Pick up your name badge and other items for the event.

Poolside Grass (Backup: Island Ballroom)

Enjoy a healthy breakfast buffet with fruit, oatmeal, eggs, chicken sausage and more.

Realizing High Impact Online through Mentoring, Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities (URSCA) as a Matter of Justice and Inclusion

Advances in and support for high quality online teaching abound, but there are still aspects of the higher education experience that we have not rolled out to scale online. Among these initiatives are some of the high impact practices (HIPs) noted by George Kuh (2008). Eleven practices are now included in the list of HIPs in higher education, including service learning, ePortfolios, first year seminars, and common learning experiences. Also among these HIPs is student research, often referred to as URSCA to be inclusive of diverse work (scholarship and creative activities) across the curriculum. URSCA has been shown to have its greatest potential impact on under-served and under-represented students. Coincidentally, these are the exact groups that are represented in higher numbers in distance education programs, as non-traditional, minority, and underserved students enroll at higher rates online. We will explore the demographics of online and on-ground students and share what practices are currently offered at our institutions across different modalities. In light of research regarding the efficacy of URSCA, we will consider how expanding opportunities to online students is important for diversity, equity and inclusion. Whether you teach just a little online or your entire curriculum is online, incorporating intentional mentoring efforts and research opportunities in and outside of online courses can have valuable impact on students. Extra and co-curricular experiences are important indicators of educational quality and can validate degrees to employers and beyond. Expanding these opportunities to students at a distance is possible. This workshop will offer guidance to faculty engaged in mentoring students and classes at a distance. We will review models from across the curriculum, including social and behavioral science, STEM fields, business, and more (informed by Undergraduate Research in Online, Virtual, and Hybrid Courses, Coleman, Hensel, & Campbell, 2022). Participants will be invited to share practices, and we will explore professional resources about the scholarship and practice of undergraduate research. Finally, examination of how to make progress in this area at individual institutions will be encouraged. Attendees will leave the session with ideas and tools for implementation in individual courses, for their programs, and to create support across the curriculum. 

Ethics in Action: Teaching Psychology's Core Ethical Principles and the Future of the APA Code

Ethical literacy, thinking, and reasoning represent core learning outcomes within undergraduate psychology and an integrative theme for Introductory Psychology. But how do we make this happen? This workshop focuses on teaching ethics within courses, expanding ethics education across the major, and an overview of the proposed new APA Ethics Code.

AI for You: 20 Practical Tips for Psychology Teachers

This workshop will explore the everyday use of artificial intelligence, particularly ChatGPT to help make your life as a psychology teacher easier. You’ll gain an understanding of practical AI tools to enhance student engagement and streamline everyday tasks. The workshop will cover how ChatGPT can assist with brainstorming, managing your classroom, and creating materials such as casebooks, review guides, discussion questions, and even simulated therapy sessions. We’ll also discuss ethical considerations, including data privacy and responsible usage. Designed to be accessible to those unfamiliar with AI, this workshop will include clear demonstrations to help make the tools easy to use. Please bring your laptops and creativity. We’ll have hands-on activities, and you’ll leave with ideas you can use right away.

General session and concurrent session speakers are encouraged to be present at this session to learn more about the event.

Visit with our sponsors and exhitibors.

Is this your first time at NITOP? Come hear what you can expect from members of the organizing committee.

Bridgette Martin Hard;Beth Morling

Your Textbook is Out of Date: What We Know Now about Gender and Sexuality, and How to Teach It

Over the past decade, our understanding of the complex psychobiology of gender and sexuality has changed dramatically, and not all of this information has trickled down into the standard summaries of these topics that appear in college textbooks and undergraduate psychology lectures. To provide just one example, most textbooks estimate that around 5% of the population consider themselves lgbtq. Yet among the youngest cohort of Americans (Gen Z), the actual figure is 20%. In this presentation I will provide an overview of current scientific thinking on gender and sexual expression, and I will give helpful advice for navigating difficult discussions about these topics in college classrooms.

