New Laboratory and Integrated Course Materials to Improve the Psychology Curriculum

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This project is integrating current technology into the psychology curriculum and significantly expanding the range of laboratory experiences available to undergraduates, both majors and non-majors. It is establishing a networked laboratory of 30 PCs. In particular, it is adapting materials for the teaching of statistics that are available from several NSF-supported projects: Project Chance at Dartmouth College (www.dartmouth.edu/~chance/) and the "Rice Virtual Lab in Statistics" web site at Rice University (www.ruf.rice.edu/ ~lane/rvls.html) to provide an interactive environment for students to explore statistical concepts. It is also using the behavioral statistics applet demonstrations available at the University of Ohio (ouvaxa.cats.ohiou.edu/ ~wallace/class/demons.html) and Southwest Missouri State University (www.psychstat.smsu.edu). A second goal of the project entails development and evaluation of innovative Internet and Windows 95/98/NT instructional modules, using the experiment authoring software "Inquisit" developed by Millisecond Software (www.millisecond.com). These modules will include original computerized demonstrations of new and classic psychology experiments, homework assignments and in-class activities. Seven undergraduate courses will integrate the requested workstations and the instructional materials into lectures, demonstrations, class assignments and research projects. The new lab is boosting the impact of the psychology curriculum on student learning by enhancing the education of undergraduates in modem psychology principles, methods and research skills. Benefits to students include development of concrete understanding of the scientific methods used by psychologists and increased computer expertise and confidence, especially important for the large number of women psychology majors. The final aspect of the development plan includes a clear strategy for evaluation and dissemination of the new instructional methods. The instructional modules and original course materials will be freely distributed.