Engaging Psychology Students at a Distance: Reflections on Australian and Canadian Experiences

Engagement enhances learning, particularly for abstract and theoretical concepts. This article is an instructor reflection on student engagement with a case example of mobile learning for two differing senior undergraduate psychology courses, Theories of Counselling and Psychotherapy, and Ethics and Current Issues in Psychology. The instructor was experienced and the students were Canadian or Australian, respectively. The courses compared were delivered through an asynchronous online-enhanced distance model for a Canadian university and through a blended learning model for an Australian university. Issues with student engagement are explored through a review of informal and formal student feedback and instructor reflection. Although motivational instruction was a consistent factor in the course and instructional evaluations, this case example highlights the elusive nature of student engagement given the multiple factors involved in student expectations and needs and differing models of delivery for these undergraduate psychology courses. The author is left acknowledging only that different learning opportunities benefit the range of psychology students who may engage in them.

Pharmacy students' perceptions of and attitudes towards peer assessment within a drug literature evaluation course

OBJECTIVE

To assess pharmacy students' perceptions of and attitudes towards the use of peer assessment within a drug literature evaluation course.

METHODS

A 15-item, electronic survey instrument was sent to 158 second-year pharmacy students enrolled in a 2-credit required literature evaluation course at the Purdue University College of Pharmacy.

RESULTS

One hundred fifty-two (96.2%) responses were received. Approximately 95% of students agreed that they had the necessary skills to assess their peers and 91.8% agreed that their peers possessed these skills as well. More students agreed they were comfortable receiving feedback from peers (95.7%) than agreed they were comfortable providing feedback to peers (80%). The majority of students (91.9%) agreed that peer assessment was a skill they will use in their career as a pharmacist.

CONCLUSION

Students were more comfortable receiving feedback from peers than providing peer assessment. This skill is used by pharmacists throughout their career; therefore, students should become familiar and comfortable with the peer assessment process.

‘You're in Cruel England Now!’: Teaching Research Ethics through Reality Television

This article reports findings from a one-year research project funded by the Higher Education Academy (HEA) Psychology Network. The research aimed to explore the use of ‘reality’ television in teaching research ethics to psychology undergraduates and this article reports on those findings that have particular relevance for qualitative research methods. Experience of teaching research ethics suggests that students can find the process of thinking through ethical issues in qualitative work quite challenging. Ethical issues in qualitative research can be subtly different from, or more complex than, those raised by quantitative studies, and yet most textbooks that deal with research ethics tend to focus on the latter. This article presents findings from a research project by the authors, which suggest that using familiar material such as TV programmes, and in particular ‘reality’ TV, can be effective in helping students address ethical issues in qualitative research. Fifteen second-year psychology undergraduates were shown an extract from an episode of Big Brother (Channel 4). They were then asked to discuss in small groups the ethical issues they felt it raised, and these discussions were audio-recorded. Subsequently, they were asked to apply their thinking to a research brief by discussing the ethical issues it raised, suggesting ideas for design and then writing a research proposal. This article reports findings from the first stage of the project. It presents evidence from the discussion groups indicating that the TV material had promoted an in-depth consideration of some ethical issues that can be challenging for students to address in relation to qualitative work, notably informed consent, confidentiality and risk of harm.

The Value of a Psychology Major: Bridging the Gap between Perceptions and Reality

In theory, a psychology major provides students with a set of skills that is highly valued by employers. In practice, however, US psychology majors fare relatively poorly in the job market. We hypothesised that one cause of this paradox may be a mismatch between student perceptions and the reality of the working world. To test this hypothesis, we first used existing data to determine what skills employers value most, and what types of jobs US psychology majors typically obtain. The results were compared with interview responses provided by US psychology majors near to graduation. This comparison revealed a substantial mismatch between perceptions and reality. One way to address this mismatch is through a careers course, and data are presented demonstrating that this approach can be effective. However, we argue that career preparation should not be considered as an isolated piece of the curriculum, but in the context of the larger debate regarding the appropriate goals for a college education.

