PsychSessions: Conversations about Teaching N' Stuff

In this RE-RELEASE episode Dr. Jane Halonen joins Garth Neufeld to discuss her decades-long career in psychology education. From overcoming a fear of public speaking to mentoring generations of teachers, Jane reflects on her path from clinical psychology to teaching, her experiences as a woman in 1970s academia, and her transformative years at Alverno College's performance-based curriculum. Jane illustrates what she calls "the magic of teaching" and emphasizes the importance of finding supportive communities and building meaningful connections with students.

In this episode Garth interviewed Krisstal Clayton from the University of North Texas in Denton, TX. Krisstal shares how heavy workloads, commuting, work, and caregiving contribute to students' AI use and argues for explicitly teaching AI literacy, its limits, and responsible use. She describes building connection and engagement in a 210-student lecture hall through weekly team activities, team exams, and gamified, real-world assignments (including an ultra-processed "Texas State Fair food" concept-mapping activity). She explains her approach to required reading, attendance-based course design, and Sage Vantage quizzes to track learning and spot irregularities. She also discusses becoming first author on a new edition of an Intro Psych textbook, what pedagogical features they kept ("What's Your Prediction?" and applied examples), and updates she "went hard" on, including a methods-focused chapter, mindfulness and wellness content, and topics driven by student needs (sleep, social media/mental health, vaping, neurodiversity).
[Note. Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]

This webinar features Garth Neufeld and Regan Gurung in discussion about how to implement APA's Introductory Psychology Initiative (IPI) recommendations five years after the release of the book, Transforming Introductory Psychology. They emphasize choosing approaches that fit instructor context, using evidence and data, and avoiding an overwhelming "do everything" redesign. Key ideas include reducing content coverage using the pillar model, increasing course coherence with integrative themes, building workplace communication skills through scaffolded student podcast/audio assignments, and improving student learning with retrieval practice. 
Watch the webinar here

In this RE-RELEASE episode of Psych Sessions, renowned psychology textbook author Dr. David Myers shares his remarkable journey from a Seattle childhood—where his great-grandfather invented the ice cream soda—to becoming one of the most influential voices in psychology education. Myers discusses how chance encounters shaped his unplanned career path, from accidentally becoming a social psychologist to writing textbooks that now reach hundreds of thousands of students worldwide. He reflects on his 50-year teaching career at Hope College, his innovative approach to connecting with students, and his philosophy that education should prepare us for an unpredictable future.
Note. Portions of the show notes were generated with Descript AI.

In this episode Eric interviews Blake Nielsen from Columbia College in Columbia, MO. A variety of topics are discussed, including Blake's journey in teaching quantitative research methods, his role at Columbia College, and the college's unique structure. The conversation also delves into Blake's experiences with Monmouth College and his extensive involvement in various academic roles, including directing the Center for Teaching and Learning. Eric and Blake talk about the importance of storytelling in teaching, balancing professional commitments with personal life, and navigating imposter syndrome. Blake also mentions his new role as the director of the Virtual Conference on Teaching (VCT) and reflects on the significance of gratitude and community in his career development.
[Note. Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]