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Lesa Rae Vartanian, Ph.D. Department of Psychology IPFW

Expanding Classroom Walls: The Power of Active Learning. Lesa Rae Vartanian, Ph.D. Department of Psychology IPFW. Words of Wisdom (?).

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Lesa Rae Vartanian, Ph.D. Department of Psychology IPFW

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  1. Expanding Classroom Walls: The Power of Active Learning Lesa Rae Vartanian, Ph.D. Department of Psychology IPFW

  2. Words of Wisdom (?) “…universities are as congenial to teaching as the Mojave Desert is to a clutch of Druid priests. If you want to restore a Druid priesthood you cannot do it by offering prizes for Druid-Of-The-Year. If you want Druids, you must grow forests.” -- William Ayers Arrowsmith A gardener gardens because she loves to…but I have never known one to resent compliments on the fruits of her efforts. -- Lesa Rae Vartanian

  3. THANK YOU FRIENDS!! Recognition for dedication to and achievement in teaching is a key part of what makes “the forest” grow...

  4. Overview • Who I am as a teacher… • Examples of how I have tried to expand the walls of my classrooms: • Technology • Observation & Collaboration • Service Learning

  5. My Teaching Philosophy “The mediocre teachers tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”-- William Arthur Ward “The secret of education is respecting the pupil.” -- Ralph Waldo Emerson “Who dares to teach must never cease to learn.” -- John Cotton Dana “Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Involve me and I understand.” -- Chinese Proverb

  6. Active Learning Through Technology… • I maintain web pages for each of my courses… • WebCT • Students in PSY 235 engage in on-line discussions about controversial issues like: • effectiveness of government-funded programs • impact of mass media • daycare, divorce/remarriage, corporal punishment

  7. Active Learning Through Observation / Experience • PSY 235-Child Psychology • Observation Journal • “Bingo Project” • PSY 371-Death & Dying • Field Trips

  8. Active Learning Through Collaboration… • RESEARCH…Publications withIPFW Students • Dickerhoof, R. M., & Vartanian L. R. The contributions of positive versus negative varieties of imaginary audience and personal fable ideations to facets of adolescent well-being. • Giant, C. L., & Vartanian, L. R. (in press). Experiences with parental aggression during childhood and self-concept in adulthood: The importance of subjective perceptions. Journal of Family Violence. • May, D. A., Vartanian, L. R., Virgo, K. (2002). The impact of parental attachment and supervision on fear of crime among adolescent males. Adolescence, 37, 267-288. • Giant, C. L., Passino, R. M., & Vartanian, L. R. (2001). Sex differences in the contributions of appearance-related messages to body esteem and perceptions of thinness. Psi Chi Journal for Undergraduate Research, 6, 91-100. • Vartanian, L. R., Giant, C. L., & Passino, R. M. (2001). “Ally McBeal vs. Arnold Schwarzeneggar”: The importance of sociocultural factors for understanding men’s and women’s body satisfaction and body shape concerns. Social Behavior and Personality, 29, 711-724.

  9. Active Learning Through Collaboration… • RESEARCH…Presentations withIPFW Students • Vartanian, L. R., Conner, D. M., & Arrington, P.(2002, May). “Was it good for you?” : Late adolescents’ satisfaction with school-based sex ed. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL. • Dickerhoof, R. M.,& Vartanian, L. R. (2002, April). Positive versus negative imaginary audience and personal fable ideations, separation-individuation, and depressive affect. Poster presented at the 9th Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence, April 2002, New Orleans, LA. • Giant, C. L., & Vartanian, L. R. (2001, May). "I was spanked..but not 'abused'": The importance of subjective perceptions for understanding the impact of parental aggression on later psychological functioning. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL. • Giant, C. L., Passino, R. M., Dickerhoof, R. M., Virgo, K., Junk, D., & Vartanian, L. R. (2001, May). Hercules and Xena or Ken and Barbie: Males' and females' descriptions of the "perfect male" and the "perfect female" bodies. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL. • May, D. C., Vartanian, L. R., & Virgo, K. (2001, April). The impact of parental attachment and supervision on fear of crime among adolescent males. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the North Central Sociological Association, Louisville, KY. • Vartanian, L. R., Conner, D., Goodman, M., Herron. C., Leszinske, N., & Teusch, J. (2001, April) College students’ satisfaction and experiences with school-based sex education. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the Indiana Council on Adolescent Pregnancy, Indianapolis, IN.

  10. Active Learning Through Collaboration… • TEACHING… • Undergraduate Teaching Assistants • Attend all classes, guide/grade on-line discussions, organize structured review sessions for exams; keep a self-reflective journal of experiences/encounters • Design and conduct a research project; present it in our campus symposium • Effects of email messages on student confidence prior to exam • Effectiveness of UTA-ledreview sessions for reducing test anxiety • Working with UTAs a “win-win” situation!

  11. Active Learning Through Service Learning • What is service learning? • Volunteers at Regional Science Fair • 13 volunteers from Adolescent Development class in 2001 • Nearly 70 from Child Psychology for this year’s Fair! • Service Learning in PSY 371…

  12. Service Learning in PSY 371 • Optional Project • 18 of 23 students chose service learning! • 2 sites in community • Erin’s House for Grieving Children • Visiting Nurse Service and Hospice • Students completed 32 hours of volunteer training / volunteer work

  13. The Power of Active Learning in PSY 371… • Pre and Post Measures of Death Anxiety, Knowledge… • 4-point scale… • 1 = disagree almost totally • 2 = disagree somewhat • 3 = agree somewhat • 4 = agree almost totally

  14. The Power of Active Learning in PSY 371… • “I have a positive attitude to the process of dying as a part of my life.” • Pre = 2.80 • Post = 3.14 • “If one of my loved ones were to die, I would know exactly how to proceed with the arrangements for his/her funeral / burial / cremation.” • Pre = 2.05 • Post = 3.09

  15. The Power of Active Learning in PSY 371… • “I have engaged in some advance planning for my own funeral / burial / cremation.” • Pre = 1.59 • Post = 2.45 • “Those closest to me know exactly how I feel about organ donation.” • Pre = 2.68 • Post = 3.00

  16. The Power of Active Learning in PSY 371… • “I have discussed my last wishes with those closest to me.” • Pre = 2.14 • Post = 2.73 • “I feel knowledgeable about the resources in my community that pertain to death, dying, grief, and loss.” • Pre = 2.00 • Post = 3.32

  17. The Power of Active Learning in PSY 371… • What impact did the field trips and the service learning experience have? Created a composite of those 6 questions… • Number of Field Trips Attended • 4 or Less: Pre = 2.48 vs. Post = 2.79 • 5 or More: Pre = 2.08 vs. Post = 3.03 • Service Learning vs Traditional Research Paper • Service Learning: Pre = 2.16 vs. Post = 3.02 • Research Paper : Pre = 2.37 vs. Post = 2.73

  18. Active Learning Works! • Learning starts in the classroom… • Need to transform “the classroom” so that students begin to view anywhere they are or hope to be a classroom within which they will learn and grow through participation, NOT passivity • Devising active learning experiences requires significant effort…

  19. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR NOTICING MY WORK!

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