第8章
How do we form our opinions about
ourselves?”
. Plan topics for discussion around experiences students have had, a film that has been shown,
or a situation that you have described.
. Pause after introducing the topic or asking the question to give students time to consider a
response.
. Tactfully summarize or repeat the point made by a student if the student has expressed himself
or herself poorly or did not speak loudly enough to be heard by class members.
. Be receptive to students’ contributions to the discussion and reinforce them for participating.
Reward them with verbal commendations for comments and questions, and if the point they
have made is particularly relevant or insightful, let the class know. When students’ comments
are erroneous or irrelevant, or when students have difficulty expressing themselves, still
respond in a positive tone, and try to salvage some part of their comments to move the
discussion along.
. Try breaking the class into small groups for discussion. Prepare explicit directions for the
groups, and require each group to make a report to you or to the class.
xv
DEMONSTRATIONS
Preparation is the key to the successful use of demonstrations. If equipment or props are required, they
should be assembled and set up before class. If something goes wrong, it is better to abandon or postpone
the demonstration than to fiddle with the equipment or send a student for a missing ingredient. Remember
that competent people are more lovable if they make an occasional blunder, particularly if they can handle
the situation with humor.
Relate demonstrations to everyday experiences. For example, if you demonstrate how additive mixtures of
blue and green produce yellow, suggest that students look at their color-television screen with a magnifying
glass.
Although students enjoy evaluation of their personality traits, copies of standardized tests are not included
in this manual because of copyright laws. However, most psychology departments have a test file you could
examine for appropriate tests. If you do use a test or tests, you should carefully explain to students that
these tests have limited validity and reliability, and that any single test is a small element in the evaluation
of an individual’s personality.
FILMS AND VIDEOS
Audiovisual materials are an effective and enjoyable way of communicating psychological concepts to
students. A review of specific recommended films is included within the Chapter-by-Chapter section.
Films and videos available on your own campus have the advantage of being readily available both for
previewing and for use in class. Remember to reserve them for the date you want to show them in class.
Always preview a film or video before showing it in class. If it is of poor quality or inappropriate, you can
avoid wasting class time.
SLIDES, TRANSPARENCIES, AND LASERDISCS
Slides, transparencies, and images from the laserdisc add color and visual appeal to lectures. A large image
of an eyeball, an illusion, the brain, or a Rorschach inkblot is worth many words.
In some ways, transparencies are the easiest to work with because they can be used in a lighted room. In
addition, it is easy to make your own transparencies. You can write directly on the masters or you can
photocopy an illustration and transfer it to a transparency master using a photocopying machine.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED INSTRUCTION
Technological innovations rarely have universal appeal when they first appear on the market. However,
over time, the innovative often becomes the commonplace. The once-daring use of slides, transparencies,
and films is now expected in introductory psychology classes. An increasing number of elementary and
high school students are learning to use the computer and enter college with a degree of computer literacy
unknown to past generations. As hardware prices fall, computers become more attractive as cost-effective
tools for classroom use. The use of computers in the classroom for instruction and in learning resource
centers for tutorial review is still new, but holds great promise.
HOW TO EVALUATE STUDENTS
DECISIONS ABOUT ASSIGNMENTS
Will I make reading assignments from publications other than the text?