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Hi Tim. I feel the way you do about
teaching research methods- that data collection is an important part of the
process- and I have seen no evidence for the idea that it turns students off. In
nine years of teaching this class, probably the most consistently positive
response I get on evals is that they appreciated the opportunity to test their
own hypotheses and collect data. I think that classes that do not involve data
collection of some kind (the internet makes this easy for places with limited
participant pools) cheat the students out of an important learning opportunity. Marty Bourgeois -----Original Message----- This thread has been interesting. Can I ask a
question about just how you think the goals of the course should be
met? I have long taught this course with a lab, and I emphasize actual
data collection experiences and APA reports. I begin
the term with experiments and observational studies that I select to
illustrate lecture topics on methodology, ethics, control,
interactions, etc. However, after midterm students must
present a proposal for a team project (usually two per team), and then they
have four weeks to actually carry out the project. They
present an oral report with a poster, they get formal feedback from
the class and from me on the poster, and then two weeks later,
at term's end, they must submit a full APA report of their
project. This project counts for slightly more that half of their
lab grade. Sometimes the studies are a bit silly despite my
efforts to encourage tests of theories. Sometimes the
results are inconclusive because of small sample sizes or
methodological flaws that they discover in the process of doing the
project. I don't fault them too much for such flaws if they
address them in their discussion sections. I see all of this
as valuable, whether the projects are of high quality or low.
During the four weeks in which they are conducting their studies
I normally hold fairly short labs where they do some exercises to
illustrate counterbalancing, subject matching, and similar
topics, but they do not have to write any reports. I spend time
helping some of the teams set up for their studies when special
equipment or computer programs are needed. I have recently had my notions of the importance of
data collection experiences challenged, especially when it
comes to the project. It has been suggested that students
at this level have negative reactions to the difficulties involved
in achieving "good" or meaningful results and that such
reactions could discourage them from pursuing more meaningful research
opportunities later on. I am under no pressure from my
department or our administration to change the way I do things.
This challenge comes from conversations with another person whose
philosophy differs from mine. It has got me thinking, though.
I have not seen any evidence of discouragement on the part of
students. And I wonder what the lack
of experience on a personal project might do to their desire to pursue later research. And when
I think about all of the things that must be dealt with in actual data
collection, I can't help but think that it is important to
experience those things early on. But I suppose I could be wrong. As a result, I am wondering what you TIPS folks think
about the possibility of requiring only a proposal without
the actual data collection aspects of a project. How do you
do these things at your schools, and what are your
conclusions? Thanks for any advice you can give me. Tim -- --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] |
Title: Re: Purpose of Experimental Psychology
- Purpose of Experimental Psychology Peterson, Douglas
- Re: Purpose of Experimental Psychology taylor
- Re: Purpose of Experimental Psychology David Hogberg
- Re: Purpose of Experimental Psychology Paul Smith
- Re: Purpose of Experimental Psychology Paul Smith
- Re: Purpose of Experimental Psychology Tim Gaines
- RE: Purpose of Experimental Psychology Martin J. Bourgeois
- RE: Purpose of Experimental Psychology Rick Froman
