1. PLC @ Stirling Roger Watt Beatrice Bretherton, Dawn Gerrard, Stefanie Kramer Psychology School of Natural Sciences Photo © Ela Hamer, Stirling Psychology Student

2. Stirling 0Being: an agent for positive change in well-being and effectiveness always questioning, reflecting and learning 1Having: a strong knowledge of the subject matter of psychology an awareness of the strengths and limitations of psychological knowledge 2Using: a rigorous approach to reading, synthesizing and summarizing a creative approach to problem-solving an amiable skeptic approach to critical thinking 3Applying: appropriate psychological knowledge and principles to personal, social, and organizational issues at work and in the broader community appropriate scientific psychological research methods to complex situations and phenomena Psychologically Literate Citizens

3. The PLC attitudes: Collaborative Honest Independent Confident

4. Common Pre-Honours Programme Psychology ModulesOther Subjects Year 124Introductory Year 232Social Neuroscience Stats Stirling Degree Programme

5. Combined Honours Programme Psychology ModulesOther Subjects Year 333 BPS Core Curriculum Year 433 Single Honours Programme Psychology ModulesOther Subjects Year 360BPS Core Curriculum Year 460Final Year These are equivalent Free for development Stirling Degree Programme

6. Academic Content of Single Hons Final Year Research Project (40%) DissertationSupervised 4 Elective Modules (4x10%) Various outputsFacilitated discussion Group Project (20%) Project Report Lay Report Unsupervised Stirling Degree Programme

7. What happens in final year Beatrice’s story

8. LearningTeaching Starting ExaminingDoing The passive student learner Grades Staff Student Staff Feedback Personal Reflection

9. LearningDoingPlanning Staff Student The Stirling Psychology Final Year Outcome Staff Feedback Personal Reflection Peer Feedback Starting Grades

10. Beatrice’s Story IndependenceDoing it for yourself ConfidenceKnowing you can do it HelpDoing for someone Reducing the amount they have to do SupportEncouraging someone

11. Observations Staff role decreasedTeaching and Examining removed Student role increasedPlanning added Outcome added Doing, Reflection made necessary Student structure alteredCyclical Learning follows feedback, not teaching

12. What happens in final year Stefanie’s story

13. Elective Modules

14. 2 components

15. Elective Modules 2 components – Elective sessions 6 X 2hr sessions – Coursework

16. Elective Modules 2 components – Elective sessions 6 X 2hr sessions – Coursework

17. Elective Modules 2 components – Elective sessions 6 X 2hr sessions – Coursework

18. Elective Modules 2 components – Elective sessions 6 X 2hr sessions – Coursework, i.e.: essays multi-media presentations designing a poster research proposal case report research commentary designing a leaflet to convey information to a wider audience

19. Student-led Elective

20. Students – Choose topic

21. Student-led Elective Students – Choose topic – Design how the elective operates and facilitate the meetings

22. Student-led Elective Students – Choose topic – Design how the elective operates and facilitate the meetings – Encourage and stimulate discussion

23. Student-led Elective Students – Choose topic – Design how the elective operates and facilitate the meetings – Encourage and stimulate discussion

24. Student-led Elective Students – Choose topic – Design how the elective operates and facilitate the meetings – Encourage and stimulate discussion

25. Student-led Elective Students – Choose topic – Design how the elective operates and facilitate the meetings – Encourage and stimulate discussion

26. Student-led Elective Students – Choose topic – Design how the elective operates and facilitate the meetings – Encourage and stimulate discussion Academic Member of Staff – Assess coursework

27. Skills you acquire/ develop 1.Communicate knowledge by using different media 2.Place knowledge within broader debates 3.Reflect contributions from others on own assumptions 4.Identify aspects of psychological theory related to the literature

28. I am an active part of the learning process that happens in the meetings.

29. LearningDoingPlanning StartingStaff Student The Stirling Psychology Final Year Outcome Staff Feedback Personal Reflection Peer Feedback Grades

30. What happens in final year Your chance

31. LearningDoingPlanning StartingStaff Student The Stirling Psychology Final Year Outcome Other Input Personal Reflection Peer Feedback Grades

32. What happens in final year Dawn’s story

33. LearningDoingPlanning StartingAnyone PLC Outcome The Psychologically Literate Citizen in action Personal Reflection Peer Feedback Other Input

34. How did we get here? The starting point The destination

35. The Starting Point Graduates from 10% to 50% of population – change in nature of graduate employment Enhancement feedback systems as unending treadmills – focussed on student evaluation of lecturer performance “how much help were they?” – not on student evaluation of student performance “how well supported was I?” Decreasing satisfaction of lecturers – reduction of satisfaction/dignity – learned helplessness – risk averse Please note that these are emphatically personal opinions!

