Teaching Philosophy

I believe a successful post-secondary education prepares students for intellectual life after graduation. This translates into two goals I have for students in any class: 1) students should become thoughtful consumers of information and, 2) students should be able to effectively communicate their ideas to others. As an instructor, my goal is to provide opportunities for students to develop these skills. What this means, for instance, is that every class I teach includes writing assignments and/or oral presentations.

 

I also enjoy teaching in the lab. I have had the opportunity to guide students through every step of the research process whether they are working as research assistants or completing independent research projects. If you are interested in being involved in research, please fill out the Independent Study Application and make an appointment to meet with me.

Courses Taught

General Psychology (1.6)General information about psychology in everyday life, designed to correct misconceptions and to give the student a better understanding of self and others
Intermediate Psychology (1.2)Introduction to scientific psychology with emphasis on methodology and critical thinking about psychological ideas
Learning (1.4)Major theories of learning in contemporary psychology, with a brief historical introduction
Learning and MemoryFundamental concepts and theories of learning and memory derived from human and animal research
Motivation and Emotion (1.7)Theoretical and research issues on shuch motivational topics as drive, goal, directedness, incentive, reinforcement, external stimulation, emotion, instinct, and self-actualization
Cognitive Psychology (1.5)The field of cognitive psychology, including human learning, memory, problem solving, language, and attention
Research Team (1.1)Applied learning experience in designing and conducting original research in psychology, data analysis, writing and presenting research results
Human-Centered Design Seminar (n/a)Special topics class investigating issues related to human and interface interactions
*Mean student evaluation ratings in parentheses. Scale ranges from 1 = Excellent to 5 = Poor.