Courses in Psychology
My teaching record within Psychology at UTC establishes me as a teacher with considerable breadth. I have designed and delivered psychology courses at the freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, and graduate level. I have taught large sections of 90 to 250 students and I have taught small seminar-based classes. At the undergraduate level I have been responsible for teaching PSY 1010 - Introduction to Psychology, PSY 4120 - Advanced Seminar in Psychological Processes (humorously referred to as 'Outro from Psychology' by some students), PSY 2230 - Psychology of Aging, PSY 3120 - Sensation and Perception, PSY 3140 - Biological Psychology, and PSY 3180 - Principles of Neuropsychology. At the graduate level I have taught both the experimental graduate seminar, PSY 5950, and the developmental graduate seminar, PSY 5960.
Regardless of the class, course level, or size, the primary facets of my teaching philosophy are always demonstrated. Though different in every class, I strive to:
Engage my students with the material - students report on these experiences in course evaluations and I link to class activities below that demonstrate engagement in each of my classes. These activities include, problem-based learning activities in PSY 1010, From Your Point of View activities in PSY 3120, mini-lab experiences in PSY 3140, in-class demonstrations in PSY 4120, and "Clinic Days" in Psychology 5960
Encourage development of critical thinking - students report on these experiences in course evaluations and I link to rubrics associated with critical thinking development assignments in several classes. There is evidence of embedding critical thinking instruction in the problem-based learning activities in PSY 1010, the Elder Issues Project in PSY 2230, and reflective thought papers in PSY 4120, PSY 5950, and PSY 5960.
Establish genuine rapport with my students - it is impossible to show on paper, but when I meet a student on campus, at Target, or in a restaurant I know them and they know me!
psy 1010 - Introduction to psychology
While at the rank of Associate Professor I taught two sections of PSY 1010 in Spring 2019. During that semester I also mentored two graduate students who taught PSY 1010.
The learning objectives for this course are:
Describe, at a basic, foundational level, the broad range of topics that make up the discipline of psychology.
Identify methods of psychological investigation & describe the strengths and limitations of these methods.
Apply the vocabulary & basic concepts of psychology in advanced courses & through independent reading.
Relate the findings of psychological research to your own life, to important issues in our society and to the world.
PSY 2230 - Psychology of Aging
I taught PSY 2230 most recently in Fall 2017, before my promotion to Associate Professor. I include the course here to document the breadth of courses I have taught at UTC.
The learning objectives for this course are:
Understand the basic psychological, social and biophysical characteristics of the normal aging process and become familiar with several non-normal aging trajectories.
Develop your ability to think critically about the aging process. Recognize that development is not only decline.
Develop the ability to relate the findings of psychological research to your life and to important issues associated with aging in our society and the world at large.
Connect your own experiences with the empirical research discussed in class and in the text.
PSY 3120 - Sensation and Perception
While at the rank of Associate Professor I taught PSY 3120 in Fall 2019.
The learning objectives for this course are:
Understand how humans and animals sense, perceive, identify, recognize & interact with the world.
Become familiarized with the basic sensory and perceptual processes, sense organs and related neurophysiological mechanisms that allow interaction with stimuli in the environment.
Understand what happens when the sense organs and/or brain does not function properly.
Connect your own experiences with the empirical research discussed in class and in the text.
PSY 3140 - Biological Psychology
While at the rank of Associate Professor I began teaching PSY 3140 in an online modality. I offered the course online in both Fall 2018 and Summer 2019.
The learning objectives for this course are:
Understand how humans and animals sense, perceive, identify, recognize & interact with the world.
Become familiarized with the basic sensory and perceptual processes, sense organs and related neurophysiological mechanisms that allow interaction with stimuli in the environment.
Understand what happens when the sense organs and/or brain does not function properly.
Connect your own experiences with the empirical research discussed in class and in the text.
PSY 3180 - Principles of Neuropsychology
After beginning my administrative appointment, the department felt my 2 course teaching load per year would best serve students with PSY 3180 Principles of Neuropsychology. I have taught this class over 8 semesters while in my Associate Professor rank.
The learning objectives for this course are:
Identify and describe the functional impacts of damage to a wide variety of brain areas.
Select and administer appropriate tools to identify and assess a variety of brain related diseases and conditions.
Interpret and describe the data that results from the tools available to neuropsychologists.
Explain the everyday impact of brain diseases, degeneration, and dysfunction.
Connect your own experiences with the empirical research discussed in class and in the text.
PSY 4120 - Advanced Seminar in Psychological Processes
While at the rank of Associate Professor I taught PSY 4120 in Fall 2019. I am also teaching this course currently in Fall 2025.
The learning objectives for this course are:
Integrate information from the subfields of psychology to address issues related to human behavior, cognition, and emotion.
Read, interpret and apply psychological research that is published in academic journals.
Formulate and clearly express (orally and in writing) reviews of literature, analyses of existing research and your own research ideas and hypotheses with logically consistent and fully developed arguments that are supported with evidence.
Connect your own experiences with the empirical research discussed in class and in the text.
PSY 5950 and PSY 5960 - Graduate Seminars
Fall 2018 - Neuropsychological Assessment
Students developed a comprehensive understanding of neurocognitive domains by applying neuropsychological assessment tools, engaging in critical discussion of clinical cases and research, and connecting course concepts to their own experiences through inquiry and reflection.
Spring 2016 - Executive Function across the Lifespan
Examination of how executive functions develop and decline over the lifespan; from a child's development of an ability to stop and think, to an adolescent's development of impulse control and moral reasoning, to an adult's stability and decline through the aging process.
Fall 2013 - Cognitive Aging and Assessment
Overview of the various conceptual and methodological approaches to studying and assessing the cognitive aging process. Most weeks we focused on a particular aspect of cognitive aging (memory, processing speed, executive function).