Taking another Look: Developing a Sustainable and Expandable Programme of Qualitative Research Methods in Psychology

This report reflects on the current provision of qualitative research methods within a UK psychology department's teaching programmes. It considers how this has contributed to the poor integration of qualitative research methods into undergraduate teaching and also considers how some key conceptual issues need to be addressed in order to facilitate student engagement with qualitative research methods. Furthermore it sets out the authors' plans to create a pragmatic approach to research methods teaching, by readdressing what they want their students to learn and how they deliver it. The authors suggest that students should be engaging with the criticisms and conceptual challenges faced by both paradigms. This is done with the overall aim of eventually creating a research methods teaching programme that focuses on creating pragmatic researchers able to use a variety of methods, regardless of whether they be quantitative or qualitative.

Integrating Peer Mentoring into the Psychology Curriculum: From an Extended Induction to an Academic Skills Course

New undergraduate students embarking on a psychology degree face a host of potential challenges when making the transition from school to university. The School of Psychology at Newcastle University introduced a peer mentoring scheme in 2008 in order to support students in making this transition, help them develop academic skills and facilitate social integration within the cohort. In order to improve the scheme, the peer mentoring was integrated into a new academic skills module called Psychological Enquiry, in 2010. Evaluation showed that the three deliveries of the peer mentoring (2008, 2009 and 2010) were generally well received by both students and mentors. The students especially valued the opportunity to get to know peers on their course in a small group setting. Attendance at the mentoring sessions was higher in 2010 compared with the previous years. Integrating the peer mentoring within a formal module structure allowed for greater interplay between staff-led teaching and peer-based support, and contributed to making the sessions more relevant to the students.

Evaluation of a Final-Year Module Using Online Asynchronous Discussion

This report evaluates the use of online asynchronous discussions as a main delivery strategy in a third (final) year undergraduate counselling psychology module. These discussions were student-facilitated and the discussion assessment criteria emphasised analysis, critique, application and originality. Students were assessed through the production of a written critique of one of the discussions, again using similar criteria. Students' judgments of their progress and attitudes to the online components were assessed, and both of these measures were significantly positively related to module outcomes. Students were asked for their comments about the module, and the results were analysed using thematic analysis. Overall the results suggest that whilst such a novel delivery strategy has much to commend it, many students perceive it negatively. This seems to be due to the novelty of the strategy, and a belief that traditional lectures and assignments are preferable.

Creating Instructor Resources as a Student Project

A media psychology course for third- and fourth-year (upper division) undergraduates was designed around a semester-long active learning project aimed at developing instructor resources. Fifteen students worked both independently and collaboratively to create lecture and discussion modules on 30 topics in media psychology, each supplemented by a set of multimedia resources and a classroom activity with handouts. Students presented their materials to the class and participated in in-depth peer reviews. Through the process of developing instructor resources, students were expected to become familiar with the literature of a specific subdiscipline, and to learn how to (1) evaluate the relative importance of research topics within an academic literature, (2) assess the validity of information sources, (3) simplify complex concepts and research findings for a student audience, (4) make effective presentations, (5) give constructive feedback to peers, (6) identify and avoid subtle forms of plagiarism, and (7) apply advanced aspects of American Psychological Association (APA) format. Students evaluated the project quite favourably and were unanimous in their preference for developing instructor resources over writing a standard term paper.

Psychology Degrees

Psychology is a very popular undergraduate major. Examining wage data from a range of degree holders reveals much about the expected career trajectories of those with psychology degrees. First, regarding baccalaureates, psychology and other liberal arts graduates—compared with those from certain preprofessional and technical undergraduate programs—generally fall in relatively low tiers of salary levels at both starting and later career points. Salary levels among baccalaureate alumni groups correlate with averaged measures of salary satisfaction, repeated job seeking, and perceptions of underemployment. These patterns seem to stem from the specific occupational categories (job titles) entered by graduates in psychology compared with other graduates, calling into question the employability advantage of so-called generic liberal arts skills. Second, psychology master’s degree holders also generally fall in a low tier of salary among their science, engineering, and health counterparts. Third, psychology college faculty (including instructors) fall in low tiers of salary compared with their colleagues from other academic fields. Such broadly based indications of the relative economic disadvantages of psychology degrees have implications for career counseling in the field.

