What Did We Learn?

Assessment is critical to effectively implementing interdisciplinary pedagogy in higher education. We developed an interdisciplinary project for an Introduction to Psychology and Introduction to Criminal Justice learning community at an urban community college. The semester-long project involved completing a series of lessons and assignments in both courses. The study objective was to evaluate the extent to which the interdisciplinary project supported students’ learning, with attention to their academic skill development, progress on course learning outcomes, and academic progress in the psychology course. Data procedures included summative assessment of final paper submissions and collection of final paper grades and final grades in the psychology course across two cohorts of learning community students. Findings suggest the interdisciplinary project positively supported students’ academic skill development, progress on course learning outcomes, and overall success in the psychology course. These findings demonstrate the value of interdisciplinary teaching and assessment. We offer the interdisciplinary project and assessment procedures presented here as models for higher education faculty interested in interdisciplinary pedagogical approaches.

Preparing Teacher Candidates to Teach in Secondary Schools Through Socratic Case-Based Approaches

Socratic instructional approaches for teacher preparation have been endorsed by teacher education programs across the globe for several decades. This chapter describes Socratic case-based teacher preparation in an undergraduate educational psychology course in the United States. Collaborative dialogues, inductive questions, and reasoning are key Socratic strategies used as instructional approaches for promoting teacher candidates' critical thinking and reflective teaching through case-based analysis. Two forms of case-based learning, face-to-face (synchronous) textual case analysis, and computer-mediated (asynchronous) video cases analysis is illustrated and supported with evidence-based theoretical frameworks and research findings. Effectiveness of Socratic case-based teacher preparation is determined via quantitative and qualitative evaluation of teacher candidates' collaborative oral case analysis reports and individual written case analysis reports. Recommendations for strengthening Socratic case-based teacher preparation and future research initiatives are discussed.

Developing General Cultural Competences: A Case Study of Students Taking a Course in Pedagogy and Psychology

The education system and teachers are currently faced with the need to increase the interest of students not only in their chosen specialty and related training courses but in the content of the compulsory basic-level disciplines. One of the possible solutions to this problem may be filling such courses with practice-oriented and universal content, which can contribute to the formation and implementation of general cultural competences even in the learning (professional training) process. The purpose of the work is to present to the expert community the results of introducing the authors approach to the development of a set of knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies of students, as they are taught pedagogy and psychology, and to compare the process and results of face-to-face and online training conducted according to the authors program. The attention is focused on the development of practical skills and abilities within the framework of this course, in particular, the ability to conduct classes for peers with elements of training. The study used an adapted experimental curriculum of the pedagogy and psychology course, means of assessment (control works in the form of tests with open and closed questions) and self-assessment (authors questionnaire). The sample consisted of 68 undergraduate and postgraduate students of Lomonosov Moscow State University. The results of using the developed program showed high efficiency in relation to indicators of academic success of the students due to the creation of conditions for mutual learning and conducting classes by the students themselves.

Integrating Critical Thinking Into Instruction, Assignments, and Discussions Improves Students’ Critical Analysis and Evaluation Skills in an Online Course

Background Critical thinking is an important student learning outcome in all psychology courses and included in the American Psychological Association’s (APA’s) goals for the undergraduate major. Objective The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of integrating a general model of critical thinking into the instruction, assignments, and discussions in an online course on students’ development of critical analysis and evaluation skills. Method Two raters scored 34 students’ written responses on a critical thinking test administered at the beginning and end of the semester that had students analyze psychological studies as reported in media reports and evaluate position statements on a controversial issue. During the term, students completed assignments on identifying the parts of a scientific study and discussions on identifying weaknesses in thinking. Results Students showed large gains in critical analysis and critical evaluation scores from pretest to posttest. Specific comparisons revealed that students significantly improved their abilities to identify the theoretical point of view of a study, relevant psychological concepts, assumptions, and implications. Conclusion Integrating critical thinking in a direct way into a course can lead to substantial improvements in critical thinking over the span of a single semester. Teaching Implications The conceptualization of critical thinking used is broadly applicable to any psychology course at any level of education.

