College Choice Time: How to Choose Well
May 1 is the traditional date on which high school seniors must (finally) decide their college choice for the following fall. What issues should they consider when making this oh-so-important...
View ArticleMuch Ado About MOOCs
MOOCs are probably not the educational answer. They may present new problems, including some new forms of elitism.read more
View ArticleAvoiding Teaching Tedium
Some psychology teachers will secretly admit they don't like teaching—but maybe it's how they go about teaching that is the real problem.read more
View ArticleDesert Island Musings: If Only One, Which Would You Take?
If you were on a desert island, what work of psychology would you want along for solace and sustenance? Why?read more
View ArticleStylish Academic Writing? Really? Yes, Really!
Teachers who write or teach writing to psychology students can still learn new lessons and refine both crafts.read more
View ArticleTimely Tips for New College Teachers
Some helpful suggestions for a first venture in teaching psychology, whether in a traditional (face-to-face) or virtual (online) classroom.read more
View ArticleWhen Less is Actually More in the Psychology Classroom
Remembering and applying the Zeigarnik Effect to promote good teaching.read more
View ArticleCreative Mess, Creative Clutter
A teacher's or a student's cluttered workspace might actually be a source of creativity.read more
View ArticleWell Done! Good Job! Excellent! But Temper Your Enthusiasm
Psychology faculty need to offer praise as well as criticism, but sometimes teachers go too far in one or the other direction. What's are some best practices for offering appropriate feedback on...
View ArticleEarly Decision and College Admission: Waiting is Hard
How should high school seniors applying early decision handle their immediate futures? What should they do and not do? How should they act? read more
View ArticleEvaluating Teaching Faculty or Faculty Who Teach? Huh? What?
Most college and university faculty teach, but not all faculty are teaching faculty. Huh? What? Faculty members have distinct duties depending upon the nature of the institution where they work, not to...
View ArticleHoliday Gifts for Psychology Teachers, Students, and Others
It can be better to give than to receive, but what kinds of gifts should you give to those interested in psychology?read more
View ArticleTrust but Verify: Replication Is Important—for Teaching, Too
In order to be taken seriously, findings in psychological science need to be replicable, that is, found independently and consistently. Establishing a similar standard for teaching research and...
View ArticleTest Early, Test Often?
Can routine, repeated quizzing or testing actually lead to enhanced academic performance? Apparently so!read more
View ArticleNota Bene: How We Take Notes Matters
Taking notes using traditional methods—writing in longhand, for example—appears to promote better learning and retention of course material than does taking notes on a laptop computer. This finding...
View ArticleVocabularies, the Evolving SAT, and Teaching Psychology
The SAT is changing: Vocabulary words on the test are to become less obscure and more aligned with college curricula. What does this mean for the learning of obscure words in or out of psychology?read...
View ArticleThat Question: “What’s a Psychology Degree Worth, Anyway?"
A college education is expensive—we all know that. But is a future salary the only return on investment (ROI) we should be concerned with? Aren't there important educational intangibles that provide us...
View ArticleOn Pleasing Students, or the Goldilocks's Problem
Psychology teachers should routinely introduce changes to how their courses run. When they, however, it can be like dealing with Goldilocks--the porridge might be too hot, the chair too small, and so...
View ArticleTeaching About Practical Steps to Creativity
It's nice when teaching and research inform daily life—and here is some intriguing evidence about the creative impact of walking.read more
View ArticleWhat is Summer For? Recalculating!
Summertime is a great time to plan your future. Don't be too lazy during the hazy days--have fun, yes, but use the time wisely and well, too, by "recalculating."read more
View ArticleWhat's in a Name?
It's easy for students to learn a professor's name--there's one of him or her. But how can a teacher learn all the names of students in a class? And what happens in years to come when casual run-ins on...
View ArticleSolitary (Writing) Confinement
Writing is a challenge for many people, perhaps because it is a solitary, even lonely, business. Must we write alone or can we be productive in public places?read more
View ArticleThe Ambivalence of August
August is here, summer will soon be over—and what have you accomplished? What can you salvage before the new academic year begins and you are back in the classroom?read more
View ArticleGetting a (Really) Good Start in College
What can you do to ensure you have a successful first year at college? What are some helpful steps to take? Mom, Dad, friends, relatives of students, share these recommendations. Your college-bound...
View ArticleOnly Connect: How Colleges Could Work Better
A new book offers helpful suggestions for improving the curricular and co-curricular experience of college students.read more
View ArticleLeading Effective Class Discussions: Some Suggestions
Class discussion promotes student learning of and engagement with course material. What are some ways to get good discussions started?read more
View ArticleCourageous Candor and Teaching Psychology
What should faculty members do about students who are not succeeding as psychology majors? In effect, should we steer them to some other major?read more
View ArticleYouTube and Me, or the Death of Classroom Documentaries?
Why do otherwise intelligent and motivated college students struggle to watch documentaries? Can--should--anything be done? Or, should psychology instructors just go with quick, cute, default downloads...
View ArticleThe End Is Near!
Final exams are a part of college life. Preparing well for them is a good idea. There are some basic do-able steps any student can take to work to improve his or her final course grade. Instructors,...
View ArticleChristmas Longings: How Best to Savor the Holiday?
Christmas comes earlier and earlier and stays longer and longer--are we losing something by stretching out the holiday season for too long a time?read more
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