Intergroup peer assessment in problem-based learning tutorials for undergraduate pharmacy students

OBJECTIVE

To develop, implement, and evaluate a process of intergroup peer assessment and feedback using problem-based learning (PBL) tutorials.

METHODS

A peer-assessment process was used in a PBL tutorial setting for an integrated pharmacy practice course in which small groups of students graded each others' PBL case presentations and provided feedback in conjunction with facilitator assessment.

ASSESSMENT

Students' quantitative and qualitative perceptions of the peer assessment process were triangulated with facilitator feedback. Students became more engaged, confident, and motivated, and developed a range of self-directed, life-long learning skills. Students had mixed views regarding the fairness of the process and grade descriptors. Facilitators strongly supported the peer assessment process.

CONCLUSIONS

Peer assessment is an appropriate method to assess PBL skills and is endorsed by students as appropriate and useful.

Strengthening the Educational Value of Undergraduate Participation in Research as Part of a Psychology Department Subject Pool

Participating in research must be an educational experience for students in order to ethically justify its inclusion as a requirement in college courses. Introductory Psychology students ( N = 280) completed a written class assignment describing their research participation as a means to enhance this educational mission. Approximately half of students spontaneously mentioned something positive about the significance of the research or what they learned, with the remainder providing neutral, mixed, or negative comments. Students could articulate clearly and knowledgeably about the research in which they had participated. Such an assignment is an effective means to foster an understanding of the science of psychology.

A Validation of the Academic Behavioural Confidence Scale with Spanish Psychology Students

Research has shown that UK university students' confidence in engaging with their academic studies can be usefully measured using the Academic Behavioural Confidence (ABC) scale. The scale is best considered as a 17-item scale measuring confidence towards grades, studying, verbalising and attendance. A substantial collaborative study with research partners in Spain created the need for the ABC scale to be translated into Castellan Spanish, providing an opportunity to carry out a cross-cultural validation of the scale. A total of 2,056 Spanish psychology students from the universities of Almería and Granada in south-eastern Spain completed an appropriately translated version of the ABC scale. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis showed that the four-subscale structure derived from equivalent UK students was still the best description of the data, although the fit of the four-factor model to the Spanish data was not quite as good as it had been with an equivalent UK sample. Possible explanations for the poorer fit are discussed. A further opportunity arose to validate the Spanish version of the ABC scale against the Revised Two-Factor Study Process Questionnaire. The findings showed that the ABC subscales of Grades, Studying and Verbalising significantly correlated with a deep approach to learning, as predicted, although it is noted that the correlation coefficients, whilst significant ( p < .01), were again not as high as seen with the UK student data. It is nevertheless argued that the ABC scale in both its Spanish and English versions is a useful way of understanding students' orientation to their university study, and can be used in research, as a diagnostic tool or to aid tutors in creating more effective learning opportunities for their students.

Lesson Learned: Using Clinical Examples for Teaching Research Methods

Undergraduate students enrolled in their first statistics course were randomly assigned to read one of two mini-lessons about methodological confounds. In one, a therapist investigated a variable that might affect depression; in the other, a researcher investigated a variable that might affect memory. As hypothesised, the clinical lesson produced significantly higher interest in the lesson topic and significantly greater interest in the research described. Participants in the clinical lesson had a higher desire to do research in this area, though this difference only approached significance. Knowledge of the topic (number of correctly answered multiple-choice items) was not significantly different between conditions. These results suggest that placing methodological concepts in clinical contexts may provide a fruitful approach for improving the frequently reported negative student attitudes toward statistics and research methods.

Experimental study of teaching critical thinking in civic education in Taiwanese junior high school

BACKGROUND

To effectively respond to the need for greater CT (critical thinking) in the classroom, this study examines the effects of cultivating CT skills within civic education to maximize its potential. Despite realizing the importance of CT in education, schools do not tend to apply it. Furthermore, since students frequently do not raise questions or otherwise think critically, CT modules are incorporated into civic learning to encourage students to question facts, interpret and analyse evidence, make reasoned inferences regarding events, and independently develop informed opinions. These skills are fundamental to cultivating an informed and humane citizenry.

AIMS

This investigation examines how teaching critical thinking in civic education affects the CT skills and disposition of junior high school students.

