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Psychological literacy refers to the ability of a psychology student to use psychological knowledge, rather than merely "learn" it, in the context of personal, social, and organizational issues. Embedding psychological literacy in assessment is a critical step in helping students develop this capacity. This report presents an innovative applied scenarios assignment for a social and developmental psychology module, designed to challenge students to make theoretical and evidence-based explanations or suggestions in relation to novel real-world situations. Across the scenarios, students are required to respond and adapt to a range of tasks and purposes and effectively communicate their knowledge to diverse audiences. Student evaluation (n = 142) of their experiences and perceived competencies developed from working on the scenarios compared to traditional essay assignments were analyzed. Findings suggest students valued the authentic nature of the assessment and the challenges it presents. They recognized the unique skills they developed, including application and communication skills, and felt that they gained better understanding of psychological content as a result. We hope this report will inspire readers to design similar assessment tasks that provide students with opportunities to practice, and thus develop, their psychological literacy.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of project-based learning on the learning achievement and satisfaction of undergraduate learners in General Psychology. The study included 30 undergraduate students enrolled in a general psychology class. The research utilized a project-based learning management plan, a learning achievement test, and a satisfaction questionnaire as the instruments. The results of the study revealed significant positive impacts of project-based learning on both the learning achievement and satisfaction of students in the context of general psychology. These findings highlight the effectiveness of project-based learning in enhancing students' learning outcomes and overall satisfaction in the field of general psychology. The study contributes to the existing body of literature supporting the benefits of project-based learning as an instructional method for undergraduate education.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to proctor exams after the forced transition to remote teaching and learning. Objective: We evaluated students' experiences creating and answering their own exam items in an upper-level psychology course during the transition to remote teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Students in an advanced social psychology course wrote and answered exam items to demonstrate their learning when proctored exams became impossible during the COVID-19 pandemic. The exams were graded for breadth, depth, and accuracy, and compared to other demonstrations of learning, including traditional in-class exams taken prior to the transition to remote teaching and learning. Results: Students performed well on these exams. Students reported positive perceptions of these exams during the COVID-19 pandemic, but reported that, while these exams reduced test anxiety, they were time-intensive. Conclusion: Students can demonstrate their learning by writing and completing their own exams. Their higher grades may be related to reduced test anxiety and greater time investments. Teaching Implications: Instructors should consider having students write and complete their own exams to demonstrate their learning, especially when proctoring exams is difficult or impossible.

Student-Centred Active Learning Environment with Upside-down Pedagogies (SCALE-UP) is a set of collaborative learning techniques that are shown to reduce the continuation and awarding gaps between students of Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnicities (BAME) and White students when SCALE-UP is implemented throughout every module in an undergraduate course. The aim of this project was to evaluate the impact of SCALE-UP on a level-four Psychology module consisting of 140 students to inform considerations of wider implementation. Although the grades and gaps on this single module did not differ significantly from other modules, written feedback from students indicated that students appreciated the authenticity of interactions afforded by SCALE-UP. Staff recognised the growing confidence of their students when expressing their views in class, peer interactions and group activities. These are indicators of the potential benefits that large-scale implementation of SCALE-UP could contribute to closing or removing continuation and awarding gaps.

The evolving neurobiological and psychological understanding of emotions, specifically positive emotions, provides fascinating insights into how learners' emotions can be evoked, and online learning environments can be crafted to maximize student engagement. Engaged online learners are more active, self-directed, and responsible; they persist and find academic success at higher rates. This article aims to maximize learner outcomes by combining the research and frameworks of online student engagement with the neuroscience and psychology of positive emotions. This research suggests that positive psychology interventions, which have been consistently correlated to positive organizational outcomes when similarly used in business initiatives, also apply to the online adult literacy classroom. The infusion of practical positive psychology principles and the purposeful use of positive emotions in the online setting are presented from three distinct perspectives: creating a positive culture, facilitation, and academic content.

