For folks who are going to APA this summer, you might be interested in a
symposium that David Wulff has organized and that I will be participating
in. Don't know any more details than I can provide from the mail below.
The idea of the symposium is to alternatives to using the standard textbok
in intro psych. We will, unaviodably, be talking about _why_ one might
want to do so (some hints in the proposal below) and this is relevantt o
the conversation on "what is important about psychology?"
-Chuck
- Chuck Huff; 507.646.3169; http://www.stolaf.edu/people/huff/
- Psychology Department, St.Olaf College, Northfield, MN 55057
(1)
Proposal for a Symposium on Teaching Introductory Psychology Without Using
a Standard Textbook
General Summary
The standard textbook for the introductory course in psychology is
so well established in the syllabi of psychology instructors and the
catalogues of publishers that it seems heretical to suggest that our
colleagues look for alternatives. There is evidence, however, that some of
us are frustrated with the textbooks currently on the market, if not also
with the textbook approach in general, and are ready to explore
alternatives. Some of us are already experimenting with other approaches.
In this symposium, we will consider the various limitations of the
standard introductory textbook, some of which are virtually intrinsic to
the medium and others of which are the result of market demands. In the
light of these shortcomings we will argue for considering alternative
approaches.
Less radical alternatives retain much of the traditional content
but reorganize it in terms of critical issues or fundamental questions, in
an effort to come closer to how psychologists themselves think. Readings
that directly address these issues or questions and are yet accessible to
undergraduate readers are then selected. The Internet may be included among
such sources.
More radically, the field of psychology may be reevaluated and
reconceived, typically within the framework of postmodern and
social-constructionist thinking. Because introductory texts have yet to
acknowledge these trends and instead present psychology from a
positivistic, modernist perspective--an inevitable outcome, given that
economic conditions require textbook authors to target prevailing views
rather than innovative ones--some instructors choose to assemble their own
array of readings in order to create a more faithful and engaging
introduction to the modern psychological studies.
There are risks, of course, in taking such alternative routes and
in encouraging others to forge new paths of their own. Attention will also
be given to these dangers.
Participants:
David M. Wulff, Chair
Eugene B. Zechmeister and Jeanne S. Zechmeister:
Teaching the Language of Psychology Without an Introductory Textbook
Laura Freberg:
Teaching Without Textbooks
Chuck Huff:
A Liberal Arts Introduction to Psychology
David M. Wulff:
A Dialectical Model for the Introductory Course in Psychology
Laurence R. Simon, Respondent
(2)
Abstracts of the Presentations
Teaching the Language of Psychology Without an Introductory Textbook
Eugene B. Zechmeister, Ph.D.
Jeanne S. Zechmeister, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
Loyola University of Chicago
6525 N. Sheridan Road
Chicago, IL 60626
A recent report by the APA Committee on Undergraduate Education
urged psychology instructors to heed the prescription that "less is more in
coverage of content knowledge." But what should that "less" be? Is there,
for instance, a "core" set of terms and concepts for the introductory
course that instructors should be sure to cover? To find out, we first
performed a content analysis of glossaries in 10 major introductory
courses. Only 64 glossary items were common to all 10 books; 197 items were
found in 8 of 10 books. We then surveyed experienced introductory
psychology instructors at 250 colleges and universities. Only 146 items
received ratings suggesting that they should definitely be included in the
core of basic psychology concepts. The results of these two studies were
combined with Boneau's (1990) list of "Top 100" terms or concepts
identified by specialty textbook authors. The final list comprised 289
items. We suggest that this list is a good place to begin teaching 'less"
in the introductory psychology course.
The fact that relatively few terms or concepts were agreed upon by
textbook authors and experienced instructors should give assurance to those
who wish to experiment with content coverage in the introductory course. We
describe how we have used this core set of items to structure our
introductory courses when teaching without a required introductory
psychology textbook. Our approach is to use standard textbooks as reference
tools, which in our minds is what many of them have become. Students are
either assigned relatively inexpensive paperback books or given the option
of choosing books from an approved list that may be obtained quickly
through Internet providers. The pedagogical emphasis is on helping students
apply core psychological knowledge to understanding nonfiction texts, media
reports, films, and their own experiences. Students achieve more control
over what they learn but are still introduced to a "core" of psychological
knowledge.
Teaching Without Textbooks
Laura Freberg, Ph.D.
Psychology and Human Development
California Polytechnic State University
San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
It is often difficult for psychology faculty members to envision an
alternative to the classic textbook approach to instruction. With all of
the technological innovations now available, it is time to revisit the role
of the textbook in today's colleges and universities, and to consider the
many alternatives that are now available.