SAMPLE

The participants were two classes of eighth grade students in southern Taiwan, and were distributed into experimental and control groups. Each group comprised 34 students, with the experimental group containing 16 boys and 18 girls and the control group containing 18 boys and 16 girls.

METHODS

The teaching experiment in this study was initiated and performed using equivalent pre-test and post-test group design. During the 10-week experiment, the experimental group was taught using CT instruction in civic education, while the control group was not taught with any CT programme. The data analysis included: quantitative statistics of the two main sets of instruments for measuring the CT ability and disposition of experimental treatment, qualitative analysis of learning sheets, and surveys of student perceptions of instruction in CT.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Statistical analysis showed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group on the scales of CT skill and disposition, but did not perform well on certain subscales (e.g. recognition of assumptions and deductions, truth-seeking, analyticity, and inquisitiveness). Notably however, when triangulating with qualitative analysis of learner transcripts and surveys, learners attempted to perform various dimensions of CT skill and disposition to various degrees. Student surveys indicated that the CT programme fostered their active listening and respect for different ideas, and moreover they learned to tolerate divergent views and examine their ideas for possible bias. The programme boosted student learning interest and sense of accomplishment, and nurtured their teamwork/communicative skills. Furthermore, a few students experienced improvements in their speaking skills and courage as their confidence and ability to express themselves improved. Finally, limitations of this investigation and implications for further research are discussed.

Identifying priorities for establishing bilingual provision in nurse education: a scoping study

Research evidence demonstrates that offering language choice to patients enhances the quality of healthcare provision. This has implications for the preparation of nurses for practice in bilingual settings, where legislation often leads to demands for health services in both languages and bilingual competence amongst healthcare providers. This paper reports on a scoping study of bilingual provision in nurse education in the bilingual context of Wales, UK, as a means of informing the evidence base for national strategic planning. The study incorporated three elements: (i) literature analysis (ii) policy review and (iii) stakeholder consultation (n=70). Six themes emerged from the stakeholder consultation, reflecting the main drivers and barriers associated with bilingual provision in course delivery. These themes aligned with findings identified from the policy and literature review that related to strategic, organisational and individual influences on bilingual educational provision. Strategic planning for bilingual provision in nurse education in Wales should take account of the factors that affect provision at different levels. These factors feature across bilingual settings outside the UK, thus giving the study international relevance and scope to inform the delivery of nurse education that meets the needs of wider diverse language communities.

But I'm No Expert! Peer Assessment by First-Year Psychology Undergraduates

The inclusion of peer assessment in an overall programme of assessment can offer benefits to learning. In the current study students' perceptions of peer assessment were evaluated and their ability accurately to assess others' work measured. From a cohort of first-year undergraduate psychology students, data regarding positive and negative aspects of the peer assessment process allowed a 21 item peer assessment questionnaire to be developed. Fifty-seven participants completed the questionnaire, and two weeks later marks given by those students during a peer assessment exercise were compared to marks awarded by experienced tutors for the same pieces of work. Findings from a comparison of student and tutor marks are discussed in terms of students' critical evaluation skills.

The Use of an Advanced Simulation Training Facility to Enhance Clinical Psychology Trainees' Learning Experiences

The University of Hertfordshire (UH) has recently opened a new simulation centre for its healthcare students. Although the centre is primarily used by nursing and paramedic students for its simulated clinical and community environments, its use for other professional training such as clinical psychology is evident. In this paper a brief history and description of the simulation centre is provided, before describing and reporting on a scenario-based simulation training exercise designed and implemented for clinical psychology doctorate trainees at UH. Trainee feedback on the effectiveness of the exercise was obtained via pre- and postsession self-report questionnaires. Trainees reported that they benefitted from taking part, increasing their clinical skills and confidence in joint working. They also valued the nonassessed and experiential nature of the exercise. Some of the main advantages of using interactive simulation training are outlined, as well as some of the challenges in using this advanced technology effectively.