Within higher education, the use of blended learning (BL) is exponentially increased in the 21st century, which poses a number of challenges in designing the process of BL for educators. The aim of this design-based research (DBR) study was to assist an inexperienced educator in teaching and designing a BL course in higher education to convert a face-to-face (F2F) course into a BL course. During the design and delivery of the BL course, what appropriate practices were needed to achieve creating an efficient and effective BL course were determined and the educator's reflections on the first experience of teaching the BL course were documented over three iterative design cycles. Mixed methods including learning environment observations, educator interviews, student surveys were employed. The results demonstrated that BL enabled the educator to adopt active learning approaches, engage students in critical thinking and promote the quality of interactive and collaborative learning assignments. Although the educator indicated the time limitation as an obstacle to teach a more efficient BL course, the educator was contented with teaching and designing the BL course and found it useful and supportive overall. Findings were presented and discussed for future studies and implications.

To aid in teaching dialogue skills a virtual simulator called "Communicate!" was developed at Utrecht University. Teachers can build scenarios for students to practice dialogues with a virtual character. In two experiments (n = 128 and 133, a year apart), we investigated if and how "Communicate!" can be an effective aid to study and practice dialogue skills, by comparing it to traditional "passive" learning tools, such as literature-study and a lecture, in an undergraduate psychology dialogue-skills course. Students were divided into four groups, two of which both read an article about conducting a bad-news dialogue and played a "bad-news-dialogue-scenario" (but in a different order), while the third group only played the scenario. The final group only read the article (expt. 1) or also attended a lecture on the topic (expt. 2). Playing a scenario improved performance on a different scenario played later. It increased the students' reported engagement and motivation to learn about this topic, compared to reading the article, whereas their reported self-efficacy decreased, which may indicate a recognized learning need. It also increased the score on an MC-knowledge test on this type of dialogue. This suggests that online dialogue simulations aid studying (basic) dialogue skills, by providing flexible, authentic learning experiences.

The flipped classroom approach has grown in various disciplines; however, only few research studies are conducted in social sciences at K-12 settings. This action research investigated the impact of implementing a flipped classroom approach on students' motivation and learning the content knowledge in a suburban high school introductory psychology course. Also, students' perceptions about the effectiveness of a flipped classroom approach was explored. Data were collected from 58 high school students using teacher-made pre- and post-tests, student surveys, interviews and exit slips. Results indicated that student motivation, perceptions, and effectiveness of learning are supported in the flipped classroom due to increased opportunities for collaboration, review, and the incorporation of active learning. Implications for psychology teachers and other social science high school teachers were discussed, including extensive planning, allocation of class time for active learning activities, and preparation of students for becoming active learners.

Statistics courses are challenging for many psychology students. We designed a 'Painting and Puzzles Exercise Book for Statistics' for first year psychology undergraduates, to repeat and deepen the course content and get prepared for the exam. We describe the development and characteristics of the book and report a longitudinal evaluation study. Users (N=72) rated the book positively and judged it as helpful, easy to use, and enjoyable. Students with initially higher skills, younger students and, those who graduated from school recently were more likely to use it. We matched users to non-users from the preceding and the evaluation cohort, respectively, on characteristics at study entry and found positive effects on achievement (exam grade and perceived management of course content) for users. We reason that the book is a valuable support that can be embedded in an ongoing course easily.

Background: The goals of laboratory experiences include developing knowledge base, research skills, and scientific communication abilities. Objective: The aim was to assess an inquiry-based laboratory activity using the model organism "Caenorhabditis elegans" in relation to learning goals. Method: Students in a "Biopsychology" laboratory course worked in groups to test the effect of various drugs (e.g., nicotine, ethanol, fluoxetine, and melatonin) on "C. elegans" behavior. The activity included literature review, experimental design, and a final lab report. A cumulative final exam included a synaptic communication question related to the content of the activity. Results: Students showed better retention of laboratory-related content compared to other topics from the course, as demonstrated through performance on the final exam and were able to replicate previous research demonstrating effects of drug on locomotion. However, students did not improve writing ability compared to performance on a previous American Psychological Association style lab report. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that using a student-designed, multi-week laboratory assignment in an undergraduate Biopsychology course supports the growth of psychology knowledge and the development of research skills. Teaching Implications: Instructors should consider using the described laboratory activity for biopsychology or behavioral neuroscience classes or consider similarly designed laboratory formats for other courses in Psychology.

