ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Developing Aspect-Specific Assessment Criteria for Examination Answers and Coursework Essays in Psychology
Author: Elander, James
Date: 2002-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Test Construction,Criteria,Item Analysis,Student Evaluation,Essays,Psychology,Interrater Reliability,Feedback (Response)

This article describes the development of assessment criteria for specific aspects of examination answers and coursework essays in psychology. The criteria specified the standards expected for seven aspects of students' work: addressing the question, covering the area, understanding the material, evaluating the material, developing arguments, structure and organisation, and clarity in presentation. The criteria were designed to promote student learning, increase the reliability of marking, facilitate research on marking, and promote reflective practice among markers. Student feedback indicated that, despite being published in course materials, the impact of the criteria on students was much less than it could be, but the criteria supported other initiatives to promote student learning, including more structured feedback to students on coursework essays, and generic skills teaching on essay writing. The criteria were used in research to analyse the judgments made by markers of examination answers. That research revealed substantial individual differences among markers and more systematic differences between first and second markers. Some staff had reservations about specifying the assessment criteria in such detail, but the criteria provided a stimulus for staff reflection on the process of marking and agreeing marks. The development of the criteria opened up a number of avenues for further work on student learning and assessment and for further research on the psychology of marking. (Contains 3 tables.)
Some Preliminaries to Action Research with Mature Students
Author: Hartley, James
Date: 2002-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Action Research,Adult Students,Maturity (Individuals),Instructional Improvement,Higher Education,Research Methodology,Psychologists,Student Diversity,Research Skills

Since the report of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher education (1997) on university teaching in the UK, there has been increasing emphasis on the professionalization of university teaching. Following the expansion of higher education, and widening student diversity there is even more of a need for teachers to teach well. Pedagogical action research with its emphasis on improving practice is one way to meet this need. In this paper we report on research with mature students where the findings from over 40 British research studies suggest that: 1. Understanding the experience of mature students in higher education is an area that lecturers could usefully explore using an action research framework; and 2. Psychologists are particularly well placed to carry out such research with their theoretical understandings and research skills. (Contains 1 table.)
The Benefits of Negotiating Student versus Staff Control over Learning
Author: Shortt, Kevin
Date: 2002-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Research Methodology,Curriculum Design,Action Research,Research Projects,Teaching Methods,Adjustment (to Environment),Student Attitudes,Student Motivation,Student Participation,Feedback (Response),Reflective Teaching,Teacher Role,Teaching Styles,Qualitative Research

The value of increasing student input to learning opportunity design issues was explored through an action research project. In response to student-identified learning needs, a learning session on a first-year undergraduate research methods module was re-designed. The learning outcomes of two parallel student groups (one experiencing the original session, the other receiving the re-designed session) were compared by quantitative analysis. A significant improvement in assessment grades was found for the group receiving the re-designed session. Brief qualitative analysis of student feedback revealed this group's increased positive course perceptions. The action research project outcomes are discussed within the context of student versus staff control over learning, highlighting the mutual benefits of reflective practice for newer learning facilitators. (Contains 1 table.)
Teaching Qualitative Research Methods: Some Innovations and Reflections on Practice
Author: Mason, Oliver J.
Date: 2002-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Qualitative Research,Psychological Studies,Research Methodology,Active Learning,Teaching Methods,Reflection,Educational Practices,Instructional Design,Research Tools,Instructional Innovation,Educational Strategies,Evaluation Methods,Course Descriptions,Learner Engagement

This paper considers some of the problems inherent in teaching qualitative research methods within psychology. It stresses the use of a reflective approach to course design that aims to "emancipate" students in their own study and research, as well as equipping them with a combination of practical and theoretical skills. In addition to a brief description of the course, I describe some innovations in tackling the topic that try to optimise participation and active learning. Philosophical and political aspects to the subject are discussed as particularly thorny issues. Several approaches to evaluation are described that serve both to increase participation and help the teacher respond to issues of level and content. Some of the implications discussed for future teaching include revisions to the coverage of discourse analysis and the role of political values in psychological research. (Contains 1 table.)
Engaging the Learner: Reflections on the Use of Student Presentations
Author: Sander, Paul
Date: 2002-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Reflective Teaching,Student Projects,Instructional Effectiveness,Student Motivation,Teaching Methods,Student Attitudes,Feedback (Response)

