Lexture 1: Course outline

Introduction

• Background: Grew up in Iowa, attended University of Iowa (Philosophy major)

• Undergraduate Education: Finished at University of Central Florida, studied Communications

  • Struggled initially with research methods but found passion in upper-level courses

Graduate Education

• Master's at University of Maryland: Focus on Communication

  • Topics included persuasion, attitude change, and humor studies

  • First teaching experiences in public communication courses

• Second Master's at University of Northern Iowa: Transition to Psychology

  • Studied physiological underpinnings of behavior, stereotype threat, and testosterone assays for research

Doctoral Work

• PhD at Georgia State University: Explored social behaviors

  • Focused on emotional reactions and the influence of social cues using EMG and virtual reality

  • Moved to University of Queensland in Australia for PhD completion

  • Research on social exclusion and adaptive behaviors

Teaching Career

• 12 years at Massey University: Conducted diverse research in social cognition, clinical psychology, and cognitive psychology

  • Emphasized broad research interests, contrasting with peers who specialize in narrower fields

• Current Position: University of Canterbury, teaching Research Methods

  • Involved in course coordination and redesigning curriculum with emphasis on integration of courses

Teaching Style & Responsibilities

• Lecturer: Aims to make lectures engaging and interactive

• Course Coordinator: Oversees most decisions related to course logistics (excluding timetabling)

• Teaching Assistants: Introduced senior tutor (Elsa) for lab support and communication

Student Demographics & Course Structure

• Survey Key Findings: Average age is 19, dominant gender is female (75%), most students here due to major requirements.

• Coursefocus: Broad interest in Psychology, accommodating varying levels of background in statistics and research training.

Course Evaluation & Tools

• Inquisitive Quizzes: Used to assess understanding of material, adaptively quizzes students

• Surveys: Voluntary, designed to gather feedback

• Textbook: "Research Methods in Psychology" by Beth Morling is main text for the course

  • Scans were provided for initial readings due to limited availability

  • Emphasis on accessibility of supplementary materials and resources for learning

Assessment Overview

• Types of Assessment: Both summative (formal) and formative (feedback-based)

  • Summative: Inquisitive quizzes, lab reports, three tests, and a final exam

  • Formative: Utilizing quizzes and lab activities for continuous feedback

• Lab Reports: Three throughout the semester, with specific due dates

• Tests: Held in designated weeks to assess knowledge over the course content -39-minute window for tests administered on Learn platform

Important Course Materials

• Labs: Occur weekly, focus on hands-on application and supporting course content

• Jamovi Software: Free software for data analysis to be used in labs and assignments

Course Expectations and Study Guide

• Study Time: Expectation of approximately 10 hours of study per week, with self-guided learning through readings and quizzes

• Structure: Course structured around building foundational knowledge of research methods

• Key Topics Covered: Includes psychological measurement, descriptive and inferential statistics, experimental design, and ethical considerations in research

Conclusion

• Open Communication: Students encouraged to reach out with questions

• Participation in Surveys and Quizzes: Emphasized for understanding and improving course content engagement

• Next Steps: Review chapters one and two, participate in Inquisitive quizzes to prepare for upcoming assessments.