The authors' scholarly reflective narrative addresses the rewards and challenges of an immersive experiential active learning pedagogy. They ask, "was it worth it?" for students and for themselves. Although research evidence makes it clear that active learning benefits student learning and engagement, designing a course to incorporate active learning often requires extensive effort from instructors. Thus, it is reasonable to consider whether the benefits outweigh the costs. They conclude that the direct and indirect benefits of observing student learning and development in addition to the rewards of scholarly collaboration outweighed the costs of continual course redesign and student discomfort. They offer questions for others to consider before implementing active learning practices.

In the 21st century, preparing university students for real work and lifelong learning requires instructors to serve as facilitators of learning rather than as providers of information. Instruction needs to be learner-centered, active, enjoyable, and engaging. As one form of active learning strategy, cooperative learning (e.g. group assignment) helps students to collaborate in tasks actively, and this in turn improves their learning and performance. However, in my undergraduate course, when I encourage students to do assignments in groups, many of them do not take it seriously and, as a result, the final product is in terms of quality and participation. The objective of this action research was to improve the educative value of group assignment as one form of cooperative learning by way of designing the task thoughtfully, following up and motivating students, providing constructive and timely feedback, and ensuring greater student engagement in the task. Third year psychology students were enrolled for the project, and two phase actions were implemented: preliminary and actual action implementation. The outcomes of the preliminary and actual action implementation were then compared. The findings revealed that, as a result of the intervention, students changed their attitudes towards group assignment and were more engaged in the second assignment than the first (t = 6.51, p = 0.05). Students' performance in the second test and group project also increased (t = 2.80, p = 0.05 and t = 7.67, p = 0.05 respectively). Based on the findings, implications for future research and action are suggested.

This paper describes the implementation of a new and innovative learning activity created to enhance the learning experience of psychology undergraduate dissertation students. The writing retreat is a student-based learning activity which aims to address students' needs over the final stages of the dissertation module. Involving active-learning, blended learning, and integrating with module assessment strategies (Laurillard, 2007), the event offers workshops on responding to formative feedback, writing skills, preparing the discussion chapter, and putting together the final dissertation document. The event aims to facilitate a learning environment that supports student autonomy, since this type of environment can have a positive effect on students' intrinsic motivation (Hagger et al., 2003, 2006). To assess the effectiveness of the writing retreat, we employed a Self-Determination Theory perspective (Ryan & Deci, 2000) to investigate if the writing retreat facilitated an autonomous -- hence beneficial -- learning environment.

The aim of this paper is to assess the transfer of learning of students from a master's degree in psychology through observation of their skills in information assessment and intervention. The participants were 10 incoming students of a professional-aimed master's program in psychology offered in a Mexican public university. They carried out two types of tasks: a) review of a scientific text and b) interaction in intervention with clients, where the participants were evaluated by observational strategies. The results reflect zero relation between the level of skill displayed by most students in their information assessment skills and their intervention skills, which could suggest a low probability to conduct evidence-based practice. The data presented provide information for the design of graduate programs in order to foster the transfer of learning of these skills, which is essential for evidence-based practice.

Background: Student anxiety about statistics may lead to poorer learning outcomes. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate an exercise designed to teach students in an introductory statistics class the principles of bivariate regression and to emphasize how statistical tools used by psychologists are also implemented in other fields. Method: Students used a published model on the relationship between tooth size and the length of great white sharks to estimate the length of extinct sharks and to explore factors that could affect the accuracy or validity of regression analyses. Data from an anonymous self-report scale were used to assess the activity. Results: More than 95% of respondents "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that the activity was engaging, approximately 95% of students "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that the activity helped them learn about factors that can lead to problems with bivariate correlation/regression, and approximately 91% of respondents correctly answered a question designed to assess basic content acquisition. Conclusion: Feedback data suggest that the exercise was successful in achieving its content and process learning goals. Teaching Implications: Implementation of similar exercises may improve student engagement and outcomes in psychology statistics courses.

