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Background: Multimedia creation and curation for assignments have the potential to engage students in deeper learning. Objective: This study explored whether the same homework assignments delivered in paper versus multimedia format resulted in different student experiences. Method: Introductory psychology students submitted either traditional papers or multimedia projects to address the same assignment prompt, a process that was repeated seven times throughout four courses and was either instructor-determined or student-selected. Students were surveyed about the assignment formats, and assignment grades were analyzed. Results: Overall, students found the multimedia assignments more engaging, more enjoyable, more interesting, and more difficult than paper assignments. When assignments were instructor-determined, students reported higher perceived learning for the multimedia assignments. Assignment grades were not significantly different between assignment formats. Conclusion and teaching implications: These results suggest that moving traditional paper assignments into a multimedia format is a no-cost way to improve the student experience.

Introduction: This paper explores what praxis is and its importance for catalyzing social justice. Statement of the Problem: At times, psychologists have articulated the importance of bridging the researcher-activist divide via praxis, but progress in creating these bridges has been slow. Literature Review: We examine how praxis can be rooted in decolonial pedagogical approaches and a tool that can bridge scholarship and activism. Building on previous work by teachers of psychology, we review small, medium, and large-scale praxis assignments that have been used in university courses. Teaching Implications: We discuss our own versions of praxis assignments used in four different psychology courses (three of which took place during the pandemic). We reflect on the ways we see students motivated by an assignment with relevance to the real world and potential for creating social change, the ways that students are able to integrate course material more deeply through action, and some of the challenges with these assignments. Conclusion: We conclude by providing recommendations for educators interested in assigning praxis projects in their psychology courses.

Introduction: Research suggests benefits for incorporating popular press books into courses to encourage critical thinking and student-instructor interactions about concepts. Objective: This article offers a summary and critique of "7 ½ Lessons about the Brain" by Lisa Feldman-Barrett along with pedagogical strategies for integrating the book within Introduction to Psychology courses. Teaching Implications: This popular press book affords an opportunity to incorporate a biopsychology thematic approach to Introduction to Psychology. Several pedagogical strategies using active learning and collaboration are provided. Conclusion: Choosing to include a popular press book in class to supplement student learning may benefit critical thinking about many concepts presented within "Introduction to Psychology."

Background: Utility-value (UV) classroom interventions typically involve students completing assignments that involve writing about the usefulness of the course material. They are widely recommended and have received some empirical support. Objective: This study tested the effectiveness of a UV intervention in an online research methods course. It was a conceptual replication of a study by Hulleman et al. (2017, Study 2). Method: Students (N = 264) were randomly assigned to complete three assignments that required them to write about the usefulness of course material or three assignments that required them to summarize course material. The groups were compared in terms of their scores on a research methods knowledge test, their final papers, their final exams, and their final point totals, along with measures of the interestingness and usefulness of the course material. Results: There were no differences between conditions on any of the outcome variables. Conclusion: The UV intervention was ineffective. Further research is needed to establish the conditions under which such interventions are and are not effective. Teaching Implications: UV interventions do not necessarily improve student performance. Instructors who use them should consider doing so in a way that allows for an assessment of their effect in their local context.

Background: Multimedia creation and curation for assignments have the potential to engage students in deeper learning. Objective: This study explored whether the same homework assignments delivered in paper versus multimedia format resulted in different student experiences. Method: Introductory psychology students submitted either traditional papers or multimedia projects to address the same assignment prompt, a process that was repeated seven times throughout four courses and was either instructor-determined or student-selected. Students were surveyed about the assignment formats, and assignment grades were analyzed. Results: Overall, students found the multimedia assignments more engaging, more enjoyable, more interesting, and more difficult than paper assignments. When assignments were instructor-determined, students reported higher perceived learning for the multimedia assignments. Assignment grades were not significantly different between assignment formats. Conclusion and teaching implications: These results suggest that moving traditional paper assignments into a multimedia format is a no-cost way to improve the student experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Psychology courses provide a good opportunity for instructors to teach students effective learning strategies integrated with content. Objective: This replication and extension study explored changes in students' self-reported use of learning strategies before and after a term paper assignment and examined the relationships between learning strategy use and academic performance. Method: Three hundred eighty-five introductory psychology students completed surveys on their use of 11 learning strategies at the beginning and end of the semester, read an empirical article and wrote a term paper about the learning strategy of practice testing, and completed four exams among other assessments. Results: Replicating prior work, students generally reported improvements in their use of learning strategies over the course of the semester, though improvements were largely attributable to grade point average (GPA). Two learning strategies--self-explanation and practice testing--were positively correlated with course performance in the second half of the semester, over and above the effects associated with GPA. Conclusion: Teaching students about beneficial learning strategies may increase their adoption of those strategies as well as their course performance, replicating prior research. Teaching Implications: In order to improve course performance, instructors may consider adapting assignments in ways that increase students' knowledge and use of effective learning strategies.

