Using Technology in the Teaching of Psychology

Introduction

Implementing the National Standards for High School Psychology will be a challenge. However, technological resources provide teachers support in the form of specific classroom activities and opportunities for sharing successes and frustrations with other teachers. This section briefly discusses the types of resources available and mentions some potential pitfalls. The section ends with short lists of two types of technological resources, psychology-related software, and psychology-related locations on the Internet.

Computers and teaching seem to be inextricably linked. Teachers at all levels have noted the possibilities of enhanced, active learning with the help of computers. One enduring problem, however, is finding appropriate software. Fortunately, most of the major textbook publishers have developed software to accompany their introductory psychology textbooks, and other distributors have marketed relevant software.

Also, many teachers have developed their own software and have offered it to others free or at a nominal charge to cover cost of material and mailing. The journal Teaching of Psychology is a good source for software developed for use by teachers in their own classrooms. Also the Internet can be a good source for such software.

Regardless of the source of the software, some important points emerge about effective use of software in the teaching of psychology. Many students are now "computer literate," but others are still intimidated by computers. Students may have experience with computer games and word processing software, but be unfamiliar with pedagogical uses of the computer. The only way students will become comfortable and competent with computers is by using them. Watching someone else (e.g., the teacher) work with a program is not a very effective way to learn a program. Teachers must provide clear directions and explain underlying concepts and procedures. But we must let students work with the software, make mistakes, learn shortcuts, and simply explore. Problems are inevitable, but they can also be educational. As long as the goal of learning about psychology is not lost when students learn about computers, the time is well spent.

In the development of any new teaching activity or strategy, a preliminary preview is critical. The use of pedagogical software is no different. Although programs are generally written for ease of use and are largely free of bugs, what students learn from them is not always clear. Teachers must identify in advance clear learning goals for students’ use of the software. Because students can be captivated by the technology and lose sight of the pedagogy, the teacher must prepare the class for activities or simulations presented by the software and debrief the class later. Planning briefings and debriefings requires careful preparation and preview of the software.

Furthermore, much of the software for teaching psychology was designed for college-level courses, so high school teachers will have to extract the information relevant to their own students and courses. Hence, no matter what claims are made for a particular piece of software, instructors who use the software must thoroughly preview it beforehand.

Some programs are clever and entertaining but not psychological. Students may enjoy them, which is desirable, but not really learn anything about psychology. For example, there are programs that create biorhythm charts. As far as scientific research has ascertained, biorhythm has no more validity than astrology. Although major publishers may avoid marketing such material, some distributors or Internet sources may present it as truly psychological. A more subtle example is computerized personality inventories. Students tend to enjoy filling these out and reading the results, but an inventory that has not been validated is nothing more than a high-tech horoscope. Individual teachers must ensure that the software used in class has valuable psychological content. (As we will see, this same warning applies to information found on the Internet.)

At the other end of the spectrum, software may be effective in demonstrating psychological principles but not be visually appealing or entertaining. Students must learn that some activities have educational value but lack glamour. Just as some textbooks present complex and important material without benefit of highly visual formatting, computers may do the same thing. Students and teachers should not dismiss software simply because it does not look glamorous. A good teacher may design a pedagogically effective classroom activity using a program completely devoid of "glitz."

In the end, effective teaching involves developing an atmosphere that is congenial to learning. Person-to-person interaction is ultimately more important to successful learning than person-to-machine interaction. Given that student interests often match teacher enthusiasm, we should keep in mind that computers serve as a useful adjunct in the classroom but that these machines will not replace the teacher.

One cannot go a day without reading or hearing some news about the Internet. Companies now include their Internet addresses in their commercials. Politicians are setting up their own Web sites. The telephone company is even including e-mail addresses in the phone book. The Internet permeates almost every aspect of our society.

Despite all the publicity the Internet has received in the past few years, many people still have little idea what it is, how it functions, or how it could benefit them. The Internet began in the 1960s as a Defense Department project designed to ensure communications in the event of a nuclear war. The Internet is essentially a means by which computers exchange information via phone lines and more sophisticated means. The information exchanged can be as simple as a written message or as complex as a full computer program or a live television broadcast. Once a computer is connected to the Internet, we can exchange information between that computer and almost any other computer on the Internet. The Internet has grown from its Defense Department beginnings to include computers at universities, colleges, government agencies, businesses, and other organizations, with millions of daily users from all walks of life and from all over the world.