Previous research has shown that university students, when asked to rank different methods of learning and assessment tend to rate student presentations unfavorably. There are though, sound reasons for constructing learning situations around student presentations, resulting in presentations being an integral part of our psychology degree over the last ten years. However, the course has experienced a considerable rise in the number of students during the same period, making it much harder to create meaningful opportunities for student presentations. In spite of this growth, the team considered ways in which presentations can remain within the course and systematically evaluated their effectiveness. Whilst data show that students may find the experience stressful and that they have some concerns about the quality of their learning, these concerns, we believe are more than outweighed by the advantages, which are discussed at length. Students' retrospective reflections on courses that have been designed around student presentations give a much more favorable view of this learning method than that given through hypothetical ratings. (Contains 6 tables.)
&quot;I Have Learned that Psychology Is Linked to Almost Everything We Do.&quot; Developing and Evaluating the Impact of a Work-Based Learning Module in an Undergraduate Psychology Programme
Author: Wrennall, Michael
Date: 2002-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Undergraduate Students,Psychology,Work Experience,Educational Experience,Part Time Employment,Learning Modules,Reflection,Job Skills,Relevance (Education),Education Work Relationship,Curriculum Development

Providing structured work experience for undergraduate psychology students is seen by many authors, employers and students as academically desirable and the Dearing Report (1997) indicates that work experience is something which all undergraduates should undertake. It is a problem for psychology degree course administrators to provide relevant work experiences and few courses do this. To provide work experience for psychology students at Glasgow Caledonian University, a second level credit bearing module was developed enabling students who are working part time to capitalise on their part time work. The module requires students to reflect on the job they are doing, the skills they are developing in the work setting and to relate aspects of their psychological knowledge to the job itself. Early evaluation, both qualitative and quantitative, has already shown that the module has been well received by the students and that it is enhancing their learning experiences as undergraduate psychology students. (Contains 3 tables and 5 footnotes.)
Learning Outcomes and Assessment Strategies for a Psychology Sandwich Placement Year
Author: Reddy, Peter
Date: 2002-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Undergraduate Students,Psychology,Work Experience Programs,Job Skills,Action Research,Outcomes of Education,College Role,Internship Programs,Job Placement,Focus Groups,Qualifications

The aim of this action research study was to identify learning outcomes for assessing work-related transferable skills during undergraduate psychology sandwich year placements as part of an ongoing cycle of development of the placement. The merits of assessing such skills are considered in relation to the role of universities in preparing undergraduates for the world of work together with National Vocational Qualifications and other assessment frameworks. Focus group discussions with final year ex-placement students contributed to the development of questionnaires to identify transferable skills. The questionnaires were administered to current placement students and their employers. Focus group and questionnaire responses were generally supportive of the idea of skills assessment. Possible learning outcomes and their incorporation into placement year assessment along the lines outlined by James (2000) are discussed. The importance of moving on to devise an assessment package to help placement students become reflective, autonomous learners is emphasised. (Contains 2 tables.)
Teaching Psychology Students to Write Structured Abstracts: An Evaluation Study
Author: Hartley, James
Date: 2005-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Undergraduate Students,Psychology,Documentation,Standards,Research Reports,Laboratories,Journal Articles

Background: Considerable evidence suggests that structured abstracts in scientific journal articles are more informative than traditional ones, but no one (to our knowledge) has written about asking psychology undergraduates to write structured abstracts for their laboratory reports. Aim: Our aim was to assess whether or not the quality of such abstracts would be improved if such students were required to write structured abstracts rather than traditional ones. Sample &amp; Method: 117 first-year psychology students at Keele wrote traditional abstracts for their laboratory reports during the academic session 1998-1999, and 122 wrote structured abstracts during the session 1999-2000. We compared 50 abstracts from each of these groups. Results: We found that the structured abstracts were significantly longer (M = 217 vs 181 words, t = 3.23, p less than 0.005 one-tail) but that they did not contain significantly more key information than the traditional ones, as measured with an information checklist (M = 9.2 vs 8.6, t = 1.52). Nor was there any significant difference between them as measured with the Flesch Reading Ease formula (M = 40 vs 37, t = 1.36). However, independent raters, in two separate studies, rated the quality of the structured abstracts to be significantly higher than that of the traditional ones (M = 6.9 vs 6.1, t = 3.36, p less than 0.005 and 7.1 vs 6.0, t = 5.20, p less than 0.001 respectively). Conclusions: These results give only partial support to the notion that teaching students to write structured abstracts will lead to improved abstracts. (Contains 2 tables.)
The Pattern of History of Psychology Teaching on British Undergraduate Psychology Courses
Author: Richards, Graham
Date: 2005-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Undergraduate Students,Psychology,Intellectual Disciplines,Educational History,Departments,Textbook Content,Course Evaluation,Interdisciplinary Approach