The number of health psychology courses offered in higher education institutions has dramatically increased over the past 30 years. Health psychology courses provide students a unique opportunity to learn about important public health issues and health disparities affecting our society from a biopsychosocial perspective. Prior research indicates that students taking these courses, many of whom are non-biology majors, often report feeling anxious about learning the underlying biological mechanisms that affect health outcomes, particularly as they relate to stress and disease. Therefore, innovative teaching strategies, such as the use of active learning approaches, are needed to promote student confidence and engagement in learning these interdisciplinary models of health. Despite rapid advancements and innovations in health technologies, few health psychology courses have integrated these technologies as a modality of active learning. This article describes the implementation of health technologies (e.g., biosensors, biofeedback equipment, wearable technologies) as an active learning modality and innovative teaching approach to promote student engagement and learning outcomes in an undergraduate health psychology course taught in the U.S. Eighty students from a minority-serving university participated in this pilot course redesign. Student responses to the use of health technologies in their course were very positive. A description of the course curriculum is provided and results from student responses and feedback are presented. Implications and recommendations for implementing these technologies and pedagogies in future health courses are also discussed, including university support for sustaining these high impact teaching practices.

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."

Intercultural competence--the ability to successfully interact and communicate sensitively with members of other cultural groups--is an essential skill in multicultural societies and an increasingly globalized world. A quasi-experimental study revealed that completing a cross-cultural international psychology course increased college students' perceived intercultural competence substantially, relative to students in a control (research methods) course. The curriculum included an extensive 10-week Cultural Immersion Project, conducted on campus and in the local community, and weekly experientially based group projects. The course may be especially effective for college students with less prior intercultural experience.

Interdisciplinary pedagogy can enhance Introduction to Psychology curricula. We developed an interdisciplinary project to make meaning in a learning community (LC) clustering Introduction to Psychology with Introduction to Criminal Justice. Our purpose is to describe the project as a model and report on students' evaluations of the project and their academic progress. We collected questionnaire data about students' experiences completing the project. Results were positive with most students valuing make meaning, feeling more connected to psychology and expressing satisfaction. We measured student learning using project grades and final grades in the psychology course. Participants performed satisfactory on the project and outperformed a comparison group in the Introduction to Psychology course. Findings demonstrate the value of interdisciplinary pedagogy in psychology curricula.

This paper presents a case study of a Competency-Based Education Introduction to Psychology course conducted in a small, private, traditional university in the western United States. Two competency-graded sections were offered, one online and one in the classroom. Eleven undergraduate students completed the online section, and 24 students completed the classroom-based section of the course. For both sections, we present the course design including learning outcomes, course projects, grade assignments, instructional methods, and both student and instructor reflections on learning outcomes. This case study illustrates how competency-based courses can be designed and executed in a traditional academic environment in both online and classroom-based courses.

We developed and tested strategies for using spatial representations to help students understand core probability concepts, including the multiplication rule for computing a joint probability from a marginal and conditional probability, interpreting an odds value as the ratio of two probabilities, and Bayesian inference. The general goal of these strategies is to promote active learning by introducing concepts in an intuitive spatial format and then encouraging students to try to discover the explicit equations associated with the spatial representations. We assessed the viability of the proposed active-learning approach with two exercises that tested undergraduates' ability to specify mathematical equations after learning to use the spatial solution method. A majority of students succeeded in independently discovering fundamental mathematical concepts underlying probabilistic reasoning. For example, in the second exercise, 76% of students correctly multiplied marginal and conditional probabilities to find joint probabilities, 86% correctly divided joint probabilities to get an odds value, and 69% did both to achieve full Bayesian inference. Thus, we conclude that the spatial method is an effective way to promote active learning of probability equations.