36. What do students usually say?What do staff usually say? Staff-Student Consultative Committee Please can we have: More explicit instructions More teaching More help Yes, of course students do less and staff do more Motives Ask for anything staff can do to get better grades for students Anything that will lead to better ratings students do less and staff do more

37. The Destination Psychologically Literate Citizens – Academic skills – Non-academic skills

38. What do I want to develop? Finding relevant materialCan you find research reports for yourself? Reading materialCan you accurately read material for yourself? Judging materialCan you judge for yourself whether it is useful and reliable? UnderstandingCan you summarize, synthesize and critique for yourself? CommunicatingCan you explain and persuade? Academic skills

39. StudentsStaff engage with challengeoffer challenge practicesupport make attemptsreward attempts make mistakes provide constructive feedback, immediately listen to feedback

40. What do I want to develop? Preference for actionDo you take the initiative or wait for others? TeamworkDo you work well with others? LeadershipCan you take control and responsibility with others? Communicating and influencing Can you explain things to others? Planning and organisingCan you make complex things involving others happen? Non-academic Progression

41. Recognize the importance of student attitudes Understand how easily they can be improved and worsened. StudentsStaff collaborationlose status honestyrecognize and reward honesty independence never undermine independence confidencearticulate it

42. What did we learn on the way? Obstacles (and solutions) Discoveries (and triumphs)

43. The Obstacles: Students comfort zone “why should I expend energy doing all this new stuff?” grade issues “I don’t know whether I will be any good” “it might ruin my grades” dis-engagement “I don’t think this is for me” “I just can’t – I’m not that sort of person”

44. The Dicoveries: Students comfort zone the best go well outside their comfort zone they achieve more than we dared to hope for grade issues grades aren’t affected, or are improved dis-engagement this definitely happens

45. The Obstacles: Staff comfort zone “under the old system, I was the expert, am I still?” “how do I survive a seminar of 2 hours without any notes/materials?” blurred boundaries “am I going to end feeling like a parent?” “will I lose my autonomy?” confused roles “what am I supposed to be: teacher/examiner/facilitator/life- coach?” risks “will it work?” “can the students do it?” “will people think it is irresponsible of us?”

46. The Discoveries: Staff comfort zone… stretches almost indefinitely but slowly this is probably a confidence thing blurred boundaries boundaries are marked by role not status yes, you lose autonomy but gain satsfaction confused roles find the role that best suits you risks evaporate

47. Finally..

48. The last words: Stefanie and Beatrice: – Are you ready to become independent Psychologically Literate Citizens?

49. McGovern et al (2010) 1having a well-defined vocabulary and basic knowledge of the critical subject matter of psychology 2valuing the intellectual challenges required to use scientific thinking and the disciplined analysis of information to evaluate alternative courses of action 3taking a creative and amiable skeptic approach to problem solving 4applying psychological principles to personal, social, and organizational issues in work, relationships, and the broader community 5acting ethically 6being competent in using and evaluating information and technology 7communicating effectively in different modes and with many different audiences 8recognizing, understanding, and fostering respect for diversity 9being insightful and reflective about one’s own and others’ behaviour and mental processes McGovern, T. V., Corey, L. A., Cranney, J., Dixon, Jr., W. E., Holmes, J. D., Kuebli, J. E., Ritchey, K., Smith, R. A., & Walker, S. (2010). Psychologically literate citizens. In D. Halpern (Ed.). Undergraduate education in psychology: Blueprint for the discipline’s future (pp. 9- 27). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. Psychologically Literate Citizens