Background: This paper describes findings from research conducted on students who participated in a service-learning course in South Africa. Objective: The study aimed to understand how participants constructed their experiences of service-learning and to interrogate their emotional investments in these constructions. Method: Data were collected and analyzed using a psychosocial methodology, consisting of discursive and psychoanalytic readings of interview transcripts, reflective journal entries, and researcher field notes. Results: The discursive findings focus on how participants employed liberal traditional learning discourses to construct servicelearning as linear resulting in subject positions that reinforced prejudices and the power structures supporting these. A psychoanalytic reading of the data suggests that participants invested in these constructions to defend against their own anxiety related to uncertainty and guilt about privilege in an unfamiliar context. Conclusion: Students invest in liberal traditional discourses of service-learning for defensive reasons, which can be understood as arising from the intersubjective and social context in which the service-learning takes place. Teaching Implications: Recognizing prejudice as emanating from anxiety generated by the affective work required for servicelearning means thinking creatively about how to both contain and allow this affective work to take place in service-learning activities.

Introduction: Since the 1990's, psychology has demonstrated a strong commitment to the full spectrum of human diversity (Vera & Speight, 2003). Statement of the Problem: However, psychologists from underrepresented backgrounds and diversity science (DS) remain marginalized in psychology (Syed & Kathawalla, 2020), which affects the ease with which instructors can integrate diversity into psychology curricula and student learning. Literature Review: Accordingly, this paper provides instructors with a potential solution for increasing the representation of marginalized psychologists (MP) and DS in psychology courses through the "Interview with a Psychologist" project. This project was informed by the interdisciplinary psychological literature highlighting the importance of representing marginalized communities and their experiences in the classroom. Teaching Implications: The "Interview with a Psychologist" project is adaptable across academic settings. When implementing the project, instructors should be mindful of the minority tax on psychologists, avoid tokenism, and self-educate on diversity-related issues. Conclusions: As psychology departments pursue institutional efforts to diversify the field of psychology, the "Interview with a Psychologist" project ensures MP and DS are well-represented in psychology courses.

Introduction: As an organization with a 75-year history of supporting the teaching of psychology, the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP), which also operates as Division 2 of the American Psychological Association, has a significant influence on psychology learning and teaching. Statement of the Problem: In this article, four former STP Vice Presidents for Diversity and International Relations explore STP's history through the lenses of diversity, equity/social justice, inclusion, and international relations. Literature Review: The paper explores the relevant history of STP and incorporates scholarship of teaching and learning literature through an international and social justice lens. Teaching Implications: The authors discussed ways to support BIPOC and underrepresented instructors of psychology. Conclusion: STP and teachers of psychology play a pivotal role in changing the cultural, structural, and institutional processes representing ongoing barriers to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and social justice within the organization and the teaching of psychology. Instructors of psychology are well positioned to promote systemic and structural changes and advocate for social justice for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and other underrepresented teachers of psychology.

