Despite the popularity of the psychology major, complaints regularly arise about the value of majoring in psychology. This article reviews the workforce advantages that accrue to successful psychology students and encourages new strategies for emphasizing the professional development goal in the American Psychological Association's…

The present study investigates the impact of participation in a peer assessment activity on subsequent academic performance. Students in two sections of an introductory psychology course completed a practice quiz 1 week prior to each of three course exams. Students in the experimental group participated in a five-step double-blind peer assessment…

A detailed rubric initially designed as a scoring instrument for grading APA-style empirical research reports was tested for its ability to help students improve their scientific writing skills. Students who used the rubric while preparing their reports wrote a higher quality report than did students who did not. Students also improved the quality…

The New School Psychology Bulletin (NSPB) is a peer-reviewed journal operated by clinical psychology graduate students. Forty-four members of the editorial board and 27 authors were surveyed before and after working with NSPB. Results of the survey demonstrated that experience with the publication process resulted in quantitative decreases in…

A total of 35 psychology department members from 21 universities assessed the relevance and efficacy of the "New School Psychology Bulletin" ("NSPB"), a graduate student journal, to training in psychology. Overall, a small sample of psychology department members viewed "NSPB" as an effective vehicle for student training. Perceptions among faculty…

The use of student management teams (SMTs) is a relatively new teaching technique designed to increase the quality of college courses and student performance and engagement within those courses. However, to date, little systematic, empirical research has validated the effectiveness of using SMTs. To test the effectiveness of this technique, the…

In a semester-long, peer review assignment, undergraduates enrolled in a social psychology course wrote essays that applied course concepts to life experiences. Students anonymously posted essays for the entire class to view, and peers posted commentaries on classmates' essays using an online discussion board. Students rated the assignment as…

This research study provides data on both the reliability of evaluation instruments and the relationship between student course evaluations and achievement in an introductory college psychology course. (Author/JR)

Thirty-four undergraduates used Web-based self- and peer-assessment procedures for evaluating proposals in experimental psychology courses. Students presented their proposals and commented on the proposals of others on the Web. Results indicated that proposal observation and peer interaction enhanced the quality of students' proposals. These…

When evaluating faculty members, colleagues differ widely in standards of grading. Individual differences in the use of rating scales must lead educators to question the validity of colleague observations. Peer evaluation should be used only if the integrity of the process can be maintained. (RM)

Evidence supported the use of one type of peer evaluation in small group activities, particularly when the instructor is unable to make sufficient observations for assigning grades. However, students should be provided with few evaluative categories and explicit directions for applying the categories. (RM)

Introduces a method for reducing the subjectivity of class participation grades. Suggests the use of a combined peer/professor approach is beneficial and can be acceptable to students. Lists a number of variables which impact upon the activity while accenting the usefulness of the procedure. (KO)

Student ratings of college teaching from peer ratings of 20 personality traits showed students respond best to a teacher who is friendly, fair, and flexible, if he has definite goals and can take the initiative in class. (Author/JR)

Describes the "colleague swap" method for improving student writing skills in undergraduate psychology courses. After writing term papers, students exchange papers with each other for evaluation, proofreading, and critiquing. After the evaluation, students may revise their work before submitting it for grading. (AM)

Presents an evaluation of a computer-aided personalized system of instruction program in two undergraduate psychology courses. The computer presented short essay tests and arranged for students who had completed various assignments satisfactorily to help evaluate other students' mastery of those assignments. Student response generally was…