Analyzes the results of a questionnaire given to psychology departments offering doctoral programs. The survey asked department chairs to identify pedagogical responsibility and training components for teaching assistants and to rate teaching assistant supervisors. Includes a statistical analysis regarding specific teaching functions and training…

Maintains that many psychologists employed outside of research institutions are unfamiliar with traditional career strategies utilized at smaller colleges. Offers representative strategies from the traditional areas of faculty performance and evaluation: teaching, scholarship, service, and working with students. (MJP)

Analyzes 10 editions of an introductory college psychology textbook to determine changes in the content. Reveals that coverage of consciousness, personality, abnormal (disorders), therapies, and social psychology increased, while coverage of introductory material, learning, methods, intelligence, developmental psychology, and applied psychology…

Describes an in-class exercise designed to teach basic principles of survey methodology and to educate students about the pervasiveness and problems associated with shyness in college students. Students complete a brief survey on shyness and the instructor summarizes the results for the class as part of a lecture on survey methodology. (MJP)

Assesses students' concepts of aging at the beginning, middle, and end of a psychology of aging course. Results show students' knowledge reflected stereotypes in the beginning, but during the course, new concepts appeared. Claims instructors can benefit from using this technique to plan and assess success of course goals. (Author/NL)

Raises questions about undergraduate preparation in ethical issues and discusses appropriate paraprofessional roles. Suggests what should be taught, how it might be included in the curriculum, and ways that ethics might be addressed. Stresses the importance of teaching about ethical issues because psychology graduates obtain employment in human…

Compares 3 Japanese and 2 U.S. psychology departments, using course catalog data and questionnaire responses from 30 professors and 335 undergraduates. Reports U.S. students studied more and learned specific, career-oriented content, whereas Japanese students emphasized extracurricular activities related to future careers. Links findings to…

Describes an undergraduate psychology course focusing on children's social development during the middle childhood years. Students select, view, and analyze a feature film using theory and research presented in the course. Includes a table listing 18 films used in the course. (CFR)

Presents a study in which students in an abnormal psychology class rated the usefulness of drafts for two writing assignments. Reports that a research proposal was more effective than a case study in generating interest in psychology and opportunity for creativity. Concludes that writing assignments should reflect important aspects of a…

Describes a cooperative writing project involving a college-level psychology class and a ninth-grade English class. Discusses different concepts of psychology held by the two student groups. Concludes with suggestions for improving writing skills and helping students become more authoritative writers. (CFR)

Describes a special topics course in American popular psychology. Course objectives are to trace the history of the popularization of psychology in America; discuss the efforts of William James, G. Stanley Hall, and others; and evaluate the quality of various examples of popular psychology. (MJP)

Explores implementation of electronic term papers (ETP), objectives of these assignments, educational benefits of the ETP, an exemplar ETP, grading of ETPs, copyright issues, and student evaluations of the approach. Includes a schematic diagram of a sample electronic term paper and a list of Web resources for developing ETPs. (MJP)

Reports two studies carried out in the 1970s and 1980s that examined whether intellectual mastery of the content in a psychology of women course facilitated personal change. Compared students' pretest-posttest scores on gender self-concept, attitudes, and assertiveness. Data indicate positive results, and scores did not change between groups. (NL)

To provide undergraduate and graduate psychology students with exposure to a wide range of parenting perspectives, eight videocassette programs were produced focusing on the child rearing strategies of parents. Described are project background, rationale, activities, materials development, and program implementation and evaluation. (RM)

Recounts a portfolio writing assignment designed to help students develop better study skills, increase metacognitive awareness, and use self-reflection to evaluate their performance during the semester. Students completed surveys and journal entries assessing their strategies for reading and studying, as well as, performance goals, emotional…