A Microcomputer Laboratory for Facilitating Undergraduate Psychology Students' Research Skills

心理学系目前正在实施新的4小时课程的第二年，旨在通过在所有心理学课程中纳入体验实验室成分，促进学生对心理学的研究和科学性质的理解。虽然学生目前能够学习基本的研究设计和方法，但他们没有机会学习计算机辅助方法，这是学习，记忆，感知和认知领域的核心。因此，该项目为一个微型计算机实验室提供了设备和软件，可供学生设计和进行这些领域以及其他领域的原始和复制研究。 该项目提供了21台个人电脑，安装了各种软件，并连接到激光打印机、学院的大型计算机及其Novell网络。在进行研究项目时，学生使用设备访问大型计算机进行文献搜索（校园馆藏和互联网资源），设计和进行实验（使用MEL和Conduit软件），进行统计分析（使用SPSSX在大型计算机上），并编写研究报告（使用Novell网络上的Microsoft Word）。与利用校园研究参与者的传统方法相结合，学生们可以使用该设备让其他大学生积极参与研究，并通过万维网（WWW）交流思想，以及让当地高中生现场参与。 项目效益的评估包括比较学生在ETS专业领域成绩测试中的成绩以及项目实施前后学生演讲和出版物的数量。这个项目的实证结果可以通过本科生介绍和出版他们的研究成果，以及通过电子传播在万维网上进行交流。 教学成果可以通过教师出版物和演示文稿以及部门主办的年度研讨会进行交流，地区大学和高中教师参加。

The Psychology Department is currently in the second year of implementation of a new 4-hour curriculum aimed at facilitating student understanding of the research-based, scientific nature of psychology through the inclusion of an experiential laboratory component in all psychology courses. Although the students are currently able to learn basic research design and methodology, they are not being provided the opportunity to learn computer-assisted methodologies, which are central to the areas of learning, memory, perception, and cognition. Consequently, this project provides equipment and software for a microcomputer laboratory that can be used by students to design and conduct original and replication research in these, as well as other areas. The project provides for 21 personal computers installed with a variety of software and connected to a laser printer, the college's mainframe computer, and its Novell network. In conducting research projects, students use the equipment to access the mainframe computer for literature searches (campus holdings and Internet sources), design and conduct experiments (using MEL and Conduit software), perform statistical analyses (using SPSSX on the mainframe computer), and write research reports (using Microsoft Word on the Novell network). In conjunction with these traditionally sound methods utilizing on-campus research participants, the students can use the equipment to involve other college students in active research participation and exchange of ideas over the World Wide Web (WWW), as well as involving local high school students by on-site participation. Evaluation of project benefits involve comparisons of students' scores on the ETS Major Field Achievement Test and the number of student presentations and publications before and after project implementation. Empirical results of this project can be communicated by undergraduate student presentation and publication of their research findings, as well as through electronic dissemination over the WWW. Pedagogical results can be communicated through faculty publications and presentations and departmentally sponsored yearly workshops in which area college and high school faculty participate.