Hi Annette, I also have used Pat's article. though I taylored it to my students. Drew Appleby also has a nice article on the difference between successful students and students who are so successful. Jim Jim Matiya Using David Myers' texts for AP Psychology? Go to http://bcs.worthpublishers.com/cppsych/ High School Psychology and Advanced Psychology Graphic Organizers, Pacing Guides, and Daily Lesson Plans archived at www.Teaching-Point.net> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [tips] Why Psychology is Hard> To: [email protected]> Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:11:05 -0800> > Thank You!> > And thanks once again to Patrick for his wonderful little piece!> > Annette> > Annette Kujawski Taylor, Ph.D.> Professor of Psychology> University of San Diego> 5998 Alcala Park> San Diego, CA 92110> 619-260-4006> [EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > ---- Original message ----> >Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:35:45 -0600> >From: Rick Froman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Subject: RE: [tips] Why Psychology is Hard > >To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)" <[email protected]>> >> >Annette Taylor asked for the source of an essay on Why Psychology is Hard.> >> >The Psychteacher Archives contain the following post by Patrick Cabe from 2003:> >> >Subject: Re: Intro = Easy (NOT) (was "Score Improvement")> >From: Patrick Cabe <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> >Reply-To: Society for Teaching of Psychology Discussion List <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> >Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2003 15:56:05 -0500> >Content-Type: text/plain> >> >This persistent problem of students underestimating the degree of difficulty> >posed by Intro Psych prompted me to write a brief essay about the topic,> >which I append to the syllabus. At the risk of being accused of> >self-promotion (risk? what risk?), it is inserted below. You all have my> >permission to reprint the material (with appropriate attribution, of course)> >as you see fit.> >> >Pat Cabe> >> >Patrick Cabe, Ph.D.> >Professor and Chair> >Department of Psychology and Counseling> >University of North Carolina at Pembroke> >Pembroke, NC 28372-1510> >> >E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> >(910) 521-6630 -- Voice/voice-mail> >(910) 521-6518 -- FAX> >****************************************************************************> >*********************> >> >FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED: WHY INTRO PSYCH IS A TOUGH COURSE> >> >Patrick A. Cabe> >Department of Psychology and Counseling> >The University of North Carolina at Pembroke> >> >Because the course is "introductory," some students imagine that Intro Psych> >ought to be a relatively easy course. Yet many students are shocked to> >discover that it is one of the most difficult courses they take, especially> >early in their college careers. There are several reasons why this happens,> >and listing some of them for you to think about--and maybe do something> >about--may save you some hassle, disappointment, and grief. In fact, most> >introductory level courses will be more difficult than many students imagine> >for these same reasons.> >> >The first reason Intro Psych is a tough course is that we will cover a very> >broad range of topics through the semester, from concepts and ideas that are> >very biological to others that are very "social," from topics that may sound> >like common sense to others that are challenging technical areas. Each of> >those topical areas will have its own vocabulary and concepts to learn,> >enough so that some observers claim that Intro Psych requires that a student> >learn more new terms than he or she would in a semester-long course in a> >foreign language!> >> >A second big reason that Intro Psych turns out to be extremely demanding for> >many students is that they have little or no existing knowledge to attach> >this new content to. Researchers who study memory and the acquisition of> >knowledge tell us that the more you know about a topic, the easier it is to> >learn even more (because you will have more things to "hook" the new ideas,> >facts, etc., onto in your memory--sort of a Velcro theory). Knowledge grows> >by becoming woven into the body of your existing knowledge. If you don't> >know much at the beginning, if you have trouble finding these "hooks," it is> >surely more difficult to make such connections. Take heart, though, if you> >work at it you can often find aspects of your own "real life" experience and> >previous study that do in fact "hook" into the material you will study in> >Intro Psych. And as time goes by, you should be able to find connections> >from new material you encounter to material you studied earlier in the term.> >> >Third, some students have to adjust (or learn for the first time!) the study> >habits needed to match the demands of college work. Some bring adequate or> >better skills, jump right in, and do just fine. Others, however, may never> >have had to work very hard at their studies in the past, and now discover> >that their study habits just don't work in college. Good questioning skills,> >good listening skills, good note-taking skills, good reading skills, good> >thinking skills, and--most importantly--good time management skills simply> >have to be there, if you are going to succeed in college. Confronted with> >the complexity of the material in a course like Intro Psych, a student may> >really struggle, if he or she has not developed those skills. If your> >academic skills are not good (or as good as you would like them to be), see> >your advisor for help and talk to your instructors (talk to me!) about how> >you might improve them. Then, as the commercials say, "JUST DO IT!": Nothing> >can replace individual effort. Exactly like athletes developing and honing> >their special skills by practicing all alone in the gym or on the field,> >those study skills require your individual dedication to improvement.> >> >Newly-developing skills can't, and won't, get better overnight. Similarly,> >developing knowledge can't, and won't, blossom overnight. Any decent athlete> >or musician knows that what pays off is a routine of daily effort, going> >over what is already well studied or practiced, spending extra time on> >things that are more difficult, and extending their study and practice to> >new material. Learning the material in Intro Psych can't be done overnight,> >either. So establishing a routine of daily study (which some students never> >seem catch on to) will be a key to success in this course, as well as> >others.> >> >Fourth, many students just find ways to mess up the simple stuff: They don't> >come to class, they don't read the textbook, they don't do the assignments> >or only do part of the assignment or don't follow the instructions for the> >assignment or they turn them in late (or any combination). So they throw> >away opportunities to earn what often is cheap credit toward their course> >grade. And of course they are also less well prepared for the tests. Can you> >see the lesson? Come to class, read the book, do the assignments (the whole> >thing, on time, following all the directions--and, yes, it does matter). Is> >that so hard?> >> >My old boss used to say, "You control two things, your activity and your> >attitude." Intro Psych will always be a hard course because the material is> >complex and broad, but it may be even more difficult for you because you may> >lack background and experience to tie all this new material to, and because> >your academic skills may be less-than-perfect. The material itself won't get> >any easier, but you yourself can improve in these other areas--IF you have> >the attitude that you CAN do it, and IF you put in the effort TO do it.> >> >> >Dr. Rick Froman, Chair> >Division of Humanities and Social Sciences> >Box 3055> >x7295> >[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >http://www.jbu.edu/academics/hss/faculty/rfroman.asp> >> >Proverbs 14:15 "A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps."> >> >> >> >---> >To make changes to your subscription contact:> >> >Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])> > ---> To make changes to your subscription contact:> > Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) --- To make changes to your subscription contact:
Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