Facilitating Collaborative Learning Using Online Wikis: Evaluation of Their Application Within Postgraduate Psychology Teaching

Virtual learning environments (VLEs) are helpful in achieving a blended learning approach to higher education. Online wikis are proposed as a potentially useful method to encourage collaborative learning through the VLE. The present study integrated wiki software into a module for Masters-level applied psychology students. Seventeen students participated in a week-long online group-based wiki task as a standard part of their course. The use of wiki technology to develop an innovative research idea was evaluated both by analysis of output (tracking of engagement with the intervention) and by self-report questionnaire (evaluation of the intervention) collected from a subsample of 14 students. Results indicate that the students enjoyed the task and perceived educational benefit from it. However, the content of the wikis created suggests that the instructions given to the students may not have been clear enough, and in particular that students were unsure of what the nature and purpose of a wiki is. Students clearly needed more preparatory training in using this technology, and clearer explanation of expected outputs, before beginning this task. This study provides further evidence that students benefit from, and enjoy, blended learning approaches and that wikis represent a useful way to integrate blended and collaborative learning principles.

Assessing Trainee Clinical Psychologists' Clinical Competence

Within UK clinical psychology training, traditionally used methods for assessing the development of trainees' clinical competence have taken the form of evaluations of trainee knowledge regarding their clinical practice, either in the form of written assignments or via discussion in the supervisory relationship. Whilst direct observation of trainees is expected and required by supervisors on practice placements, frequency of observation varies, and supervisors can experience difficulties occupying both supervisory and evaluatory roles. In addition, calls from within the clinical psychology training community have expressed a need for a consistent and formalised in vivo assessment of trainees' clinical competency (Gallichan & Mitchell, 2008). This article reports on a psychometric evaluation of the Clinical Skills Assessment Rating Form (CSA-RF), a seven domain measure of clinical competence developed at the University of Leicester Doctoral Programme in Clinical Psychology for use with live or videotaped clinical material. Results suggest that the CSA-RF has acceptable levels of internal consistency, although interrater reliability requires further investigation. Factor analysis revealed a five domain structure. From this, a revised CSA-RF has been developed which aims to be a valid and practicable initial means by which trainees' clinical competence can be assessed.

College students with ADHD: current status and future directions

Approximately 2 to 8% of the college population reports clinically significant levels of ADHD symptomatology and at least 25% of college students with disabilities are diagnosed with ADHD. A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted with findings consistently indicating academic deficits associated with ADHD in college students. It is less clear whether this disorder significantly impacts social, psychological, and neuropsychological functioning. Although several self- and parent-report measures have been developed for this population, very few studies of assessment methods have been conducted. Similarly, no controlled studies of psychopharmacological, psychosocial, or educational interventions have been completed in samples of college students with ADHD. Non-prescribed use (i.e., diversion) of stimulant medication is a growing problem with approximately 7% of college students reporting this behavior. Studies, to date, are limited by lack of controlled investigations, use of small samples, and lack of confirmation of diagnostic status. Comprehensive and methodologically sound investigations are needed, especially regarding treatment, to promote the success of students with ADHD in higher education settings.

Accessing and Understanding the Tacit Dimensions of Assessment

Despite the pervasive use of marking criteria across higher education, their clarity, precision and objectivity are arguably spurious and context bound, with a concern that many assessors may be marking for elements not represented in the marking criteria. The existence and nature of such implicit, or tacit, influences on assessment were explored in this small study, through an initial online questionnaire (N = 20) followed by a verbal protocol with eight psychology assessors. The protocol involved thinking aloud whilst marking and providing feedback on an undergraduate essay. Assessors' articulated thoughts were recorded, transcribed and subjected to detailed coding. Findings indicated that novice and experienced markers attended to similar features in the essay and that these features were identifiable in published marking criteria. However, there was considerable variation in the marks awarded (from 55 to 65). The paper discusses possible explanations for how marks are formulated and considers the implications for processes of calibration and benchmarking amongst novice markers.

How Can Psychology Tutors Help Their Students Write More Effectively?

This essay is written in several parts. First I ponder about whether or not it is really possible to do much these days to help students to write effectively. Next I nonetheless give some examples of how colleagues can (and have) set about the task. These examples come in two sets: traditional things we must stop doing, and new things that we might do. Finally, I conclude, somewhat pessimistically, that while these activities may help, they might not make a lot of difference. Writing well – like any skill – requires practice, and most students do not have the necessary time and inclination.