Information on the Internet comes in a wide variety of forms, and there are many tools used to organize, locate, transfer, and otherwise share that information. These tools include e-mail, gophers, World Wide Web sites, search engines, newsgroups, listservs, on-line journals, and many more. With its size and magnitude, the Internet can occasionally overwhelm and confuse even the most advanced computer user. However, with patience and time, anyone can learn to use the Internet.

The versatile Internet can be a valuable tool for teaching high school psychology. Among the most important uses are to communicate with other psychology teachers, do research, and obtain psychology-related computer software.

Communicating with other psychology teachers is probably the most common and beneficial use of the Internet. In many cases, a psychology teacher at the secondary level is alone because no one else in the building teaches psychology. In the past, communicating with other psychology teachers meant sending letters, attending workshops, and joining professional organizations. Getting connected to the Internet can now be added to that list. With the Internet, you can easily communicate with hundreds of other psychology teachers. An Internet connection allows teachers to get knowledgeable responses to questions in time for the next day’s class.

Besides providing easy communication among teachers, the Internet also provides access to computers with a wealth of information on almost any topic imaginable. For example, many libraries have their complete card catalogs on-line. Newspapers, such as the New York Times, The Washington Post, and Chicago Tribune, have on-line editions. Complete books can be found. Research now can be done with the click of a button, without ever leaving home or school.

Sharing computer programs on the Internet is almost as easy as sharing written information. Some of the psychology-oriented Internet sites discussed below carry small programs designed by and for introductory psychology teachers. These programs can be transferred to your computer in just a few simple steps. Getting Connected

Because there are literally thousands of ways to connect to the Internet, with almost daily changes, a step-by-step set of instructions is useless. However, some general information may be helpful. There are two basic types of Internet connections: the direct network connection and the dial-up connection. A direct connection is faster and does not tie up a phone line, but is only an option if one’s institution provides appropriate hardware and software. Such a connection involves an institution’s connecting a central computer (often called an Internet server) to the Internet and providing direct cabling from that computer to your desktop computer.

A dial-up connection uses standard telephone lines to transfer information between your desktop computer and an Internet server. To use a dial-up connection, one needs a computer, a modem and available phone line, Internet access software, and a service provider. The service provider is an organization that maintains the Internet server and its connection to the Internet as well as a bank of modems for establishing connections between the server and your desktop computer. Most service providers are commercial organizations, ranging from local to national or even worldwide in scope. Before choosing a service provider, talk to several people using the Internet for their opinions on the best source of access in your area. Many service providers offer free trials of their services. Furthermore, teachers who take for-credit university courses may have access to the Internet included in tuition.

Electronic Mail, Mailing Lists, and the World Wide Web

Electronic mail (e-mail) is one of the most popular and useful aspects of the Internet. E-mail is the electronic version of sending a letter. However, unlike the traditional mail system, messages are delivered almost instantaneously. You can often send a message in the morning and have a response by noon. Almost everyone connected to the Internet can send and receive e-mail.

One difficulty with e-mail is obtaining a person’s e-mail address. Many directories on the Internet list people’s e-mail addresses, but none is comprehensive. With that difficulty in mind, the PsycList Project was developed in 1994. The PsycList Project is a listing of the e-mail addresses of people interested in the teaching of psychology at the secondary level. The listing is available on the Teaching of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS) World Wide Web site, as well as via e-mail. To have your e-mail address added to the PsycList Project listing, send the following information:

Your first and last names

Your school’s name

Your school’s address, with city, state, and zip code

Your school’s telephone number, with area code

Your e-mail address

to Kent Korek, the listing coordinator, at (his e-mail address): kkorek@execpc.com

Electronic mailing lists use e-mail on a large scale. Whereas standard e-mail uses the Internet to send messages between two individuals, mailing lists use the Internet to send messages to everyone on a list of e-mail addresses. To use a mailing list, one must first subscribe to the mailing list. This involves using standard e-mail to send a short subscription message directly to a server computer. That computer takes your e-mail address from the message and adds it to the list of addresses of persons who will receive mail sent to the list.

Once you have subscribed to a mailing list, you can send a message to everyone on the list by simply sending it to a single list address. Electronic mailing lists allow groups of people to carry on dialog (called "threads") and share ideas. For example, Psych-News is an electronic mailing list devoted to the teaching of high school psychology. Psych-News includes hundreds of teachers. One member of Psych-News may send an e-mail message with a question, idea, comment, or problem to the list address. That message is then sent to everyone on the Psych-News list. Anyone reading the message can then respond either privately to the original member (by responding to that member’s e-mail address) or publicly to the entire list (by responding to the list address).

