Monitor on Psychology - January 2012 - (Page 61)

J a n u a ry 2 0 1 2 • M o n i t o r o n p s y c h o l o g y photos.com synchronous online chats, students took more time to reflect on what they’d learned, which stimulated their higher order thinking, such as analysis, synthesis, judgment and application of knowledge. Nearly all of the more than 200 students in the study also reported that their online course encouraged them to learn more effectively on their own — perhaps laying the groundwork for better lifelong learning, the researchers say. • Get to know your students. Research has shown that building a sense of community within a classroom improves student engagement. How can you instill that camaraderie online? One way is by offering hybrid courses in which students come into the classroom for the first few sessions — giving students and instructors a chance to bond in person — and then complete the course online. Such courses lead to higher grades and test scores than face-to-face instruction alone, and greater student engagement than traditional online instruction, according to a 2010 Department of Education meta-analysis. “On average, blended approaches combining online and face-to-face instruction had better student outcomes than conventional instruction,” says educational psychologist Barbara Means, PhD, director of the Center for Technology in Learning at SRI International and a coauthor of the meta-analysis. When time, resources or student demographics won’t allow for any face-to-face meetings, consider using icebreakers to help students get to know each other better, says psychology professor Jay Brophy-Ellison, PhD, of the University of Central Florida’s Center for Distributed Learning. In a 2007 study, Brophy-Ellison set up an online discussion thread for an introductory psychology course and asked students to link to their favorite movies and music (Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, Vol. 11, No. 1). He then used those song lyrics and movie clips to introduce topics in online lectures. This encouraged students to interact with each other about common interests through the discussion board, and helped them make connections between those interests and the course material, Brophy-Ellison says. • Be approachable. In his as-yet-unpublished research on online instruction, psychologist Richard Clark, PhD, found that the most successful online instructors were those who were more willing to help students who fall behind. http://www.photos.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Monitor on Psychology - January 2012

Monitor on Psychology - January 2012
Letters
President’s Column
Contents
Contents
From the CEO
Apa’s Statement on the Dsm-5 Development Process
Girl Scouts Badge Promotes Positive Psychology
Early Investments Pay Off for Poor Children, Study Finds
Apa Meets With Chinese Psychological Society to Further Interaction and Exchange
Unique Opportunity for Psychologists to Travel to Cuba
In Brief
Government Relations Update
On Your Behalf
Psychology’s Growing Library of Podcasts
Standing Up for Psychology
Judicial Notebook
Random Sample
Time Capsule
Questionnaire
Science Watch
Beyond Psychotherapy
Perspective on Practice
Yes, Recovery Is Possible
Inequity to Equity
Making E-Learning Work
New Standards for High School Psychology
A Trailblazer Moves On
Psychologist Profile
Plan Now for Psychology’s Regional Meetings
New Journal Editors
Apa News
Division Spotlight
American Psychological Foundation
Personalities

Monitor on Psychology - January 2012