Learning Goals: Helping Students Achieve Success

Dawn R. Rager, Eileen M. Merges, & Laura L. Phelan

Part 1: Learning Goals & Assessment

Part 2: A New Practicum Course for Majors

Part 3: Capstone Courses

Part 1:Learning Goals and Assessment

Dawn R. Rager

Overview of Psychology at SJFC

Our Psychology Department offers two degrees

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

■ more flexible to accommodate a 2nd major or minor

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

■ emphasizes the rigor of scientific research

■ best suited for students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology or a related field

Learning Goals

Adapted from The APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major (www.apa.org/ed/psymajor_guideline.pdf) Knowledge, Skills, and Values Consistent with the Science and

Application of Psychology

1. Knowledge Base of Psychology

2. Research Methods in Psychology

3. Critical Thinking Skills in Psychology

4. Application of Psychology

5. Values in Psychology Knowledge, Skills, and Values Consistent with a Liberal Arts Education

that are Further Developed in Psychology.

6. Information/Technology Literacy & Communication Skills

7. Knowledge/Values of Sociocultural & International Awareness

8. Knowledge/Values of Personal & Career Development

Overview of Program

Foundations CoursesIntroductory Psychology Basic Statistics

Research Methods & Writing Practicum for Psychology Majors

Advanced/Multivariate Statistics (BS degree)

Psychological Perspectives CoursesDevelopmental Psychology Physiological Psychology

Social Psychology Learning

Personality Cognitive

Laboratory CoursesDevelopmental or Social/Health Lab Learning or Cognitive Lab

Capstone CoursesAbnormal Psychology Special Topics Seminar

History & Systems

Psychology Electives & General Education Courses

Program Assessment Plan

Purpose is to improve the program and student learning Linked to learning goals/outcomes which, in turn, are aligned with

departmental and institutional missions Developed/implemented with input from all department members

and with support from the College Factors in recommendations from various sources, e.g.,

APA’s The Assessment CyberGuide for Learning Goals and Outcomes in the Undergraduate Psychology Major (www.apa.org/ed/guide_outline.html )

Dunn, D.S., Mehrotra, C. M. & Halonen, J.S. (Eds.) (2004). Measuring up: Educational assessment challenges and practices for psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Implemented in manageable way for faculty members and students Is a work continuously in progress

APA Best Practices in Assessment

Top 10 Task Force Recommendations (www.apa.org/ed/best_practices.html)

1. Encourage department ownership to drive the process.

2. Define your objectives in the context of your institutional mission.

3. Focus on collaboration and teamwork.

4. Clarify the purpose of assessment.

5. Identify clear, measurable, and developmental student learning

6. Use multiple measures and sources consistent with resources.

7. Implement continuous assessment with clear, manageable timelines.

8. Help students succeed on assessment tasks.

9. Interpret and use assessment results appropriately.

10. Evaluate your assessment practices.

Implementing Our Assessment Plan

Formal program assessment began in the 2005-06 academic year

Assessed Goal 2 – Research Methods in Psychology

Continued during the 2006-2007 academic year

Assessed Goal 4 – Application of Psychology

The Data: Goal 2 (2005-2006)GOAL 2 - RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY: Students will understand and apply research methods in psychology, including design, data analysis, and interpretation.

Learning Outcomes Assessment Methods Averages

2.1 Students will be able to describe the different research methods used by psychologists, and articulate their strengths and weaknesses (including internal and external validity).

% earning C or better in Research Methods 86 %

% earning C or better in labs 97 %

Avg. Δ scores from 1st to 2nd papers in labs +11 pts

2.2 Students will be able to utilize basic statistical techniques and interpret statistical results (including significance and effect size).

% earning C or better in Basic Statistics 90 %

% earning C or better on cumulative final in Basic Statistics

40 %

2.3 Students will be able to read and interpret psychological research with appropriate appreciation for the effects of internal and external validity on the generalizability of the research results.

Avg. Δ scores from 1st to 2nd papers in labs +11 pts

% earning C or better on Seminar papers 89 %

2.4 Students will be able to design and conduct psychological research in an ethical manner, and interpret the results.2.5 Students will be able to formulate and write all parts of an APA Style empirical paper.