Two lists are of particular interest to psychology teachers. Psych-News, mentioned earlier, is designed for people interested in the teaching of psychology at the high school level. Most of the list members are high school psychology teachers, although many college and university teachers are members as well. To join Psych-News, send the message:

subscribe Psych-News your name

to the address:

listserv@listserv.uh.edu

TIPS, Teaching in the Psychological Sciences, is designed more for teachers at the college and university level. Many high school teachers are members, but the discussions usually center on post-high school education. Please be aware that TIPS can generate a large amount of e-mail. If your service provider limits the size of your mailbox, you may not want to subscribe to TIPS. To join TIPS, send the message:

subscribe TIPS your name

to the address:

listserv@fre.fsu.umd.edu

When you subscribe to an electronic mailing list, you will be sent a confirmation message that also gives you information on how to use the list (for example, where to send messages, how to un-subscribe, the name of the list’s administrator). Be sure to read that message and to save it for future reference. Psychology teachers tend to be fairly patient with people who are just learning to use the Internet, but when you make a mistake with a mailing list, your mistake may be sent to hundreds of people.

Electronic mailing lists are probably the best way to use the Internet to get answers to your questions about the teaching of psychology. When you send a question to the list, you have access to the expertise of all of the list’s subscribers. Furthermore, any of the other subscribers who share your question benefit from the responses.

The World Wide Web (WWW, or the Web) is one of the latest and most exciting developments on the Internet. Information on the Web is organized into millions of "Web pages," each of which may include text, graphics, sounds, and even short movies. Web pages are connected to each other using a programming feature called "hyperlinks," which allows the reader of a page to click on a word or graphic on the page to move to another section of that page or to connect to a completely different Web page.

Before the Web, the Internet was organized by location. If you wanted to find information on a certain topic, you had to know the addresses of the computers that carried information on that topic (think of a library in which the books were arranged on the shelves according to publishing company!). The Web makes it far easier to find information on a topic by organizing the information according to subject matter. A Web page may provide hyperlinks to any number of other pages covering the same topic, even if each of those pages is stored on a different computer located in a different country. To access one of those other pages, the user simply clicks on the appropriate hyperlink, and the Internet automatically sends the user to the appropriate computer.

For example, someone could establish a Web page dealing with mental retardation. The page could contain a brief text description of mental retardation and its causes, as well as pictures of important researchers. In addition to the text and pictures, a hypertext link could be included for the Mental Retardation Association’s Web page. Users interested in viewing that Web site would simply click on that link and be transferred to that page, which may also have hyperlinks to other resources on mental retardation.

Since 1995, Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS) has maintained a Web site written by and for high school psychology teachers. The site contains

• Information on TOPSS, including how to join

• Items to assist teachers of psychology in their classroom planning

• Items for professional growth and development

• A listing of the e-mail addresses of psychology teachers on the Internet

• Hypertext links to Web sites of interest to psychology teachers

The address for the TOPSS Web site is included in the list of sites at the end of this section.

The Internet is a wonderful source of information, but using the Internet effectively requires some care. Because there is so much information on the net, it can sometimes be difficult to find what you are looking for. The World Wide Web provides a number of "search engines"—programs that can help point you to the information you want—but it is not uncommon for a search engine to report that there are tens of thousands of sites that meet the criteria you gave for your search. When you find a site of interest, be sure to record the name of the site, or you may never find it again. Most programs for browsing the World Wide Web provide a "bookmark" function that allows you to electronically record the names of sites you expect to use often.

If you assign students to look for information on the Internet, you must provide very clear guidance on how to maximize the results of the search for relevant information. As with educational software, the teacher should carefully preview the assignment to uncover any unusual problems the students are likely to encounter.

Remember, too, that material on the Internet may not have been peer evaluated, so its validity is not guaranteed. Anyone can create a home page and put anything on it; the material may not be even remotely accurate, although professional sources are more likely to know what they are talking about. Students will need guidance on weeding out the less accurate sources.

The information presented in this section should help you get started exploring the technological resources for teaching psychology. Remember that these resources are changing on an almost daily basis, so it is worth revisiting them periodically to see what is new. If you cannot find anything that meets your specific needs, the Internet mailing lists are a perfect forum for requesting help. You are probably not the only one who will benefit from the response you get. If you do find a resource that meets your needs, let others know about it. Whatever technological resources are eventually developed, your greatest resource is your colleagues.

Sites on the Internet for Psychology Teachers