Introduction: This paper merges two neglected components within the psychological sciences broadly and research methods courses specifically: Critical whiteness and qualitative methodologies. Statement of the Problem: In psychology programs, regardless of discipline, research courses remain one area where issues of race and racism, such as critical whiteness, are deemphasized. Similarly, methods courses rarely integrate qualitative inquiry and critical theory. Literature Review: First, I briefly review the relevant literature on the state of qualitative research in psychology. I then discuss critical whiteness, contextualizing the idea of whiteness, before moving into a review of the current research on whiteness in psychology. Teaching Implications: I present three experiential learning activities that further students' skill development in qualitative methods while learning about three specific aspects of whiteness. Practicing observations, photovoice, and qualitative coding, students can reflect on the pervasiveness of white culture, colorblind racism, and racial microaggressions. Conclusion: The activities described in this article provide instructors one avenue to engage various aspects of whiteness and qualitative methods, phenomena routinely overlooked in graduate training.

Objective: How do learning communities influence academic performance in Introductory Psychology? Method: The present research examines the relationship between participation in first-year students learning communities and academic performance across a variety of course requirements (midterms, finals, papers, and class participation) in introductory psychology and, for comparison, sociology courses. Results: Students who took Introductory Psychology as part of a first-year-student learning community outperformed their peers (who took the same course without a learning community) on the first exam of the semester and were less likely to miss assignments but otherwise showed no significant differences on the other course assignments; introductory sociology students part of these communities showed even greater differences in performance that lasted through the end of the semester. Conclusion: First-year students learning communities offers significant albeit limited benefits for student performance in introductory courses in the social sciences. Teaching Implications: Short of institutional efforts to enact programming for first-year learning communities, introductory psychology instructors can attempt to simulate the experience of such communities by promoting a sense of belonging via extra-curricular service or discipline-related activities.

Introduction: There is a history of overlap between art and science education, particularly in anatomy and other related medical specialties. Technological advances have increased exposure to visual images and creation and sharing of image-based content is commonplace. Statement of the Problem: The use of visual content and activities in education typically declines after early childhood, after which most teaching and learning relies heavily on text-based curricula. Incorporating visual content into education makes optimal use of human cognition; visual and verbal processing channels can operate independently, so using both allows for dual coding and enhanced memory. Literature Review: In this paper, we review the literature on the use of visual techniques in teaching undergraduate neuroscience. Teaching Implications: Image-based content can offer learners an additional cognitive resource and also engage English language learners and those with reading challenges, which might not benefit as much from a solely text-based approach. Conclusion: We recommend educators consider the use of (1) learner-generated drawing, (2) 3-D modeling, and (3) infographics to improve learning outcomes among undergraduate neuroscience students. We provide resources and practical suggestions for implementing the aforementioned techniques.

Background: Providing students with virtual role-play experiences has the potential to bring counseling role-plays into large undergraduate courses. Objective: The purpose of this study was to trial a virtual reality role-play experience where students played the role of a student counsellor. Method: Seventy-three undergraduate psychology students played the role of a student counsellor interacting with a virtual client in two role-plays, one via desktop and one via head mounted display (HMD). Students provided feedback on their experience. Results: 70% of the students found the experiences very interesting, engaging and immersive, with 82% preferring the HMD mode of presentation. The virtual characters were believable as distressed clients with 96% of students perceiving greater negative than positive emotion expressed by the characters. Most of the students (64%) mood improved from the beginning of the experience to the end, however 14% experienced a decline in mood. The students agreed (95%) that the experiences would be a valuable experience to a psychology course. Conclusion: Our results provide evidence that the virtual role-play experiences are well-liked by students. Teaching Implications: The approach presented in this paper represents a practical method to provide virtual role-play experiences to both on-campus and online undergraduate students.