Poolside Grass (Backup: Island Ballroom)

Enjoy a full lunch buffet with salad, pulled pork, shrimp, steak, beans, rice, etc.

Visit with our sponsors, exhitibors and poster presenters.

TS1. VR-Based Simulated Hallucinations to Enhance Empathy and Learning in Psychopathology Courses

Learning about auditory and visual hallucinations through articles and lectures can contribute to an intellectual understanding of schizophrenia. Still, such learning can be enhanced through virtual reality (VR)-based simulated hallucinations shown to increase empathy and favorable attitudes toward those who experience psychosis. We constructed a brief (3-minute) VR simulation in which the participant is "sitting" in a psychopathology lecture when auditory and visual hallucinations emerge. Following the simulation, students in undergraduate psychopathology courses have reported an increase in empathy and favorable attitudes toward individuals with schizophrenia and reported the simulation to be highly educational. Psychology instructors may wish to supplement their coverage of schizophrenia and psychosis with brief VR experiences. Many universities already have VR labs with the requisite hardware; alternatively, inexpensive VR headsets (e.g., Samsung Gear VR) can be purchased. Though the construction of a tailored VR world in collaboration with the campus IT department may be ideal, faculty without access to in-house programmers are welcome to download and utilize the files associated with the virtual world we created

TS2. Teaching for Creativity in Cognitive Psychology

Creativity is an essential 21st century skill in a rapidly changing world where adaptability and problem solving are increasingly important. Yet creativity has been historically undervalued in higher education (e.g., Sternberg, 2010). Students lack confidence in their abilities (Kaufman & Beghetto, 2013), hold misconceptions about the construct (Wieth & Francis, 2018), and instructors have few models of how to foster creative thinking in the classroom.

In the teaching slam, I will share how I integrate creativity into psychology courses based on Beghetto's (2017) framework - teaching about creativity, teaching for creativity and teaching with creativity. In my courses, I teach about creativity by educating students about the empirical literature, broadening their understanding and value of the construct, and fostering a growth mindset about creativity.

I teach with creativity by modeling how non-traditional media can be used creatively to teach course concepts, e.g., artwork and games and creative projects produced by previous students.

I teach for creativity by engaging students in active learning during class, giving them opportunities to practice and receive feedback on these skills, individually and collaboratively. For example, in one activity students create a TikTok-style video to demonstrate study tips. In another, students analyze a popular film depiction of short-term memory loss and then re-write scenes to be more accurate.

Finally, graded assignments reward students for creativity and give them feedback on their creative work. For example, students may write a skit or children's book about characters who are impersonations of concepts like "Type 1" and "Type 2" processes.

TS3. Letter to the Editor: Making APA Writing Assignments More Realistic and Awesome

Undergraduates are often very good at surface improvements in their writing across drafts. However, they do not always demonstrate reflective changes from draft to draft. I designed this assignment to combat the minimal enhancements to final papers in research methods classes. Students are required to do an APA research paper based on a class study. Students submit sections separately across the semester for both grades and feedback. On each draft, I provide comments and corrections about APA style and topic substance. For their final paper, students submit a corrected and edited paper. In addition, they submit a "letter to the editor." They address the letter to me as the professor, and I provide instructions to document and reflect on the edits they have made from their earlier drafts. This assignment is carefully outlined from the start of the writing process, so that students know to keep track of how they address the comments on their drafts. This final letter is modelled after the letter one might include with a revise/resubmit paper to a journal. Students learn the art of rewriting as well as being exposed to practices common in the field of academic publishing.

TS4. Roll Call Supercharge: How Attendance Journals Made Lectures Less 'Snooze' and More 'Aha!'

