Making It Real: Illustratjng Social Science Principles Outside the - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Making It Real: Illustratjng Social Science Principles Outside the Traditjonal Classroom

Wanda McCarthy, PhD, Psychology ,UC-Clermont Leslie Elrod, PhD, Sociology, UC-Raymond Walters Meera Rastogi , PhD, Psychology ,UC-Clermont Presentation University of Cincinnati First Year Summit 2009 October 16, 2009

Experientjal Learning: Bringing Social Science Principles to Life using Field Trips

Wanda McCarthy, PhD, Psychology ,UC-Clermont College

What is Experientjal Learning?

• The American Associatj

tjon for Experientj tjal Educatj tjon regards experientj tjal educatj tjon "as a philosophy and methodology in which educators purposefully engage with learners in direct experience and focused refm fmectj tjon in order to increase knowledge, develop skills and clarify values".

• Experientjal Learning Offjce Ryerson

University

Ryerson University: Experientjal Learning Model

/http://www.ryerson.ca/experiential_learning/el_at_ryerson/outcomes

Ryerson’s Outcomes for Experientjal Learning

• INTENTIONALITY - In EL, experience doesn't just

happen.

• ENGAGEMENT - Experientj

tjal learning is actj tjve, not passive.

• ITERATION - EL is most efg

fgectj tjve when there are

• pportunitj

tjes to apply what has already been learned.

• INTEGRATION - To be fully efg

fgectj tjve EL has to be integral to a student's educaiton, not an occasional add-on.

Ryerson’s Outcomes for Experientjal Learning

• REFLECTION - EL is not just "learning by

doing". Doing surely has to be accompanied by thinking if it is to contribute towards deeper understanding and inform subsequent actj tjon.

Experientjal Learning in a Human Sexuality Classroom: Kinsey Instjtute Field Trip

Why the Kinsey Instjtute?

Alfred Kinsey’s Research

Kinsey Art Gallery

Kinsey Instjtute Library

Kinsey Instjtute Library

My students at the Kinsey Instjtute

Student Refmectjons on the Trip

Conclusions

Seeing is Believing: Enhancing the student experience

Leslie Elrod, PhD University of Cincinnati RWC Department of Behavioral Sciences

Why Extend Beyond the Text in FYE?

• Critjcal Thinking
• Engagement
• Content Applicatjon
• Value-Added Educatjon
• Retentjon
• Seeing is Believing

Where to Go?

• Special Exhibit

– Cincinnatj Museum Center: “Race: Are we so difgerent”

• Historical Center

– Natjonal Underground Railroad Freedom Center – Holocaust Museum: “Mapping our Tears”

• Art Museum
• Cincinnatj Art Museum

What Happened?

• Engagement
• Discussion
• Inclusion of Others
• Camaraderie
• Understanding

The Value of Professional Conferences for the Undergraduate Student

Faculty Mentors: Meera Rastogi and Denise Francis Montaño Students: Jennifer Brinkman, Kate Brondyke , Jodee Hoffmand, Sarah Johnson, Ashley Lindsey, Elizabeth Pequet, & Tara Suplicki

Why take undergraduates to a professional conference?

Pros

• Share excitement of fjeld
• Increase student

engagement

• Enhance and strengthen

faculty-student connectjon

• Networking
• Modeling

Cons

• Too early
• Too advanced
• Will not be able to

appreciate the experience

Research on Undergraduates and Professional Conferences

• Graduate Student Experiences

– “’make a lot of great memories’” and increase research productjvity (Pakard, 2007). – “two internatjonal conferences has been the highlight of my graduate training experience, and these experiences have strongly infmuenced my career interests, aspiratjons and goals” (Hasan, 2007). – “’helped put the work we're doing in the classroom in perspectjve," and “allowed her to make contacts with clinicians and other practjtjoners she may not have met

• therwise” (Novotney, 2008).
• Undergraduates

– network in the fjeld and increase chances of gettjng into graduate school (Cynkar, 2007)

