Undergraduate Psychology Programs: Current Best Practices & The Future
PKAL 2002 Summer Institute - Cluster II
June 2 - June 5, 2002

Abstract

This third PKAL SI Workshop builds on the previous two PKAL SI Psychology Workshops, which used as a foundation, the APA 1991 National Conference on Enhancing the Quality of Undergraduate Education in Psychology (St. Mary's Conference). The major will be the importance of developing guidelines and setting clear objectives for transforming current undergraduate psychology programs and for shaping programs of the future. Quality principles that ensure an exceptional educational experience for students will provide a common thread across workshop sessions: setting clear and high expectations; promoting scientific and critical thinking through varied learning experiences; providing exposure to the richness of human diversity; motivating independent decision making and exploration of goals through effective teaching and advising; and providing assessment and systematic feedback on progress.

We will focus on the student seeking undergraduate training in psychology after the introductory course. The broad issues that will be addressed include:

• how context and objectives are essential to program coherence
• identify ‘best practices' for each element of the curriculum that are appropriate for psychology departments at institutions
• considering how to define and assess student learning outcomes and faculty & program effectiveness.

Workshop Sessions include

In addition to these broad themes, the following specific topics will be discussed after a brief overview of the major points of the previous PKAL SI Psychology Workshops (after all, context is important):

• From Ideals to Practice: Forging Realistic Departmental Plans
• Teaching Research: Methods that Fly and Methods that Flounder
• The Three C's of Content Courses: Conceptual Models, Common Threads, and Constraints
• Capstone Experiences: Balancing Depth and Breadth
• Assessment: End Meets Beginning - Beginning Meets End

Workshop Planners

Suzanne Baker, Workshop Co-Leader, James Madison University
Mark Zrull, Workshop Co-Leader, Appalachian State University
Barney C. Beins, Ithaca College and American Psychological Association
Terri Bonebright, DePauw University
Charles Brewer, Furman University
Jane Halonen, James Madison University
Christine A. Marco, Worcester State College
Donna K. McMillan, St. Olaf College
Kenneth Sufka, University of Mississippi
W. Jeffrey Wilson, Albion College