Teaching of History of Psychology is likely to become increasingly important as the British Psychological Society's 2002 guidelines for approved undergraduate courses are implemented. Results of a survey of History of Psychology teaching during the academic year 1999-2000 are summarised and discussed in the light of these new requirements. While now slightly dated, there is no reason to believe the situation has radically changed since these data were gathered. They suggest that only about a third of courses currently include substantial coverage of the topic and that the approaches and agendas of this teaching vary widely. Only a small minority actually appear to engage History of Psychology as an active and important sub-discipline in its own right. A variety of problems related to increasing the level and quality of History of Psychology content are identified and some tentative suggestions offered regarding the way forward. (Contains 3 footnotes.)
Students' Presentations: Does the Experience Change Their Views?
Author: Sander, Paul
Date: 2005-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Student Projects,Public Speaking,Action Research,Teaching Methods,Measures (Individuals),Self Esteem,Self Evaluation (Individuals),Student Evaluation,Teacher Researchers,Peer Teaching,Student Attitudes

Introduction: Research has shown that students do not like student presentations, yet a case can be made for them. This study seeks to understand the effects that presentations have on students. Method: Within an action research framework, two repeated-measures studies were completed, one with students undertaking assessed presentations the other with those doing non-assessed presentations. Respondents completed both measures of the Views on Teaching, Learning and Assessment questionnaire (VTLA, derived from Sander et al., 2000) at the start and at the end of each study. All respondents completed the Academic Behavioural Confidence scale (ABC, Sander &amp; Sanders 2003) at the start of each study but its second measurement was taken when only part of each cohort had undertaken a presentation. Results: In the assessed presentation study, students who had done their presentations showed an overall increase in ABC, (p less than 0.05) indicating improved confidence. No such increase was found after the non-assessed presentation. In both studies, students showed significant increases in their responses to items on the ABC that related to public speaking, (p less than 0.05). The VTLA revealed that experiencing presentations as a teaching method can help students feel more positive about them and able to acknowledge benefits of presenting than they did prior to this experience. It also confirmed that students find presentations daunting and some have some concerns about learning from peers. Discussion: The different responses in the two studies may have been influenced by the way that presentations were integrated into modules at different levels. However, it would seem that the experience of presentations might raise student confidence in their own abilities although it is less likely to change their views of the prospect of presenting. (Contains 9 tables.)
An Exploration of Student Learning Experiences and Approaches to Learning
Author: Sutton, Pamela
Date: 2005-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Higher Education,Educational Strategies,College Students,Student Role,Student Attitudes,Prior Learning,Expectation,Learning Experience

The research literature documents the different approaches to learning that students in Higher Education (HE) can adopt, e.g. deep, surface and strategic. Stage 1 of a longitudinal study aimed to determine the students' approach to learning, and to assess whether this was related to previous learning experiences, initial expectations of HE and learning experiences in HE. A questionnaire study was conducted with 57 Level 1, degree students. The results revealed that a high proportion of students rated themselves as deep learners. Approach to learning was generally unrelated to previous learning experiences, but was related to initial expectations of HE. The students' approach to learning was related to some initial learning experiences at HE and to assessment grades. It was concluded that the relationships between learning approach and learning experiences were generally consistent with previous research. In this study, the strategic approach appeared to be more beneficial in terms of assessment grades. (Contains 2 tables and 3 figures.)
Peer Tutoring and the Study of Psychology: Tutoring Experience as a Learning Method
Author: Rae, John
Date: 2005-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Seminars,Adult Learning,Tutors,Study Skills,Psychology,Peer Teaching,Tutoring,Teaching Methods,Interaction,Undergraduate Students,Learning Modules,Experience,Experiential Learning

