Introductory Course Content and Goals

1998 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Miller ◽  
Barbara F. Gentile
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Inquiry ◽  
Nationwide Survey ◽  
Introductory Psychology ◽  
Psychological Processes ◽  
Important Goal ◽  
Introductory Courses ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Introductory Course

A nationwide survey of introductory psychology instructors showed that introductory courses are remarkably uniform in structure and content, with few differences across instructors and institutions. Instructors' most important goal was to “engage students in scientific inquiry about psychological processes,” but instructors said that what the course does best is to survey the field and the different approaches to it. A survey of introductory students showed that most expected to learn about people and relationships and to gain useful skills and knowledge. At the end of the term, most described the course as a survey, and the course fell short of many of their expectations.

scholarly journals PSIV-B-32 Late-Breaking: Consistency of industry related terminology utilized in assessment questions across instructors of an introductory animal science course

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 324-325
Author(s):  
Kirstin M Burnett ◽  
Leslie Frenzel ◽  
Wesley S Ramsey ◽  
Kathrin Dunlap
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Introductory Courses ◽  
Animal Science ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Introductory Course ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Assessment Questions

Abstract The consistency of instruction between various sections of introductory courses is a concern in higher education, along with properly preparing students to enter careers in industry. The study was conducted at Texas A&M University, using an introductory course, General Animal Science, within the Department of Animal Science. This course was chosen due to the utilization of specific animal science industry related terminology within the course content in support of learning outcomes. The study was a quantitative nonexperimental research method that was conducted over a single semester in 2018. General Animal Science is a large-scale course that contains multiple sections, and this study evaluated assessments created by individual faculty members who instructed different sections, Section A and Section B. These sections were selected as they were composed of both animal science majors and non-majors. Section A had a significantly higher (P < 0.001) number of majors versus non-majors than Section B. Assessment questions were collected from all examinations and quizzes distributed throughout the semester and were compiled into a single document for coding. These specific terms were chosen from literature to provide a benchmark for a potential relationship between student performance on questions containing industry related terminology as opposed to those that do not. Comparing the use of specific industry coded terminology in assessment questions yielded no significant difference (P < 0.05) between the two instructors or sections. These findings demonstrate consistent use of benchmarked industry related terminology in assessment questions across multiple sections, irrespective of individual instructor or student major. This provides a necessary foundation for future analysis of student performance.

Introductory Psychology

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 313-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie J. Peterson ◽  
Arturo Sesma
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
American Psychological Association ◽  
Nationwide Survey ◽  
Introductory Psychology ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Introductory Courses ◽  
Research Activity ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Psychology Course

The American Psychological Association Board of Educational Affairs Working Group (APA) recommends providing some research experience to undergraduate students in the introductory psychology course. This nationwide survey of introductory psychology instructors explored the frequency of integrated research opportunities in introductory courses, types of research activities included in courses, instructors’ perceptions of the importance of providing research experience, and perceived barriers to integrating research. We found that although few of the introductory courses have a separate laboratory (5%), over 75% of the respondents indicated some manner of research activity in their courses. Most introductory courses included opportunities to read and critique original research, but few psychology programs at institutions of higher learning provided students with hands-on research, APA writing, or data presentation opportunities. Respondents also rated activities such as designing, conducting, and interpreting research as not especially important for introductory courses. Primary barriers to integrating research are logistical in nature.

scholarly journals The Use of Principles for Organising the Introductory Psychology Course

2005 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-101
Author(s):  
Daniel Nelson ◽  
Kari Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Field Survey ◽  
Teacher Expectations ◽  
Psychology Students ◽  
Introductory Psychology ◽  
Content Area ◽  
General Psychology ◽  
Introductory Courses ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Psychology Course ◽  
Survey Approach

Common difficulties in teaching introductory courses such as general psychology are breadth of content and differing student and teacher expectations. The use of psychological concepts or principles as organising factors is recommended to address these problems. Psychological principles for each content area were identified and presented to two groups of general psychology students. Course content was organised around these principles, along with class exercises and tests that fostered their application. When compared with two other groups organised by the text's field survey approach, the principles-organised groups self-reported greater abilities to apply content to everyday situations, relationships and future occupations. Students strongly recommended the use of principles in future courses as one way of addressing common difficulties in the general psychology course. The percentage of answers correct on tests of content did not differ significantly between groups, indicating a similar grasp of material from both the principles-organised sections and field survey-organised sections.

Cultures of Diversity

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 100-107
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Guest ◽  
Zachary L. Simmons ◽  
Andrew Downs ◽  
Mark R. Pitzer
Keyword(s):  
Psychology Students ◽  
Introductory Psychology ◽  
Multicultural Awareness ◽  
Important Goal ◽  
Multicultural Sensitivity ◽  
Psychology Courses ◽  
Nature And Nurture ◽  
Undergraduate Psychology ◽  
Multiple Challenges ◽  
Topical Knowledge

Teachers of psychology tend to agree that learning about diversity is an important goal for undergraduate psychology courses. There is significantly less agreement about what aspects of diversity psychology students should understand. The current research proposes and investigates two potentially distinct ways students might understand diversity: more scientific understandings of topical knowledge related to nature and nurture and more humanistic understandings related to multicultural awareness and sensitivity. Drawing on standardized surveys and open-ended responses to diversity questions from the beginning and end of introductory psychology courses, results indicate that students’ topical knowledge of diversity is not strongly associated with multicultural sensitivity. These results emphasize the importance of clarifying the meanings of addressing diversity as a course goal and are discussed in relation to the multiple challenges of teaching about diversity in psychology courses.

