traditional” teacher is now a
“Content Expert” vs “Expert”
– And students cross-check you
against the Internet.
• Disaggregates “traditional”
faculty role.
Internet cont.
• Teaching is now public
– Online especially—leaves record
– f2f too—because people talk online.
• Legal issues
– Accessibility; FERPA, intellectual
property.
Consequences
• On average, learn to teach online
• Evaluate technology for impact
on learning.
• Keep an eye on tech that
connects.
• Consider legal issues.
Re-define Role in
Cyberspace
•
•
•
•
Analysis, or problem-solving
Sorter/filter of information.
Teaching isn’t about lecturing.
It’s about…
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
Competition for Attention
• Games, e.g., Quandary
– http://www.halfbakedsoftware.com/
quandary.php
– Ex: diagnosis:
– http://www.wku.edu/~sally.kuhlensc
hmidt/psy440/diagnosis/
– Ex: Should I learn this technology?
– http://www.wku.edu/Dept/Support/A
cadAffairs/CTL/online/usetech.htm
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
Sort/Choose Information
• Social bookmarking
– Del.icio.us – share, annotate
bookmarks.
• Google Custom Search Engine
– http://www.wku.edu/teaching/cseky
facdev.html
– http://www.wku.edu/teaching/cseky
ed.html
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)
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.
Next:
• Ed – specific examples of cutting
edge technologies.
• Katrina—example of innovative
instructional method.