Avg. Δ scores from 1st to 2nd papers in labs +11 pts

% C or better in Research Methods & labs86 % (P200)97 % (Labs)91 % (Total)

Conclusions for Goal 2

Our students are demonstrating appropriate progress for most aspects of Goal 2understanding research methods and their strengths/ weaknessesdesigning & conducting research & interpreting the resultspreparing APA style reports of their research

Area in need of improvementwe need to help our students better understand statistics at a

conceptual levelSeabrook (2006). Is the teaching of statistical calculations

helpful to students’ statistical thinking? Psychology Learning and Teaching, 5 (2), 153-161.

The Data: Goal 4 (2006-2007)

GOAL 4 - APPLICATION OF PSYCHOLOGY: Students will understand and apply psychological principles to personal, social and/or organizational issues.

Learning Outcomes Assessment Methods Frequencies Descriptives

4.1 Students will demonstrate an understanding of how to apply the psychological concepts, theories and research to solve real world problems in areas such as health, mental health, work, education, etc.

Evaluate samples of papers/projects that require students to demonstrate an understanding of the applications of psychology to solve real world problems and/or grapple with ethical and cultural issues. Samples will be evaluated by teams of faculty members using the following rating scale:1 – Below Expectations2 – Meets Expectations3 – Exceeds Expectations

Below: 7

Meets: 8

Exceeds: 4

n = 19

M = 2.11

SD = 0.68

Interobserver

agreement =

44% (72%)

4.2 Students will recognize that ethical issues and sociocultural contexts influence the application of psychological principles in solving problems

Below: 1

Meets: 15

Exceeds: 2

n = 18

M = 2.25

SD = 0.46

Interobserver

agreement =

56% (100%)

Goal 4 – Assignments

Health Psychology (PSYC 255) – Goals 4.1 & 4.2

Gather information about your family health history & use heath psychology theories and concepts to develop a preventative health plan for yourself

Social Psychology (PSYC 235) – Goal 4.1

Use social psychology theories and concepts to design an effective program for encouraging high school students to engage in safe sex practices

Abnormal Psychology (PSYC 401) – Goal 4.2

Case study with ethical and sociocultural implications

Conclusions for Goal 4

Our students are demonstrating reasonable progress for some aspects of Goal 4 (Application of Psychology):

recognizing that ethical issues influence the application of psychological principles in solving problems

understanding some ways in which psychology can be applied to solve real world problems

Areas in need of improvement – we need to help our students:

develop a greater appreciation for how sociocultural issues influence the application of psychological principles in solving problems

better understand various ways in which psychology may be applied to solve real world problems

Evaluating Our Assessment Practices

The data that we’ve collected to date also indicates that we need to:

standardize some of our measures (e.g., paper Δ scores)

improve the reliability of our measures for Goal 4

■ separately evaluate students’ appreciation of ethical & sociocultural issues

■ develop operational definitions for the categories in our rating scale (i.e., below, meets, and exceeds expectations)

■ possibly use more than two judges to evaluate samples of student work

Assessment: Challenges & Opportunities

Program assessment can be a challenge in that it requires

Careful thought and planning

Commitment, time, and effort

Continuous review and revision

However, despite its challenges, program assessment can

be implemented in a way that is manageable (and interesting) for faculty and students

provide important insights regarding the effectiveness of the program

lead to continuous improvements in the program and student learning

Part 2:A New Practicum Course for Majors

Laura L. Phelan

Practicum for Psychology Majors

Why offer this course?Students are unaware or fail to take advantage of learning

opportunities

■ Ex/ fieldwork, Independent Research, Honors Program, Psychology Club, Psi Chi

Students are not prepared to develop long term goals and effective plans for pursuing careers

Because of the large number of majors and heavy advising loads, advising sessions are spent mainly on academic advising

Practicum would allow us to promote student development in these areas

Practicum designed to achieve various elements of our student learning goals

Student Learning Goals

Goal 3: Critical thinking skills in Psychology

Goal 4: Application of Psychology

Goal 5:Values in Psychology

Goal 6: Skills consistent with liberal arts education

Goal 7:Sociocultural and International awareness

Goal 8: Personal and career development

Practicum for Psychology Majors

Requirement for new students starting Fall 07

Pre-requisite: “C” or better in either PSYC 200 or PSYC 201

Taken in sophomore or junior year

One section per semester team-taught by all full time faculty

20 to 40 students per class

1 credit course

S/U grade

Texts We are Considering

Kuther, T.L. (2006). The psychology major’s handbook (2nd edition). Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth.