It is no secret that attendance and student success go hand in hand and just coming to class and filling the seat doesn't necessarily mean learning takes place. The idea for Attendance Journals (AJs) came about after years of trying different strategies to improve retention, engagement and learning. The Covid-19 pandemic bringing an influx of hybrid and online learning modalities, flipping the classroom became more difficult utilize. With open enrollment policies, students with varied educational backgrounds are taking Psychology classes. Students often do not come to class prepared or some with the knowledge of notetaking. Piloting the use of Attendance Journals in my courses has improved many the skills necessary for student success while providing an important assessment piece for faculty. Implementation of AJ's involves integrating interactive elements like polls, reflective questions from the reading, research questions, in-class activities, and group work within the AJ to stimulate critical thinking. The AJ is graded weekly and results in a portfolio of student learning. A feedback section within the journal facilitates continuous improvement in coursework relevance and effectiveness. AJ's give an opportunity to be active yet flexible in learning while providing a place for reflection. The ongoing assignment offers students the convenience of real-time or post-class entries. This adaptability allows for spontaneous discussion opportunities and accommodates diverse learning preferences. AJ's help students who might struggle with notetaking by allowing time in class to complete the journal activity. AJ's are announced in class and are sporadic, thereby increasing the likelihood of attendance.

TS5. Re-Energize Your Class...Mid-Lecture

These are three great group activities to use if you notice a slump in attention or energy during a lecture. They were born out of necessity. For my 400-level Learning and Cognition course (enrollment 128) roughly two-thirds of class meetings involve students getting into their small groups for the second half of a 75-minute class. However, I failed to anticipate the inadvertent conditioning effect on attention for the class meetings that were 75 minutes of lecture without group work. These three activities magically ramped up the energy level for the second half of the class meeting, well worth the minimal time they took to do (5 minutes). Laughter yoga is a legitimate practice that, you guessed it, gets students laughing, whether they choose to participate or just get swept up in the atmosphere. Rock, paper, scissors starts with dyads, and the winner simply turns to a nearby winner and then THEY compete. It quickly escalates with both sides of the room raucously cheering for "their" team. With the paper airplane activity, students are instructed to anonymously write on a blank piece of paper a favorite saying, a song or book recommendation, or the promotion of an organization or activity on campus. They then fold them into airplanes and launch them across the room. I'll then pick 3 recipients to open the airplane they have and share what's written inside. Students are instructed to hold onto the airplane they received and we'll relaunch and read during a future class meeting.

Blue books have historically been used for written examination. While many consider them outdated, I have found them valuable for student engagement. I struggle to learn names so my students put a picture on the front of the book. This helps me learn names through putting a face with name when passing them back. I also ask student informal and fun questions and through this learn about them as individuals and write notes back. I believe the connection I am building is increasing student engagement. Hennessy and Murphy (2023) stated that when students are engaged they are more motivated to complete assignments.

Hennessy, A. and Murphy, K. (2023). Barriers to student engagement: A focus group study on student engagement of first-year computing students immediate. Irish Educational Studies, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/03323315.2023.2256552

Description
Students complete a series of semester-long activities, which center around the topic of health and wellness. Students then create a self-care plan that is based on self-reflection, applies to course concepts, and is grounded in the research literature. Instructors can choose to do a handful of activities, or they can have students do weekly activities, depending on their preference.

What key idea (s) the audience will take away from the proposed Teaching Slam
Students partake in a semester-long series of activities - all of which focus on the theme of self-care, health, and wellness - culminating in a portfolio for improving physical and mental health

What course(s) the idea can be used in
The idea of a self-care portfolio can be utilized in most psychology courses to a certain degree. It is probably best used in foundational and advanced courses. It can be an important "take away" for students (majors and non-majors) who enroll in General Psychology courses. The idea is flexible enough that at least one of these activities could be used in most psychology courses.

*Please note* I am more than happy to "pare down" the portfolio of activities if the organizing committee makes that recommendation.

