Professors present on Teaching of Psychology
January 12, 2018
Associate professors Dr. Cathy Chovaz and Dr. Wendy Ellis of the Department of Psychology jointly presented at the National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology.
Dr. Chovaz and Dr. Ellis presented their research on the first day of the conference. Their work is entitled ““Creating Community Engaged Learning Opportunities for Psychology Majors.” In their presentation they showcased community engaged learning (CEL) opportunities for students majoring in Psychology. Dr. Ellis described her Survey and Design construction course which is a project-based CEL. Dr. Chovaz discussed her practicum course (Psych. 4692E) which is a placement-based CEL.
Together, they described the benefits and challenges of teaching these types of courses. Benefits include the application of theoretical knowledge and opportunities to develop professional interpersonal skills. Challenges such as un-willing or un-prepared clients and un-realistic timelines were discussed.
Participants were invited to share their own experiences with CEL and ask questions following the presentation.
The 40th annual conference was held in St. Pete Beach, Florida from January 3-6, 2018 for 350 attendees. Presentations include workshops, concurrent sessions, and general sessions on topics of interest to psychology teachers at all levels, from high school through university.
This semester, Dr. Chovaz is teaching Psych 4692E (a full year Practicum Course) and Psych 3320G (Child Psychopathology). Dr. Ellis is teaching Psych 4891 (Honours Thesis).