Problems regarding textbook use arise from the nature of the texts
themselves as well as the manner in which they are typically used.
Textbooks encourage a shallow exposure to a large number of topics, rather
than an in-depth coverage of critical issues. Textbook choice constrains
the activities of instructors and students, who find themselves conforming
to a book that doesn't meet their needs. The current rapid expansion of
knowledge makes many texts obsolete before they ever reach the student.
Costs have soared, and increasing numbers of students attempt to pass
classes without purchasing the required texts. Lectures that simply repeat
text material waste opportunities for real learning, encourage students to
avoid reading, and bore the students who actually prepare.
Dr. Jan Davidson states, "The textbook is really out of place in
the Information Age. And because it is out-of-date, there will be an
evolution of instructional materials in the next few years." What form
should those new instructional materials take? Students are far more
motivated to learn material that is placed in a context they recognize.
Using economical collections of current readings in conjunction with
carefully selected Internet resources, students can be motivated to make
essential connections between theory and practice, and between the
classroom and the outside world. Innovative instructional materials will
help students achieve the qualitative changes in thinking and acting that
they will need for tomorrow's world.
A Liberal Arts Introduction to Psychology
Chuck Huff, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
St. Olaf College
Northfield, MN 55057
I will describe the format, materials, and evaluation methods for
an introduction to psychology that uses original source materials for its
texts. Among these materials are such "classics" as Freud's New
Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis, Skinner's About Behaviorism,
Milgram's Obedience to Authority, and Gilligan's In a Different Voice. I
also use relatively recent reviews of specific topics, such as Gazanniga's
The Social Brain, Neisser's Memory Observed, Ward, Finke, & Smith's
Creativity and the Mind, and Andreasen's The Social Brain..
Classes consist of a mixture of lecture, questions, discussion, and
directed work on the exam and reading questions. Along with regular
quizzes, there are four take-home, open-book, and cooperative exams that
ask the students to reflect on and integrate the reading. A typical exam
question: How would Freud, Skinner, and Milgram each explain the behavior
of Lt. Calley at My Lai? Students are also assigned two short library
research papers in which they report the state of the art on some
psychological question that interests them.
I provide an extensive set of helps in an online handbook. These
helps include a timeline of psychology with specific reference to items we
are studying; an introductory essay giving background information on each
book and a set of "reading questions" for each chapter; detailed
descriptions and reference suggestions for the state-of-the-art papers;
sample exam questions; and links to other sites of interest. This site
also provides a listing of 248 "most used" psychological terms and shows
which of them we cover in the class. First-year students who have had
little experience with original texts sometimes find the class a bit
difficult. But most students are pleased with the course and say that they
prefer a course that does not use a textbook.
A Dialectical Model for the Introductory Course in Psychology
David M. Wulff, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
Wheaton College
Norton, MA 02766
Standard psychology textbooks suffer from notable limitations.
Virtual clones of each other in terms of content, they are filled with
brief expositions of the numerous theories and studies that have become
part of the canon. These obligatory vignettes often misrepresent the
subject matter, either because they are too vague or schematic, or because
they do not include the details or qualifications that are necessary for
genuine understanding and thoughtful evaluation. Moreover, the high cost of
producing these glossy, four-color books combines with the intellectual
inertia of many psychologists to foster a conservativism that virtually
guarantees the retention of doubtful or outdated materials and the neglect
of significant emerging trends. Presenting a half dozen or so classic
perspectives is now standard in the introductory chapter, but these
perspectives are not taken equally seriously, and they are neither
sufficiently encompassing nor adequately represented to do justice to the
striking pluralism in contemporary psychology.
As the dependence on textbooks--and on the free lecture notes,
audiovisual aids, and test banks that publishers offer to secure their
adoption--spreads into the high schools, college teachers should be
increasingly motivated to consider alteratives. The model offered here is
structured in terms of two broad and contrasting traditions in psychology,
the natural scientific and the human scientific, which are distinguished
according to their views of human nature as well as their methods,
metaphors, and goals. Within this dialectical framework, then, a wide
variety of traditional and contemporary topics in psychology can be
considered--not simply as a survey of the field but mainly as illustrations
of how psychologists of different persuasions make sense of human
experience and behavior. Supported by a handful of well-written and
engaging paperbacks carefully selected to represent a range of views and
insights and to offer models of good writing and critical thinking, this
approach has been well received by an overwhelmingly majority of students.
Response: Larry Simon: 2717 Belle Rd. Bellmore NY 11710---telephone (516)
826-4724