TS8. Increasing Student Engagement in an Online Class through Virtual Cultural Exchanges

Research shows that online classes can be as effective as traditional, in person, classrooms. However, effectiveness is contingent upon the teaching strategies, including active interactions with the instructor and between the students (e.g., Dixson, 2010). Virtual cultural exchanges, also known as Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) strategies have been gaining significant popularity, particularly, in online education due to the fact that these projects can enhance student engagement with the course material and promote cultural competence (defined here as having "enough substantive knowledge, perceptual understanding, and intercultural communication skills to effectively interact in our globally interdependent world", Olson & Kroeger, 2001, p. 117).
I will present several examples of virtual cultural exchanges that I implemented in my own Developmental Psychology online course with over 200 students. These projects are typically low-stakes assignments that are relatively easy to implement and to grade. These assignments are effective teaching strategies to engage student-to-student interaction in a meaningful way and to promote cultural competence. For example, the UF Office of Global Learning administered the International Critical Thinking (IntCrit) and International Communication (IntComm) Attitudes and Beliefs Survey to the students who were enrolled in the course in 2022 Spring semester. Results of the survey revealed a significant increase in the area of both, critical thinking and communication.

Bring your family and guests and join us for a Pasta Station, Salad, Breads, and Ice Cream.

Pick up your name badge and other items for the event.

Poolside Grass (Backup: Island Ballroom)

Fruit, eggs, bacon, potatoes, muffins, pastries, etc.

Creating Inclusive and Affirming Classrooms for Neurodivergent Students

In this talk, we will explore neurodiversity affirming approaches to our teaching practices that can improve learning for all of our students.  The emphasis will be on autistic students and those with ADHD, though other forms of neurodiversity will be considered.

A Lifetime Spent Thinking about Psychology Education: A Confab with Sue Frantz

I taught my first class in 1990, started writing my Technology for Academics blog in 2009, then my teaching Intro Psych blog in 2015, and now I write textbooks. I have been thinking about psychology education for, well, decades. It’s safe to say I have thoughts and views on all aspects of teaching psychology, but I still enjoy discussing teaching issues and challenges with my fellow psychology teachers. In this session, we are going to imagine that you and I and a few friends are sitting in a coffee shop talking about teaching psychology. What questions do you want to ask? What challenges are you facing? Let’s talk. This session is hosted by Garth Neufeld and will be recorded and released as a Psych Sessions podcast episode.

Teaching Critical Thinking in an Academic Minefield

Critical thinking is an important aspect of the cognitive abilities that contribute to success in modern  societies, but it is often in short supply. Every year, uncritical thinking causes millions of people to lose billions of dollars on everything from bogus health cures and get-rich-quick investment schemes to supposedly scientific matchmaking services and false billing notices. In the absence of critical thinking, jurors may be swayed by unreliable evidence to reach flawed verdicts and people with psychological problems may reject empirically supported treatments in favor of those that are novel and dramatic, but whose safety and effectiveness are unproven. These trends are due in part to the fact that scientific, logical thinking is neither instinctive nor easy. Fortunately, critical thinking can be taught, but in today’s academic culture, efforts to do so can have negative consequences ranging from student protests and vilification on social media to administrative discipline or termination. In this talk, I describe some of these challenges psychology professors face these days when they ask students to think critically about controversial topics, and I offer suggestions for teaching critical thinking while avoiding tripwires in the academic minefield in which they may find themselves. 

Public Psychology: How to Cultivate Socially-Engaged Research at your University

Public psychology endeavors to (a) center social problems, (b) engage diverse publics in knowledge creation, (c) communicate and democratize psychological knowledge, and (d) rethink what constitutes psychology (Eaton et al., 2022). As a public psychologist, my lab (the Power Women and Relationships lab), partners with cultural insiders and community stakeholders to use culturally-congruent research approaches and methods, and to disseminate our work to local and global audiences. In this talk, I will discuss my efforts (of varying success) to incorporate social justice into all aspects of the research process, including in question development, theory selection, methodology, mentoring, research dissemination, and more. I will discuss general approaches to socially-engaged research as well as specific research projects involving topics such as intimate violence, homelessness, and more.

Emojis are used ubiquitously in digital communication, yet are traditionally used sparingly in organizational (business) settings, although the social norms around Emoji use in professional contexts are changing. In higher education, what is the impact of using Emojis in professional communication with students, as well as with colleagues?