`Teaching Portfolio`

Study Construction Project

Overview

Participation in this directed study is designed to give the student the opportunity to be involved in the design of an empirical study in social/cultural psychology. The end-goal is for the student, with the instructor’s assistance, to produce a viable research proposal.

Learning Outcomes

University Experiential Learning Outcomes: As an Experiential Learning course in the University’s General Education Program, students in this course will:

Complete and approved experiential learning project.
Reflect on the experiential learning project in order to gain further understanding of their university education, and an enhanced sense of one’s personal responsibility as a member of a larger community.

Departmental Learning Outcomes: In order to meet the objectives above, students in PSYC 399 will:

Use professional skills in Psychology to study, develop, implement, or apply research findings in everyday settings.
Complete an oral or written reflection that describes what they have learned about themselves, their experiences, and Psychology in general as a result of the project.

Expectations

When enrolled in PSYC 399, you will be expected to work about 3 hours per week for every credit enrolled. You will be expected to do the following:

Meet and Discuss the Assigned Readings: Background readings (i.e., either given by the instructor or selected by the student) will provide the student with the theoretical background necessary to understand the study and to create a research poster (or report). The student should be prepared to discuss and should contribute to the subsequent discussion of these articles in depth at the regularly scheduled meetings.
Design a Study and Create the Necessary Materials: The student, in conjunction with the instructor and other students, is expected to assist with: 1) determining the basic design and procedures of the study, and 2) the creation of the relevant stimuli.
Write a Research Proposal: By the last day of classes for the semester, the student is expected to submit a written research proposal. This proposal should include a brief introduction to the topics of study (i.e., and Introduction) and an overview of the methods of the proposed study (which includes many elements from the study materials described above).

Grading

This directed study is graded and the final grade will be determined by the extent to which the student’s performance matches expectations. The above areas (meetings and discussions, study design and creation, and the research proposal) will be equally weighted.

The student’s grade will reflect the student’s contribution to these activities relative to the instructor’s and other students’ contributions to the same project. The student will be expected to complete a self-evaluation at the end of the semester, which the instructor will consider when determining the final grade.

Semester Schedule

Below is a skeleton schedule for the semester. Note that the schedule may change as necessary and that additional details will be added during the weekly meetings.

Week	Preparatory Work	Meeting Agenda
Week 1	Send Schedules	Discuss Semester Objectives
Weeks 2 – 4	Read Assigned Articles	Discuss Assigned Articles
Weeks 5 - 7	Find Related Articles	Discuss Related Articles
Weeks 8 – 10	Write Draft of Materials	Finalize Study Materials
Weeks 11 - 12	Write Draft of Research Proposal	Discuss Research Proposal
Weeks 14 – 15	Finalize Research Proposal	Discuss Future Directions
Finals Week	Complete Self-Assessment/Reflection	Discuss Semester Grade