Confirmation of a Reconceptualized Definition and Measure of Adolescent Risk Behavior: Adolescent Viewpoints

The goal of this project was to substantiate a more positive conceptualization of adolescent risk behavior and to compare adolescent viewpoints of risk behavior to the items on the Prosocial and Health Adolescent Risk Behavior Scale (PHARBS). A total of 57 high school students participated in the research. Researchers recruited students from an Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology course at a large Midwestern high school. The high school serves approximately 1,750 students in grades 9 through 12. The university Institutional Review Board approved the study procedures. Families provided informed consent, and students assented to participating in one of eight focus group discussions. The focus groups were audio taped, transcribed, and coded. Researchers analyzed the coded data using word count analysis. Students discussed prosocial risk behaviors in addition to health risk behaviors, providing support for the PHARBS and suggesting that adolescents view taking some risks as positive. A more positive conceptualization of risk behavior may better align with how adolescents view risk behavior. Researchers and clinicians might approach adolescent risk behavior measurement and research on the importance of understanding risk behaviors as a normal and potentially positive aspect of adolescent development.

'We Had More in Common Than I Thought': Scamming as an Undergraduate Service Learning Topic Involving Older Adults

An ongoing activity that cuts across several courses in the Gerontology Certificate Program at our College is the completion of implicit association exercises focused on age. Most college students show a distinct preference for those who are younger adults. It is difficult to get across to these students that the construct of being an adult is appropriate for all people beyond adolescence without relevance to age. College students enrolled in healthcare programs often have distorted views of aging and may not fully appreciate that all adults may share common aspects of their current lives. We describe qualitative analyses of reflections taken from an undergraduate psychology course that included a service learning component involving older adult learners. The service learning lessons focused on victimization associated with fraud and scamming. The classroom structure involved round table discussions with direct contact between college students, older adults and local law enforcement personnel. Reflective practices were used to integrate course content (development in adulthood) into this service learning activity. We report on qualitative data taken from student reflections. Content analyses of reflective essays identified five themes which operated to produce stronger identification between age groups: frequency of being scammed across all 21 participants; insight that learning continues across the lifespan; understanding that broad learning challenges impact people (for different reasons) at both ends of the adult age spectrum; respect for adoption of strategies that facilitate learning/compensate for cognitive changes that occur with aging; acknowledgement that familiarity breaks down barriers between people.

Views and experiences of compassion in Sri Lankan students: An exploratory qualitative study

Practicing compassion has shown to reduce distress and increase emotional well-being in clinical and non-clinical populations. The existing research is primarily focused on Western populations although the concepts of compassion are heavily influenced by Asian Buddhist views. There is a dearth of compassion research conducted particularly in the Asian context. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the views and lived experiences of compassion in Sri Lankan students, to understand whether compassion is a socially embraced construct in Sri Lanka, considering that Sri Lanka is a Buddhist influenced society. Participants’ views and lived experiences of compassion towards themselves and to/from others were also investigated, with a specific focus on their perceived inhibitors and facilitators of compassion. Aims were set to identify whether Western compassion-based practices could be successfully applied to Asian societies such as Sri Lanka. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach was used to obtain and analyse qualitative data from a convenience sample of 10 Sri Lankan students, recruited from a Psychology course. The phenomenological analysis of the semi-structured face-to-face interviews elicited three predominant themes: What compassion means to me, what I make of it, and compassion through facilitators and inhibitors. The findings suggested that participants shared a similar understanding of the concept of compassion as reflected in the Western definitions. Experiences and views of compassion were shaped by several factors including religion, culture, society, and upbringing. In general, this study revealed that participants were well aware of the concept of compassion as well as its impact on their psychological well-being. Despite this, inhibitors existed in experiencing compassion. The religious and collectivistic-cultural influences need to be further explored and taken into account when implementing Western compassion-based practices to non-Western contexts such as Sri Lanka.