Drafting and acting on feedback supports student learning when writing essay assignments

A diverse student population is a relatively recent feature of the higher education system in the United Kingdom. Consequently, it may be thought that more "traditional" types of assessment based around essay writing skills for science undergraduates may be of decreasing value and relevance to contemporary students. This article describes a study in which the process of feedback on, and associated redrafting of, an essay was closely supervised to improve essay writing skills and subsequent exam performance. The results of this study show that students can significantly improve their learning and academic performance, as assessed by final examination mark, by a process that more closely mimics a "real-world" situation of review and redrafting. Additionally, the data show that students benefit from feedback only when this is used appropriately by the student. The article also discusses the continuing importance and relevance of essay writing skills so that writing, and acting upon feedback to do with that writing, remains an integral part of the process of learning.

Psychology Students' Experiences of Academic Peer Mentoring at the London Metropolitan University Writing Centre

The London Metropolitan University Writing Centre has developed the Student Writing Mentor Scheme which involves undergraduate and postgraduate students providing writing support for other students. The scheme is collaborative, nondirective and nonhierarchical in approach and its purpose is to enable students to become confident and competent academic writers in their disciplines. The aim of this study was to investigate psychology students' experiences of using the Writing Centre during the first year and a half of its operation. Using an online questionnaire, we found that students came to the Centre for a variety of reasons, including wanting to talk to someone about their assignments and wanting assurance that they were on the right track. We also found evidence of psychology students wanting a mentor from the same discipline, and high levels of student satisfaction with tutorials and the Centre overall. Our evaluation suggests that peer mentoring schemes that focus on writing can be a useful aid in supporting students' development as academic writers. Future research should concentrate on the relationship between participation in the Student Writing Mentor Scheme and student achievement and progression –for both mentors and students.

SUMS: A Flexible Approach to the Teaching and Learning of Statistics

Statistical Understanding Made Simple (SUMS) ( http://www.gla.ac.uk/sums ) is an online statistics tutorial generator which covers basic statistical concepts and focuses on applying these concepts to real data. Instructors can upload their own data to the site, and students choose the level at which they want to work from one of three levels. SUMS adopts a teaching approach where each concept is explained, the student explores the concept with an interactive game, and then applies their knowledge to a concrete example (using data provided by the instructor). SUMS was evaluated to determine its effectiveness as a stand-alone resource for psychology students and as a resource to support a psychology laboratory class, using a measure of statistics self-efficacy (based on Finney & Schraw, 2003) and a statistics comprehension test. Results of the evaluation showed that overall, SUMS had a positive impact on students' statistics comprehension and self-efficacy.

The use of Screen Recorders for Assessment and Learning of Data Analysis

For their first assignment on a Year 1 research design and analysis module, 145 undergraduate psychology students used screen capture software, Windows Media Encoder, to produce short narrated movies of themselves conducting a statistical analysis exercise. As anticipated, the submitted movie files proved to be more informative of students' statistical understanding than were traditional pen and paper methods, betraying weaknesses in their statistical thinking. This led to an average 14% drop in marks awarded in comparison to pen and paper groups, but served to discriminate ability across a cohort more effectively and allow for more useful feedback. Feedback questionnaires completed by the students at the end of the module revealed the new assessment method had increased their engagement with the assignment, and improved confidence and competence in conducting statistical analysis. The results are interpreted as providing promising initial support for the method. Psychological factors considered to contribute to the effectiveness of the method, plus further potential applications across the psychology curriculum, are discussed.

Developing Synergy between Teaching and Research

This report discusses balancing the demands of teaching and research, a topic of two workshops held at the University of the West of England and at the 2008 Psychology Learning and Teaching Conference (PLAT 2008) in Bath. Based on the responses to the workshop activities and discussions, this paper describes some of the challenges faced by psychology academics in fulfilling the requirements of the teaching and research aspects of their work, and suggests some ways of managing these conflicting demands. It is proposed that a fruitful approach might be to see the two aspects as synergistic, and some techniques are suggested that might foster this reconciliation.