• Overall

– No research – Mostly limited to poster presentatjons and anecdotal experiences of graduate students

Making It Real

Our Experience

Internatj tjonal Counseling Psychology Conference Creatj tjng the Future: Counseling Psychologists in a Changing World Chicago, Illinois March 7- 9, 2008

Step 1: Obtaining Funding

College Funds

• Edgewood College Academic Deans’ Travel Fund
• President’s Mini Grant
• Student Government Associatjon

Additjonal ideas:

• Table for college
• Food Expenses
• Fundraisers

Step 2: Identjfying and selectjng students

• Email and fmyers to students:

Attention Psychology Students! We are happy to announce the availability of funds for fjve (5) fjrst year psychology students to attend the International Counseling Psychology Conference, Creating the Future: Counseling Psychologists in a Changing World in Chicago, Illinois.

• Student application and selection

Step 3: Student Orientatjon

• Preconference training

– Content

• Travel arrangements, reading program, program

selectjon, registratjon, meetjng tjmes, dress, etc.

• Pre and post conference data

– Student Applicatjon form – Pre and post assessment developed by Rastogi and Montano

Results

Demographics

Number of partjcipants 7 Average age 21 Sex Female Race 6 Caucasian 1 African American

Engagement in the discipline of psychology

Item Pre Post Met well known psychologists. 2.14 4.50 Feel connected to the fjeld of psychology. 2.29 4.28 Knowledge about current research. 2.14 3.93

Conference skills

Item Pre Post Knowledge of conference registratjon and atuendance. 2.78 4.57 Knowledge of the difgerent types of conference presentatjons (symposium, poster presentatjon, roundtable, etc.). 3.14 4.42

Networking

Item Pre Post Know psychology graduate students at other universitjes and colleges. 2.29 3.86 Have contacts at other graduate schools. 2.28 4.28 Know psychologists with similar research interests. 2 4

Personal Goals Pre/Post Conference

Goals Pre-Conference Goals Post Conference

• 1. Career goals
• 2. Understand fjeld
• 3. Confjdence

“I hope to fjnd that litule light bulb that pushes me to a career and educatjon. . .” “To learn more about the fjeld of psychology as a whole, not just what I’m studying.” “. . . gain insight into the

• profession. . Hear how it is on a

day to day basis. “To be able to learn key skills on how to talk with professionals and to be able to get my point across.”

• 1. Personal Growth
• 2. Confjdence

“. . . Able to focus on my interest and learn more about things. . . What I’m interested in and not.” “I was able to overcome my fear of talking with professionals.

Professional Goals Pre/Post Conference

Pre Post

• 1. Career
• 2. Personal Growth
• 3. Understand Psych Fiels

“Become more knowledgeable about what I want to do in the future.” “Find a psychologist in my fjeld of interest and fjnd out the steps toward success.”

• 1. Learn; bring new ideas for class
• 2. Contacts, Mentors, Networks

“I met professionals from all over the world!” “I made contacts or became aware of how to contact specifjc people.”

Conclusions

Limitatj tjons

• Small sample size
• All female students

Resources

• See handouts

References

Azar, B. (2008). The experience hunter. GradPSYCH, 6 (4), 28-29. Cynkar, A. (2007). Clinch your graduate school acceptance. GradPSYCH 5 (4). Retrieved from htup://gradpsych.apags.org/nov07/cover-acceptance.html Hasan, N. (2007). Internatjonalzing your career. GradPSYCH 5 (3). Retrieved from: htup://gradpsych.apags.org/sep07/corner.html Novotney, A. (2008). Revive your drive: Six empirically supported techniques for gettjng excited about grad school again. GradPSYCH 6 (3),. Retrieved from: htup://gradpsych.apags.org/2008/09/cover-drive.html Pakard, E. (2007). Word to the wise: Get the most of of your graduate program with advice from these

• students. GradPSYCH 5 (4 ). Retrieved from

htup://gradpsych.apags.org/nov07/cover-wise.html