Early Detection of Final Performance in an Introductory Course in General Psychology

1974 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 620-622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert R. Zimmermann ◽  
Larry Wise ◽  
Olin W. Smith
Keyword(s):  
College Courses ◽  
Act Scores ◽  
Specific Test ◽  
Specific Content ◽  
Course Content ◽  
General Ability ◽  
Introductory Course ◽  
Ability Tests ◽  
Final Grades ◽  
Psychology Course

Final grades in an introductory psychology course were found to correlate significantly with a test representative of course content and ACT scores. Contrary to traditional predictions, the content specific test was not superior to the general abilities test in the prediction of final grades. Course content tests taken during the first three weeks of the academic quarter correlated .85 with course content tests taken during the last 3 wk. of the academic quarter. Both general ability tests and specific content tests given early in the academic year could be used to assign students to course programs that might provide the special assistance some students require to cope with traditional large lecture college courses.

Introductory Psychology from the Standpoint of the Consumer

1989 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 72-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Lou Zanich ◽  
David E. Grover
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Introductory Psychology ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Hard Science ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Course Experience ◽  
Similar Survey ◽  
Individual Needs ◽  
Psychology Course ◽  
Interest Levels

Psychology and other majors were surveyed before and after completing an introductory psychology course to determine their interest in topics traditionally covered in such a course. No substantial difference between the two groups was observed. In addition, interest levels did not change significantly as a result of the course experience. Students were most interested in topics relating to their immediate individual needs (e.g., interpersonal relationships) and least interested in the “hard science” aspects of psychology. Results are compared to a similar survey taken 50 years ago. Implications for course content and organization are discussed.

Strengthening introductory psychology: A new model for teaching the introductory course.

2016 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regan A. R. Gurung ◽  
Jana Hackathorn ◽  
Carolyn Enns ◽  
Susan Frantz ◽  
John T. Cacioppo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Introductory Psychology ◽  
New Model ◽  
Introductory Course

scholarly journals Strategic Design toward Foundational Learning Goals in Introduction to Sociology

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-53
Author(s):  
Kimberly B. Rogers ◽  
Adam Nemeroff ◽  
Kelly Caputo
Keyword(s):  
Student Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Introductory Courses ◽  
Present Evidence ◽  
Personal Learning ◽  
Introductory Course ◽  
Strategic Design

Scholars of teaching and learning in sociology have argued that introductory courses should teach toward foundational learning goals instead of providing an exhaustive review of the discipline. Nevertheless, prior research has provided far more guidance on what instructors ought to teach than how they can cohesively support learning across the goals advocated. Additionally, few studies have considered whether introductory course designs adequately address students’ diverse reasons for enrolling. To address this gap in the literature, we offer insights from our experiences with a redesigned introductory course tailored to support student learning in the areas recommended by earlier work. After describing our learning goals and the elements of our course design, which are grounded in empirical findings from the literature, we present evidence for the efficacy of this design in achieving key disciplinary learning goals, serving students’ personal learning goals, and attracting new and existing majors and minors.

Assessment of Introductory Transportation Engineering Course and General Transportation Engineering Curriculum

2013 ◽  
Vol 2328 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rod E. Turochy ◽  
Jon Fricker ◽  
H. Gene Hawkins ◽  
David S. Hurwitz ◽  
Stephanie S. Ivey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
Civil Engineering ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Transportation Engineering ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Credit Hours ◽  
Introductory Course ◽  
The Status ◽  
Primary Focus

Transportation engineering is a critical subdiscipline of the civil engineering profession as indicated by its inclusion on the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination and overlap with other specialty areas of civil engineering and as recognized by TRB, ITE, and ASCE. With increasing transportation workforce needs, low numbers of students entering the pipeline, and limited hours within undergraduate civil engineering programs, it is important to ensure that civil engineering students receive adequate preparation and exposure to career opportunities in the transportation engineering field. Thus, investigations into the status of transportation engineering within civil engineering programs and specifically the introductory transportation engineering course are essential for understanding implications to the profession. Relevant literature and findings from a new survey of civil engineering programs accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology is reviewed; that survey yielded 84 responses. The survey indicates that 88% of responding programs teach an introductory course in transportation engineering, and 79% require it in their undergraduate programs. Significant variation exists in the structure of the introductory course (number of credit hours, laboratory requirements, etc.). Common responses about improvements that could be made include adding laboratories, requiring a second course, and broadening course content. In addition, nearly 15% of instructors teaching the introductory course did not have a primary focus in transportation engineering. This finding should be investigated further, given that the course may be an undergraduate civil engineering student's only exposure to the profession.

Introduction to Social Work: Teaching in Two Arenas at Once

2004 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-94
Author(s):  
Jacqueline B. Mondros ◽  
Timothy B. Kelly ◽  
Jeremy Glazer
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Introductory Courses ◽  
Introductory Course ◽  
Core Content ◽  
Learning Techniques ◽  
College Programs ◽  
Teaching Learning

Despite the absence of a CSWE mandate, most BSW programs have chosen to offer and require an introduction to social work course. A decade ago, Popple (1991) described a lack of uniformity in these introductory courses that continues today. The introductory course serves a variety of functions, has a variety of goals, and must attend to a variety of audiences early in students' college programs. The purpose of this article is to define the teaching/learning agenda for the introductory course; suggest core content and identify the teaching/learning techniques that can be used to achieve desired results; and describe the outcomes of a course using this approach.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document