Contract grading, team teaching, and demonstrations facilitate student's active involvement and enjoyment of college introductory psychology courses. (Author/JR)

Compares differences in examination scores, students' statements of interest, and perceptions of course difficulty as a function of course topic order. Concludes that topic order had no effect on either achievement or students' interest and perception of difficulty. (Author/JDH)

Describes an experiment to determine if college students could be stimulated to undertake additional self-modification projects after completing similar projects in personal adjustment courses. Student responses to questionnaires indicated that experimental group students, who were required to submit plans for additional projects, were more likely…

Examines effects of prequiz discussion on student interest in and understanding of material in an introductory college psychology course. Findings indicated that prequiz evaluation may have affected the number of students completing the course, although it had no effect on initial quiz score or on number of attempts to unit mastery. (DB)

Describes "two-point system: which rewards students for having read assigned material before class, but does not penalize those who have not. At the beginning of class, students critique in writing the reading assignment. For each successful critique they receive two points on their next exam. (KC)

Discusses a study to evaluate how test design influences student performance in elementary psychology courses. Findings indicated that the order in which test items appeared on an exam was less significant with regard to student performance than the extent to which test items were well-written and contained some measure of content validity.…

Examines historical ironies and stories with surprise endings about Rene Descartes and Wilhelm Wundt that can enliven history of psychology lectures and make certain concepts more memorable. Explains that this approach does not trivialize psychology's history but adds humor to a subject that students sometimes find dull. (CMK)

We propose that a brief take-home syllabus quiz can be a catalyst for students to read and refer to their syllabus as a source of essential information about the class. In this article, we detail the development of such a quiz and provide evidence that students who complete a syllabus quiz have a better understanding of course policies than…

A course option in abnormal psychology involves students in interviewing and observing the activities of individuals in the off-campus community who are concerned with some aspect of abnormal psychology. The technique generates student interest in the field when they interview people about topics such as drug abuse, transsexualism, and abuse of…

A classroom game, based on a trivia-type game format, to help students prepare for the cumulative final exam in a physiological psychology course is presented. Details of game construction and play are described. (Author)

This study compares the performances of college elementary statistics students in a traditional personalized system of instruction (PSI) course to those participating in a modified PSI, which included the use of a student "buddy system" to increase motivation. No significant differences were found in the performance of the two groups.…

The article focuses on a study to test the effectiveness of a unique approach to evaluate teachers in an undergraduate psychology course in which performance and other behavior measures are interrelated. (Author/DB)

Describes study which investigated differences between Programmed Student Achievement (PA) and Programmed Achievement Study System (PASS) instructional systems. Concludes that both systems are equally effective in motivating students. (KC)

Based on the philosophy that student learning is accomplished through relevant experiential accomplishments outside the classroom, this college course sought to emphasize an awareness of self and others. Through a study of mental institutions and prisons, students can develop self-motivation and become aware of dehumanizing feelings in…

At the beginning of the undergraduate psychology course, students are informed that a comprehensive makeup final will be required of any student who misses any regularly scheduled exam for any reason. The more exams a student misses, the more heavily the comprehensive makeup is weighted. (RM)