Course Descriptions, Instructor Resources, and Teacher Training
Below is information about courses I teach and example syllabi. There are resources available for instructors that focus on teaching practices that make material more accessible for students and more student-centered. Teacher training activities are also given below. Details about of my SoTL (Scholarship of Teaching & Learning) activities can be found under the Research tab, and focus on the use and function of autobiographical or personal stories in the classroom.
Courses
Research Methods (PSY10A)
In this course students gain an understanding of, for example, psychology as a branch of science, the types of research designs that are most commonly used, considerations for measuring psychological constructs, and ethical concerns. Students develop skills for reading and effectively communicating information from primary theoretical and research articles. They learn how to design their own experiments and how to write an APA-style research proposal.
Statistics (PSY10B)
The course reviews foundational statistical concepts, such as descriptive statistics, probability, and sampling distributions, and introduces students to inferential statistical techniques used in psychological research. The emphasis is on how researchers use statistics in psychology, meaning that students learn some “recipe-type” math, but the emphasis is placed on using R to run statistical analysis and conceptually understanding outputs so that students can write up results in APA style.
Adult Development & Aging (PSY160NA)
This course emphasizes that adult development and aging is multidirectional and multidimensional, meaning that students learn about the gains and losses across adulthood in various domains, such as: age-related changes in the brain, in cognitive functioning and memory ability, in social relationships, changes and stability in personality and emotions, and the mental health concerns of late life. Understanding the nuanced methodologies associated with studying age differences and age change is a key component of the course, as is applying what is learned to older adults' daily life.
Teaching Resources
Stats Glass Videos
Stats Glass Videos are a series of pre-recorded videos that walk students through how to hand calculate statistical equations used in most introductory statistics courses. These pre-recorded videos free up precious class time. The videos were recorded using the Learning Glass platform, which allows instructors to write behind a glass frame that the camera then inverts for students' viewing. PPT slides can be edited into the videos to avoid overcrowding the Learning Glass frame. Developing Stats Glass videos requires having a detailed, well-rehearsed storyboard script, which includes consideration of the size of the writing on the Learning Glass and the instructor's head placement so as not to obstruct students' views of the material.
* This resource was developed in collaboration with Vinnie Wu. Access to all the Stats Glass videos available upon request.
Participation Self-evaluation
The Participation Self-evaluation resource allows students to self evaluate their participation in a course across categories that are pre-defined by the instructor. This method for assessing student participation moves away from an instructor and culturally-narrow definition (i.e., raising one's hand) of what it means to participate in a course, and allows students to define and evaluate their participation. The evaluation form includes two parts. The first part has students rate their participation in a course on dimensions relevant to the course goals. The second part has students keep a weekly log of their participation in the course as ‘evidence’ of their self-evaluation ratings.
*The first portion of the evaluation was modelled after one from The University of Kansas: Center for Teaching Excellence. (source: https://cte.ku.edu/sites/cte.drupal.ku.edu/files/docs/CTEprograms/
CHRP/Portfolios/Kupatadze/SelfAssessment_ClassParticipation.pdf.)
Focus Articles
Focus Articles are instructor-selected published empirical papers that span basic methodological research issues from core areas of psychology that are current and relevant to students (e.g., learning via virtual reality from cognitive psychology, exploring social psychological factors associated with beliefs about climate change, etc.). In-depth PPT slides provide an overview of each article and students select which article to focus on throughout a course to enhance agency. Small discussion groups based on shared interests and worksheets that link with concepts being covered in the course (e.g., developing a rationale for a research topic, intricacies of participant recruitment, etc.) scaffolded students' understanding for how to read empirical work.
*This resource was developed in collaboration with Dr. Vanessa Woods and Madeleine Gross. The Focus Article PPT slides and worksheets are available upon request.
Teacher Training
Workshop on Using Personal Stories in Classes
Instructors use personal stories often as a pedagogical tool. Although the intended purpose of sharing personal stories may be to enhance students’ understanding of course material, personal stories also have the ability to foster community in courses. Instructors sharing their personal stories with students and students sharing their personal stories with one another can create a space for building bonds and empathic understanding. In this workshop sponsored by the UCSB Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITRAL), drawing from my SoTL research, I provide examples of how personal stories can be infused into various aspects of a course (e.g., syllabus, lectures, assignments, etc.).
UC Psychology Teaching & Learning Conferences
A group of teaching professors across the University of California (UC) system have worked together to develop an annual conference on the scholarship of teaching and learning in psychology. The overall goal of the conference each year is to provide graduate students and colleagues with mentorship and guidance on teaching best practices. The conference foci varies each year, aligning with the most pressing teaching and learning issues of the day.
The 2020 conference focused onEquitable Teaching Practices in Psychological Research Methods and Statistics.
The 2021 conference focused on