A first time attender at the annual conference of the "National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology" (NITOP, 2014), Castro was impressed with how throughout, discussions were vivid and innovative; talks were warm and interactive, handouts and other resources were diverse and abundant, with all materials very well adjusted to various aspects of the teaching process. Castro discovered that support for excellence in the teaching of psychology is stronger in the US than perhaps anywhere else in the world. This convinced Castro of the need to try to import to her country (France) some of the United State's intense interest in the teaching of psychology. In this paper, Smith and Castro, describe the implementation and current status of the translation project as well as some of the ways in which it has led to further efforts to improve the teaching of psychological science in France.

A central challenge of introductory statistics is the development of curricula that not only serve diverse students, but also leave them wanting more. To evaluate the potential impact of a multidisciplinary, project-based introductory statistics course, students' future course decisions were compared against traditional statistics courses using administrative data from the fall 2009 through spring 2018 semesters. Results indicated that the project-based course helped promote continued interest in the field of statistics and data analysis based on subsequent selection of courses in the field.

Multiple studies have demonstrated the efficacy of various psychological critical thinking interventions. The current study tests a novel technique for improving introductory psychology students' ability to identify and evaluate methodological concepts in real-life media by prompting them to analyze secondary source news and blog articles. Participants randomly assigned to the experimental group completed three separate methodological thinking drills (MTDs), whereas control participants completed two reflection activities followed by a single MTD. Evidence for the effectiveness of the MTD intervention was found with respect to the within-group comparisons in the experimental condition and also the between-group comparison, indicating linear improvements in scores over time and across groups. These results suggest that methodological thinking can be taught and assessed simultaneously using a single, internally valid procedure.

This paper elaborates on the notion of object-oriented collaborative learning by building on empirical material from two case studies in higher education. Prior empirical findings show how knowledge objects are evolving entities, shaped by the interactions between participants, and how students learn from engaging in knowledge practice that involves different activities with knowledge objects. However, the pedagogy of teaching and learning with objects needs to be further explored and grounded in empirical data. Using two case studies, we examine how learning designs in higher education courses support students' learning through work on shared knowledge objects, as well as how students experience these designs and the learning process. By means of complementary datasets, the learning design, enacted teaching practices, collaboration processes, experiences, and competence learned are mapped and analysed. The findings are helpful in elucidating the learning taking place through interaction and practices mediated by shared knowledge objects, as well as informing the development of principles of a pedagogy of object-oriented collaborative learning, which provide practical recommendations and invite further research endeavours.

Education is meant to open your mind, but is that what universities are really doing? Rather than fostering open-minded thinking, the format of lecturing, the lack of interaction among students and instructors, and the passive nature of learning are likely producing the opposite, students with closed-minds. The development and implementation of Active Learning Classrooms (ALC) has the capability to counteract this negative trend by providing a configuration suited for more collaborative learning and opportunities for students to share their thoughts, hear other perspectives from peers, and have the potential to become more open-minded. A description of a study on students in a fourth year psychology course is provided in which the instructor changed her course in order to use the ALC to its fullest capacity. Students were also given an Actively Open-minded Thinking questionnaire (Stanovich & West, 1997) pre and post course, with results indicating that open-minded thinking increased over the term. Although there are many components that could contribute to this result, the impact that educational spaces may have on student learning are discussed.

Emotions are fundamental to understanding many phenomena in psychology; however, there are currently no emotion-specific evidence-based teaching practices. The current study evaluates an innovative new active learning-based teaching activity, designed to provide a structure for discussions around emotion. Small groups of third-year psychology students were asked to produce an annotated design of a theme park that would evoke one of the basic emotions. Following completion of the activity, six interviews were conducted to explore the student's views of the session, and these were subjected to thematic analysis. Results suggest the activity is an unexpected, enjoyable and memorable group experience that has the potential to facilitate understanding of emotions, and thus the self.

We describe how students can be encouraged to actively review course contents on inferential statistics by creating application-oriented exercises and sample solutions on the basis of concrete and realistic research articles and their data. For evaluation purposes, we use students' reactions to the activity and investigate its effects on the final statistics exam. Students' ratings of the quality of the exercises, necessary knowledge, and the evaluation of the activity were very positive, and participating students achieved better grades in the final exam than nonparticipants, whereas the groups did not differ regarding their initial skills or motivational characteristics. We conclude by discussing implications for lecturers teaching statistics.

