A SOTL approach to teaching and learning

Van Beek, Y. (Yolanda), Poorthuis, M.G. (Astrid), Van Dijk, A. (Anouk), Paul, P.H. (Hinnersman), Dutke, S. (Stephan)

 

Submission type

Symposium

Scheduled

Beelaerts van Bloklandzaal, 26-09-2019, 09:00 - 10:30

Keywords

SOTL

Summary of Symposium

The present symposium brings together studies that investigate the effect of several active teaching methods that aim to improve student’s learning. These teaching methods are tailored to specific problems that students encountered in previous years.

Name Convenor

Y. van Beek

Name Discussant

Sari Lindblom

Auteurs

Do challenging applied group assignments help students to better understand the link between psychological theory and clinical practice?

Van Beek, Y. (Yolanda), , , ,

 

Abstract ID

85-1

Submission type

Oral only

Keywords

psychological theory and clinical practice

Summary

In previous years students in the course Developmental Psychopathology were often not able to provide adequate answers to open questions in which they had to apply theoretical knowledge to realistic clinical issues. Therefore, a new teaching method was chosen to improve students’ (N=82) understanding.

For two lectures a flipped classroom approach was used, where students had to study a chapter prior to the lecture. They also had to individually make and submit a challenging assignment prior to the lecture, where they had to apply the theory to a realistic clinical case. After the lectures, students had to work on the assignments again in groups of 4-5. Half of the students did assignment 1, the other half assignment 2. Furthermore, 4 assignments were provided belonging to other lectures, but without the flipped classroom approach. The small groups also had to submit an answer to 1 of these assignments.

The exam consisted of 4 open questions: one like assignment 2 of the flipped classroom lectures (but now applied to another disorder), two were (partly) like the assignments without the flipped classroom approach and the last question belonged to a lecture without assignment.

 

Auteurs

Online study-aids to stimulate effective learning

Poorthuis, M.G. (Astrid), Van Dijk, A, (Anouk)

 

Abstract ID

85-2

Submission type

Oral only

Keywords

Online study-aids to stimulate effective learning

Summary

Psychology students are responsible for regulating their own learning process. However, many students use ineffective strategies resulting in suboptimal learning (Dunlosky, Rawson, Marsh, Nathan, & Willingham, 2013). Students’ learning is optimized if they spread their study activities over the semester (distributed practice) and frequently test their knowledge (and gaps) using practice tests (Dunlosky, et al., 2013).

We aimed to stimulate students’ use of effective learning strategies in a course on psychological assessment in youth. We developed five online study-aids using the digital assessment tool Remindo. Each study-aid consisted of closed questions in several stimulating formats (e.g., matching terms and definitions or filling out a table). Using these, students (n=94) could test their knowledge, insight, and integration of the content to be learned in that particular week (e.g., intelligence testing). Students received immediate automated feedback. Each study-aid was online one week only, to stimulate students to spread their learning over the semester. Participation was voluntary. When students completed at least four study-aids, they earned bonus points for each study-aid completed with at least 70% correct responses. We will present the evaluation of these study-aids, reporting students’ participation levels, their satisfaction, and whether their learning outcomes improved (compared to the previous cohort).

Auteurs

Autonomy-supportive instructions and motivational changes in psychology students

Hinnersman, P.H., Dutke, S.

 

Abstract ID

85-3

Submission type

Oral only

Keywords

autonomous motivation, autonomy-support, cognitive dissonance, motivational changes

Summary

In two studies, changes in psychology students’ autonomous motivation during a learning task were investigated. Based on assumptions of cognitive dissonance theory and self-determination theory an increase of students’ autonomous motivation was expected. In both studies psychology students (N = 48 and N = 66) read a scientific article from the field of educational psychology. Before, during and after reading students stated their reasons for reading the article and rated the importance of each reason. In Study 2, students were additionally instructed either in an autonomy-supportive or in a controlling style in order to test whether an increase in autonomous motivation depended on instructional style. Results of both studies showed that students’ autonomous motivation increased in the course of reading the article. Study 2 showed that in the controlling style condition this increase could be ascribed to changes in students’ importance ratings whereas, in the autonomy-supportive condition, it could be attributed to changes in students’ importance ratings and changes in the reasons they stated. Furthermore, students instructed in an autonomy-supportive way expressed a higher interest in further dealing with the content of the article. The results indicate that psychology students might benefit motivationally from autonomy-supportive instructions.

Auteurs