Landrum, R.E. & Davis, S.F. (2007). The psychology major: Career options and strategies for success (3rd edition). Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Course Goals

Students will

Review skills necessary to be successful psychology majors

Explore psychology learning opportunities

Explore career opportunities

Prepare job/graduate school materials

Syllabus Topics & Sample Activities

Self-reflection and identification of personal and professional values

Imagine that you have just passed on. You have devoted yourself to your life’s work and have been successful in its execution. What contribution did you make to a better world? When all is said and done, what statement did your life make? Use your answers to these questions to prepare your obituary.

Brainstorm and research potential career choices

Research a career that you are interested in and one that you are not interested in.

Review and explore academic and extracurricular experiences

Psychology Involvement Session: The class will recruit students to speak in class about their involvement in learning experiences outside of the classroom

Topics & Sample Activities (cont’d)

Prepare graduate school and/or employment application

Resume, vita, personal statements

Cultivate professional relationships

Requesting letters of recommendation questionnaire

Work on interview skills

Mock interviews

Discuss potential changes in careers and emphasize the importance of continuing education and becoming a life-long learner

Attitudes and Options exercise (Landrum & Davis, 2007): Quiz on attitudes towards growth in a career

Conclusions

Our practicum covers important topics in an Intro to the major course consistent with those identified in Landrum, Shoemaker, and Davis (2003)

Plan to assess effectiveness of the course

Psychology Major Career Information Survey Items (Thomas & McDaniel, 2004)

Psychology Survey (Landrum & Davis, 2007)

References

Kuther, T.L. (2006). The psychology major’s handbook (2nd edition). Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth.

Landrum, R.E., & Davis, S.F. (2007). The psychology major: Career options and strategies for success (3rd edition). Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Landrum, R.E., Shoemaker, C.S., & Davis, S.F. (2003). Important topics in an “Introduction to the Psychology Major” course. Teaching of Psychology, 30, 48-51.

Thomas, J.H., & McDaniel, C.R. (2004). Effectiveness of a required course in career planning for psychology majors. Teaching of Psychology, 31, 22-27.

Part 3:Capstone Courses

Eileen M. Merges

Capstone: Definitions

Opportunity for students “to demonstrate comprehensive learning in their major through some type of product or performance” (Palomba & Banta, 1999, p.124)

Palomba, C.A. & Banta, T.W. (1999). Assessment essentials: Planning, implementing, and improving assessment in higher education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

“Requires students to bring together the skills that have been developed in their program of study” (Halpern, 2004, p. 22)

Halpern, D.F. (2004). Outcomes assessment 101. In Dunn, D.S., Mehrotra, C. M. & Halonen, J.S. (Eds.), Measuring up: Educational assessment challenges and practices for psychology (pp. 11-26). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Capstone Courses at SJFC

History and Systems of Psychology (PSYC 415)

Abnormal Psychology (PSYC 401)

Seminar in Psychology (PSYC 407)

History and Systems

Assignments

Major paper

■Examples: The Mind-Body problem, History of a particular discipline, biography of historical figure within context of psychology

Presentation

Seminar

Topic of seminar changes each semester. Recent examples include:

Sleep

Eating Behavior

Human Sexuality

Detective Fiction and Psychology

Women’s Health Issues

Political psychology

Seminar

Topic decided by individual faculty

Emphasis on reading and discussing primary sources

Assignments must include a major paper and a presentation

Abnormal Psychology

Etiology and treatment of major diagnostic categories are considered from the major theoretical perspectives

Biological

Cognitive

Behavioral

Socio-Cultural

Psychodynamic

Humanistic

Abnormal Psychology

Assignments

Weekly case studies

■formulating case conceptualizations from a variety of perspectives

■provide opportunity to discuss the socio-cultural factors that impact the development and expression of psychological disorders

Abnormal Psychology

Assignments (cont’d)

Major paper - examining a disorder from at least 2 of the major theoretical perspectives

Includes thorough review of relevant literature

Requires critical reasoning abilities to analyze and critique literature and formulate own conclusions

Capstone and Assessment

Papers in seminar courses used to assess goal 2.3 (consume literature)

Goal 4.1 & 4.2 (application and ethical/socio-cultural issues) assessed in Abnormal Psychology

Departmental discussion surrounding comprehensive exam in Abnormal and/or History & Systems to assess knowledge base in Psychology