Background: Psychology courses provide a good opportunity for instructors to teach students effective learning strategies integrated with content. Objective: This replication and extension study explored changes in students' self-reported use of learning strategies before and after a term paper assignment and examined the relationships between learning strategy use and academic performance. Method: Three hundred eighty-five introductory psychology students completed surveys on their use of 11 learning strategies at the beginning and end of the semester, read an empirical article and wrote a term paper about the learning strategy of practice testing, and completed four exams among other assessments. Results: Replicating prior work, students generally reported improvements in their use of learning strategies over the course of the semester, though improvements were largely attributable to grade point average (GPA). Two learning strategies—self-explanation and practice testing—were positively correlated with course performance in the second half of the semester, over and above the effects associated with GPA. Conclusion: Teaching students about beneficial learning strategies may increase their adoption of those strategies as well as their course performance, replicating prior research. Teaching Implications: In order to improve course performance, instructors may consider adapting assignments in ways that increase students' knowledge and use of effective learning strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This paper explores what praxis is and its importance for catalyzing social justice. Statement of the Problem: At times, psychologists have articulated the importance of bridging the researcher-activist divide via praxis, but progress in creating these bridges has been slow. Literature Review: We examine how praxis can be rooted in decolonial pedagogical approaches and a tool that can bridge scholarship and activism. Building on previous work by teachers of psychology, we review small, medium, and large-scale praxis assignments that have been used in university courses. Teaching Implications: We discuss our own versions of praxis assignments used in four different psychology courses (three of which took place during the pandemic). We reflect on the ways we see students motivated by an assignment with relevance to the real world and potential for creating social change, the ways that students are able to integrate course material more deeply through action, and some of the challenges with these assignments. Conclusion: We conclude by providing recommendations for educators interested in assigning praxis projects in their psychology courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper describes findings from research conducted on students who participated in a service-learning course in South Africa. Objective: The study aimed to understand how participants constructed their experiences of service-learning and to interrogate their emotional investments in these constructions. Method: Data were collected and analyzed using a psychosocial methodology, consisting of discursive and psychoanalytic readings of interview transcripts, reflective journal entries, and researcher field notes. Results: The discursive findings focus on how participants employed liberal traditional learning discourses to construct service-learning as linear resulting in subject positions that reinforced prejudices and the power structures supporting these. A psychoanalytic reading of the data suggests that participants invested in these constructions to defend against their own anxiety related to uncertainty and guilt about privilege in an unfamiliar context. Conclusion: Students invest in liberal traditional discourses of service-learning for defensive reasons, which can be understood as arising from the intersubjective and social context in which the service-learning takes place. Teaching Implications: Recognizing prejudice as emanating from anxiety generated by the affective work required for service-learning means thinking creatively about how to both contain and allow this affective work to take place in service-learning activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Since the 1990's, psychology has demonstrated a strong commitment to the full spectrum of human diversity (Vera & Speight, 2003). Statement of the Problem: However, psychologists from underrepresented backgrounds and diversity science (DS) remain marginalized in psychology (Syed & Kathawalla, 2020), which affects the ease with which instructors can integrate diversity into psychology curricula and student learning. Literature Review: Accordingly, this paper provides instructors with a potential solution for increasing the representation of marginalized psychologists (MP) and DS in psychology courses through the Interview with a Psychologist project. This project was informed by the interdisciplinary psychological literature highlighting the importance of representing marginalized communities and their experiences in the classroom. Teaching Implications: The Interview with a Psychologist project is adaptable across academic settings. When implementing the project, instructors should be mindful of the minority tax on psychologists, avoid tokenism, and self-educate on diversity-related issues. Conclusions: As psychology departments pursue institutional efforts to diversify the field of psychology, the Interview with a Psychologist project ensures MP and DS are well-represented in psychology courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: How do learning communities influence academic performance in Introductory Psychology? Method: The present research examines the relationship between participation in first-year students learning communities and academic performance across a variety of course requirements (midterms, finals, papers, and class participation) in introductory psychology and, for comparison, sociology courses. Results: Students who took Introductory Psychology as part of a first-year-student learning community outperformed their peers (who took the same course without a learning community) on the first exam of the semester and were less likely to miss assignments but otherwise showed no significant differences on the other course assignments; introductory sociology students part of these communities showed even greater differences in performance that lasted through the end of the semester. Conclusion: First-year students learning communities offers significant albeit limited benefits for student performance in introductory courses in the social sciences. Teaching Implications: Short of institutional efforts to enact programming for first-year learning communities, introductory psychology instructors can attempt to simulate the experience of such communities by promoting a sense of belonging via extra-curricular service or discipline-related activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]