Integral to most undergraduate psychology degree programs are research methods courses. Students learn about theory, study design and hypothesis testing, and gain knowledge that is assessed by laboratory reports. We describe a problem-based learning approach with an emphasis on acquisition of study design skills. Working in small groups, students took well-known falsifiable proverbs, developed hypotheses to test them, recruited and assessed participants, analyzed the data, and presented their findings in a poster format. This approach allowed students to develop key skills to systematically experiment with an idea using proverbs as a proxy for theory. We suggest proverb testing as a useful technique to engage student-centered active learning in psychology and in the behavioral sciences more broadly.

The authors describe the development, execution, and assessment of a one-month study abroad course in London, England. Course learning objectives are discussed, linked to specific assignments, and evaluated using multiple methods. The authors highlight two team-based assignments on expertise development related to (1) navigating the London Underground and (2) aspects of London culture. Analyses focus on students' self-ratings at three time points, identification of themes in students' final reflections, and independent coders' ratings of achievement of course objectives evident in major assignments. Results indicate that students made significant improvements related to course learning objectives while also engaging in meaningful reflection about their experiences.

This chapter shows how freshmen students entering at the university have to cope with a new life and face a variety of stress.

Economics and business students are taught that sunk costs are irrelevant to their decisions. Yet, there is ample evidence that managers fail to integrate this simple rule and fall prey to what is known as the sunk-costs bias. To mitigate cognitive biases, such as the sunk-cost bias, educators must raise students' awareness of these common judgment errors. In this article, the author proposes a classroom activity that actively engages students and allows them to identify this bias in their own judgments. The activity builds on a series of experiments from the psychology literature. The author discusses how these experiments have been adapted for classroom use and presents evidence suggesting that the activity increased students' awareness of the sunk-cost bias and improved their decision-making skills.

This research aims to address the problem of student engagement on vocational subjects and high incidences of mental health difficulties that present a barrier to learning and progression and ask questions about how the TAPOUT curriculum model may impact on this.This small-scale research study explores how students experience 'flow' in the classroom using the TAPOUT curriculum model. Focusing on process as well as product, the TAPOUT curriculum model provides a framework with which to facilitate collaborative work where students take ownership of longitudinal projects with real world outcomes.Specifically, TAPOUT was developed to provide a new curriculum framework that facilitates 'healthy learning'; teaching and learning models whose primary function is to encourage effective learning using strategies and elements of curriculum design which promote wellbeing. Rather than separating the classroom from initiatives to promote mental health that go on outside (counselling, medication, CBT, mindfulness and so on) the classroom can support this work by providing opportunities for work that engenders 'positive psychology' (collaboration, mastery and personal control, supportive feedback, high expectations and meaningful achievement not predicated on external, grade-focused success).Drawing on pilot studies and data drawn from interviews, surveys and focus groups across three years of study and approximately 100 students, the research presents intermediary findings about learner experience of the TAPOUT framework and their encounters with 'flow'.Theoretically situated in the curriculum studies field this research engages with concepts of flow psychology, wellbeing, improving the status of vocational learning, trusteeship and craftsmanship.

Teaching and assessing large classes can be reframed from focusing on overcoming difficulties with large classes, to seeking the unique educational opportunities provided by such learning environments. We discuss data and examples illustrating how active learning and formative assessment can be successfully embedded into the teaching of large groups. Students evaluated these approaches favourably, and recognised that their own learning was enhanced through being active participants in lectures and having opportunities to receive feedback on their understanding within lectures. Furthermore, the experiences of teaching staff using these techniques were found to be largely positive, demonstrating awareness of the benefits for students as well as benefits for their own engagement and development. These data suggest that if we find the unique opportunities for learning afforded by large groups, the lecture has the potential to become a powerful learning environment.

