Empirically Founded Teaching in Psychology – An Example for the Combination of Evidence-based Teaching and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Abstract

To improve teaching in higher education, teachers in psychology are encouraged to use evidence-based teaching, that is, to apply empirical findings regarding learning and teaching, when designing learning opportunities. This report illustrates the combination of evidence-based teaching and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in teaching psychology and describes the implementation of an innovative module for first-year students in the undergraduate psychology program at Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany, as an example. A detailed description of the teaching formats is provided with a focus on evidence-based teaching techniques, which were implemented in the first semester of the module, specifically feedback, testing effects, and spaced learning. Furthermore, evaluation data concerning the students' perceptions and objective assessments are presented as an example of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. For example, students significantly acquired knowledge during web-based training, but the learning outcomes are independent of their pretest knowledge, suggesting that this teaching format may contribute to the reduction of heterogeneity among first-year students. Possible implications for future modifications of the module are discussed and general recommendations are offered to teachers of psychology regarding the implementation of a combination of evidencebased teaching and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning to promote empirically founded teaching.

Teaching I-O psychology to undergraduate students: Do we practice what we preach?

“…For example, earlier we noted that research on student learning aligns with I-O psychology research regarding training/learning objectives (Noe, 2017), stereotype threat (Dennehy et al, 2018), social loafing and team accountability (Dommeyer, 2012), and transformational leadership/teaching (Balwant, 2016). This aligns with the broader field of SoTL, which has many examples of the applying science to learning in psychology classrooms (e.g., Boser et al, 2017;Richmond et al, 2019); there is even a journal devoted solely to SoTL in psychology: Teaching of Psychology. That there is overlap is hardly surprising, given the similarities between training/ managing in the workplace and teaching in higher education, but it is good to see nonetheless.…”