The Merits of a General Numeracy Test as a Predictor of Undergraduate Statistics Performance

The predictive power of an ad hoc, GCSE-based test of general numeracy on undergraduate statistics performance was investigated in a study of 146 undergraduate psychology students. Scores from the four numeracy test subcomponents (arithmetic; statistics; fractions, decimals and percentages; and algebra) served as predictor variables in a multiple regression analysis. First-and second-year statistics exam grades were used as the outcome variable. Results revealed that the numeracy assessment was not successful at predicting undergraduate statistics performance, thus raising questions over the use of GCSE maths grades as a prerequisite for undergraduate psychology enrolment.

Research Methods in Practice: The Development of Problem-Based Learning Materials for Teaching Qualitative Research Methods to Undergraduate Students

Research methods is often considered one of the more challenging subjects to teach (and learn), yet it is arguably the most important; to equip students with the skills to carry out their own research is a fundamental aspect of many psychology courses. The issues raised by qualitative research methods teaching in particular – differing epistemologies, challenging ‘objectivity’ and alternative validation practices – pose further challenges for students. In this article, we report on a project that applies problem-based learning (PBL) principles to qualitative research methods teaching. PBL has already been effectively used in many other disciplines as a way to encourage student autonomy within the learning process and to deepen understanding of key issues, and there is a huge potential for its application within research methods teaching. We report on each stage of the project: a review of PBL and research methods teaching literature, a preliminary survey of current PBL use in UK psychology departments, and an outline of the drafted PBL materials.

Medical student gender and issues of confidence

OBJECTIVE

To review the literature on gender differences and issues of self-confidence in medical students and to present original research on observers' perceptions of medical student confidence.

METHODS

One hundred forty-one 3rd year medical students at Indiana University School of Medicine were videotaped during their objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). Trained coders rated how confident the student appeared and coded a variety of nonverbal behaviors at the beginning, middle, and end of the interaction. Analysis focused on gender differences in coders' ratings of perceived confidence.

RESULTS

Female medical students were viewed as significantly less confident than male medical students (F(1,133)=4.45, p<0.05), especially at the beginning of the interaction.

CONCLUSION

Past research indicates that despite performing equally to their male peers, female medical students consistently report decreased self-confidence and increased anxiety, particularly over issues related to their competence. In a standardized patient interaction examination situation, female medical students also appeared significantly less confident than male medical students to independent observers.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Medical educators should focus on issues of female students' confidence, increasing faculty sensitivity, and publicly recognizing and discussing perceptions of confidence.

Teaching Students to Apply a Five Stage Process to Systematically Evaluate Quantitative Psychological Research Articles

Details of a single activity are presented to introduce undergraduate psychology students to basic critical evaluation criteria for quantitative psychological research articles and to assess students' critical evaluation ability. The activity could easily be fitted into units or modules running towards the end of Level II, or at higher levels. The activity is distinctive in that it introduces students to a combination of accepted methodological and more general evaluative criteria, and it teaches students to work systematically through a five stage process to evaluate a journal article. The activity starts with a description of the article's main features, then works through three ‘levels' of evaluation, and ends in an overall categorisation of the article's worth. Overall, as judged by student performance and student feedback, the activity appears to be successful. Descriptive statistics for marks are comparable to other modules at the university, marking is reliable, students perceive the activity positively, and most students report making use of the information they had learned from doing the activity in other areas of their degree.

The Reported Rewards of Part-Time Study

A questionnaire was administered to part and full-time students of psychology at Liverpool John Moores University in order to determine the extent to which the part-time students appreciated the course. The results showed the part-time students reported themselves as having gained more from the programme than the full-time students, in terms of support and relationship with tutors, satisfaction with teaching and interest in various aspects of the programme. In terms of perceived changes in skill levels, however, there were no large differences between the two groups.

Information Leaflets: An Evaluation of an Innovative form of Assessment

Traditionally, assessment in psychology degrees has relied on essays, practical reports and examinations. However, over recent years, many institutions have begun to explore and develop alternative forms of assessment with a greater emphasis on skills development. This report presents an evaluation of one such form of alternative summative assessment; the development and critique of an information leaflet. The assessment was evaluated using written feedback comments and a focus group. The findings of the evaluation suggest that this form of assessment is a useful and effective method of helping students to attain the learning outcomes required, whilst enhancing and broadening their skills and deepening their knowledge and understanding of a topic area.