This paper provides a brief review of blended learning as a didactic method, and discusses the issues and challenges of using blended learning models in post-secondary education. Blended learning refers to mixed modes of instruction that combine traditional face-to-face classroom teaching methods and online learning materials. The paper will address challenges faced by large classrooms with a diverse student body, and the ways blended learning models can help alleviate those concerns (i.e. technologically savvy students, the need for course scheduling flexibility). In addition, a case study of blended learning in higher education in the context of a unique first year Introductory Psychology program at McMaster University will be discussed. Lastly, the important learning benefits offered by blended learning systems, along with the potential barriers to their implementation will be addressed. (Contains 1 table, 2 figures and 2 footnotes.)

Although research suggests that active learning is associated with positive outcomes (e.g., memory, test performance), use of such techniques can be difficult to implement in large lecture-based classes. In the current study, 1,091 students completed out-of-class group exercises to complement course material in an Introductory Psychology class. Students were assigned either active learning or content review activities. Students in the active learning condition reported greater retention of and engagement with the course material but not greater enjoyment when compared to students in the content review condition. The importance of choosing pedagogical methods that promote the construction of knowledge rather than just behavioral activity is discussed. (Contains 1 table.)

This quasiexperiment tests the effect of the use of a randomized name generator (wheel of discussion) on course performance in an introductory psychology course. In one section of the course, the instructor implemented the use of the wheel of discussion immediately, whereas, in the second section, the instructor introduced the wheel of discussion after the second exam. Results revealed a marginal difference in course performance between the two sections, such that students performed better when the wheel was present. All students reported a perceived increase in engagement resulting from the use of the wheel. Results suggest that the use of a randomized name generator may be one way to improve engagement.

This article presents an innovative technique for teaching the principles of experimental design in a way that is entertaining and engaging for students. Following a lecture on experimental design, students participate in an experiment in which the teacher uses a funny segment from a movie to test the influence of implicit social norms. Randomly allocated "participants" receive either laughter cues from the class (experimenter confederates) or no cues. Condition "hilarity" ratings are compared, and the class as a whole discusses issues relating to experimental design including internal validity, random assignment, and independent and dependent variables. Student feedback, including pre- and postactivity ratings, suggests that the exercise may be useful for enhancing students' understanding of experimental design. Most importantly, the exercise provides a fertile context for active learning, and the usefulness of the exercise does not rely on the "success" of the experiment itself.

Flipped classrooms are gaining popularity, especially in psychology statistics courses. However, not all courses lend themselves to a fully flipped design, and some instructors might not want to commit to flipping every class. We tested the effectiveness of flipping just one component (a module on junk science) of a large methods course. We compared two sections, one in a traditional format (n = 128) and the other in a flipped format (n = 139), based on students' academic performance and attitudes toward the class structure. Compared to students in the traditional lecture section, students in the flipped section performed significantly better on a quiz tied to the lecture content and rated their enjoyment of the exercise as higher. These findings demonstrate the utility of using partial flipped classroom techniques with large classes.

Sustaining students in becoming reflective practitioners is considered as a valued outcome of higher education. The paper aims to evaluate the impact of the learning environment conditions inspired by Schön's theory of reflective practicum, by discussing a case study of a master's degree class. The learning environment was designed to sustain reflective practice and meaningful engagement through professional practice simulation, problem-based learning and reflective writing. Unlike much of the research into reflective learning, the quality of learning was evaluated by assessing the use of reflective practice in students' weekly journaling, rather than measuring students' satisfaction or perceptions of effectiveness. Two hundred and six journal entries of 23 students were assessed and used in a quantitative analysis based on a linear mixed-effects model. Findings indicated that the reflective practicum has an incremental effect on students' reflective practices and that reflective practice is dynamic and sensitive to specific learning environment conditions. In conclusion, students' co-responsibility of the learning environment allowed by the professional practice simulation appears to foster meaningful and reflective learning. Conversely, conditions that stimulate only cognitive engagement have little impact or even inhibit reflective practices. Practical implications of the use of reflective journal are discussed.