Discusses a means for increasing undergraduate and graduate students' level of empathy. Assigned students to write about and role play a character that they create who suffers from a psychological disorder. Explains that after quantitative and qualitative analyses it was demonstrated that students' empathy increased. (CMK)

Evaluates four modules, created by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, for educating students about industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology. Reports that students' knowledge about I/O increased, and their interest in taking an I/O psychology course also increased. (CMK)

Describes a computer program called Estimating Statistics (ESTAT). Focuses on the benefits of the program for teaching statistics to psychology students. Explains that the program is interactive and graphics-based. Explores students' interactions with ESTAT and addresses the criticisms of the program. (CMK)

Discusses the programs, activities, and philosophies of a Missouri elementary school principal who became the National PTA's Phoebe Apperson Hearst Outstanding Educator for 1991. The principal encourages parents to spend time at school with their children; he stresses high self-esteem and community and family involvement. (SM)

Describes a project used in an introductory psychology course that examines flashbulb memories. At two different points in the semester students recorded what they were doing when they first heard of a particular event. Discusses the project assessment and considers the benefits of the project. (CMK)

Describes molding students into positive change agents. Includes a model that links change agent skills to civic engagement. Presents two projects that include positive change agent skills in the context of civic engagement. States that positive change agent skills prepare students for career success. (CMK)

Examines efforts to improve the educational environment for an ethnically and economically diverse student body which help to increase student learning. Using a middle school in San Francisco (California) as an example, the classroom, the structure of the educational program, and student support services are described as conditions for increasing…

Focuses on the way Oliver Stone's "JFK" was incorporated into a 20th century U.S. history course and examines the film's effect on student learning and critical thinking. Explains that the comments on the film result from a study on student learning that involved 46 students who agreed to participate in questionnaires and interviews.…

Provides a stepwise procedure for addressing the needs of normal middle school students who display dysfunctional behaviors of distraction or disorganization. Outlines the major categories of dysfunctional behaviors and steps for helping children cope with them, including skills development, instructional assistance, study partners, and daily…

Describes journal writing as a way to actively engage students in learning about personality theories. Evaluates whether journals increased student learning by comparing test grades from two classes: one with assigned journals, the other without. Reports on students' responses on a questionnaire addressing journal writing. Discusses the findings…

Examines the effects of in-class review questions with and without student-response cards in a community college psychology course on the learning and participation of students. States that a secondary goal was to determine student satisfaction. Provides evidence that response-card instruction can improve student learning and participation. (CMK)

Describes a system that involves randomly administered quizzes and offers suggestions for its implementation in classes of any size. Presents data in support of the effectiveness of this technique stating that students completed their assigned reading at impressive rates when motivated by randomly administered quizzes. (CMK)

Discussion of students' perceptions of their learning environment focuses on the concept of self-efficacy, which is defined as a sense of confidence regarding the performance of specific tasks. The premise is that student self-efficacy beliefs regarding academic performance can have implications for improving learning environments and student…

Understanding student motivation, why it breaks down, and how it can be supported or enhanced, is critical to good teaching. Following recent research discoveries, eagerness to learn is now viewed as an inherent capacity in all students when they have a positive view of themselves and a supportive learning environment. In this brief article, the…

Evaluation at the end of the first year of a 3-year project to use microcomputers to improve the reading and language skills of Limited English Proficient (LEP) Native American students revealed that the major objective was not reached, but there were achievements nonetheless. Lakota (Sioux) children constitute 10% of the Rapid City, South Dakota…