"Peer tutoring" refers to a variety of ways in which learning takes place through interaction with peers. This paper describes the development of a module (called Peer Assisted Learning and the Study of Psychology) through which third-year psychology undergraduates participate as peer tutors in a foundation-level module on study skills for psychology students. This third-year module was intended to enrich the experience of the students taking the study skills module and also to use peer tutoring as learning method for the third year students--this second aim is the focus of this paper. Firstly, we report on the design of this module, providing a brief review of some relevant literature and explaining how we chose to develop a module which includes peer tutoring experience alongside seminars on the psychology of adult learning and learning through participation. Secondly, we outline some issues which arose in the practical implementation of the module. Thirdly, we summarise our understanding of the peer tutors' experience by drawing on their participation in seminars and on the practice reports through which the module is assessed. Finally, we identify some issues raised by the module and key points which arose in implementing it. (Contains 1 table.)
The Implications of Head Injuries for Higher Education: Evidence from Psychology Students
Author: Richardson, John T. E.
Date: 2005-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Higher Education,Head Injuries,Psychology,College Students,Academic Achievement,Cognitive Development,Symptoms (Individual Disorders),Academic Support Services,College Faculty

Roughly 20 per cent of all students in higher education have sustained clinically significant head injuries during childhood or adolescence. Although these injuries typically do not seem to lead to any long-term intellectual deficits, little is known about their possible impact upon the students' academic attainment. Nevertheless, many head-injured students report a wide range of cognitive and emotional symptoms. Helping students to deal with this distress is a major challenge for academic, administrative and support staff in higher education.
Peer Group Supervision as an Adjunct to Individual Supervision: Optimising Learning Processes during Psychologists' Training
Author: Akhurst, Jacqui
Date: 2006-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Grounded Theory,Psychologists,Focus Groups,Supervision,Peer Groups,Learning Processes,Learning Experience,Trainees,Peer Influence,Peer Evaluation,Teaching Methods,Learning Strategies,Counselor Training,College Students

Peer group supervision has had little attention in the research literature, although it is a common form of supervision utilised by psychologists in practice. The development and implementation of a structured peer supervision group (PSG) with nine trainee psychologists, within the training setting of university-based services, is described in this study. Audio-recordings of nine hour-long PSG sessions, four individual supervision sessions, a focus group evaluation and individual trainee interviews were gathered, to explore the potential contributions of PSG to a training programme. The data were subjected to a systematic data analytic procedure based on the principles of grounded theory. The findings illustrate a different form of learning experience in PSG, which may complement the learning in dyadic supervision. Strategies which seem to facilitate learning for trainees are derived from a comparison of case material presented in the contexts of both PSG and dyadic supervision. Potential ways of optimising supervision experiences are discussed, and recommendations are made for the further development of the PSG model. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)
Some Features of a Part-Time Degree Programme in Psychology: Further Support for the Provision of a Foundation Year
Author: Harrop, Alex
Date: 2006-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Psychology,College Programs,Bachelors Degrees,Program Evaluation,Part Time Students,College Students,Student Characteristics,Student Attitudes,Program Attitudes,Foreign Countries

A part-time degree programme has been run at the Liverpool John Moores University, formerly Liverpool Polytechnic, for some 20 years without any systematic attempt to evaluate its effects on students. An evaluation was begun by focusing on graduates of the programme who entered between 1992 and 1994 and continued with recent part-time students. During the academic year 2001-2002 there were 85 such students and information on the characteristics of the group was readily available from university records. A semi-structured interview with an opportunity sample of 12 part-time students was followed by the administration of a questionnaire that was answered by 57 of the students. The results are discussed in terms of group characteristics, pre-course concerns, the programme itself and future intentions of the students. In particular, the reasons given for withdrawal when combined with the high withdrawal rate in the first year leads to the recommendation that part-time study should commence with a foundation year. (Contains 6 tables.)
Understanding Academic Confidence
Author: Sander, Paul
Date: 2006-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Self Concept,Self Esteem,Self Efficacy,Academic Ability,Personality Measures,Self Concept Measures,College Students,Social Environment,Social Theories,Personality Theories,Comparative Analysis

This paper draws on the psychological theories of self-efficacy and the self-concept to understand students' self-confidence in academic study in higher education as measured by the Academic Behavioural Confidence scale (ABC). In doing this, expectancy-value theory and self-efficacy theory are considered and contrasted with self-concept and self-esteem. Particular emphasis is placed on the social environment in which students are studying, supported by psychological research from social comparison theory, frames of reference and discourse communities. Against this background, the ABC scale is compared and contrasted with self-efficacy and self-concept measures. It is argued that the ABC scale bridges the gap between these two approaches. In conclusion, it is suggested that the ABC scale can be used to gain a better understanding of students' confidence in themselves as learners, making it a useful survey tool in pedagogical research and practice. (Contains 1 table and 1 footnote.)