About the Conference
The quality of the writing skills of undergraduate students has long been a concern of many educators since the late 1970s (e.g., Calhoun & Selby, 1979; Costin, 1982). Unfortunately, many students today are still not fully equipped with these skills by the time they graduate from college. Indeed, the most recent study conducted by Hart Research Associates has clearly highlighted this issue. Based on the survey responses of 400 employers from both private-sector and nonprofit organizations, the researchers found that more than 70% of employers believe that college students today are not well-prepared for written communication (Hart Research Associates, 2015). This percentage is alarming, given that 82% of employers regard writing communication as one of the most important skills for recent graduates to have (Hart Research Associates, 2015).
Without a doubt, the importance of developing excellent writing skills is recognized in higher education. Within the field of Psychology, the American Psychological Association (APA) has listed Communication as one of the major learning goals for the undergraduate curriculum. Many Psychology programs in the country have incorporated the teaching of writing skills across the curriculum with the hope that students may eventually “demonstrate effective writing for different purposes” (APA, 2013, p. 16).
The Conference for Teaching Writing in Psychology aims to provide opportunities for networking as well as exchanging ideas about the best practices related to the teaching of writing in Psychology. Co-sponsored by the Stevenson University Psychology Department and the Society for the Teaching of Psychology, this conference seeks to embody the STP's (2015) mission to “promote communication and collaboration between psychology teachers from different institutions."
Without a doubt, the importance of developing excellent writing skills is recognized in higher education. Within the field of Psychology, the American Psychological Association (APA) has listed Communication as one of the major learning goals for the undergraduate curriculum. Many Psychology programs in the country have incorporated the teaching of writing skills across the curriculum with the hope that students may eventually “demonstrate effective writing for different purposes” (APA, 2013, p. 16).
The Conference for Teaching Writing in Psychology aims to provide opportunities for networking as well as exchanging ideas about the best practices related to the teaching of writing in Psychology. Co-sponsored by the Stevenson University Psychology Department and the Society for the Teaching of Psychology, this conference seeks to embody the STP's (2015) mission to “promote communication and collaboration between psychology teachers from different institutions."
Invited Keynote: Dr. Bernard Beins
Bernard (Barney) Beins is Professor of Psychology at Ithaca College, where he has taught since 1986. His teaching focuses on the development of critical thinking skills in his students. His scholarship includes research on humor and on the scholarship of teaching and learning. He has authored or co-edited over 30 books and teaching manuals and over 130 refereed articles, book chapters, encyclopedia entries, reviews, and commentaries. He has overseen more than 100 student presentations for which his students have won multiple awards.
His books include Research Methods: A Tool for Life, APA Style Simplified, Effective Writing in Psychology (with Agatha Beins), Successful Research Projects, and Research Methods and Statistics (with Maureen McCarthy).
Beins was the 2010 recipient of the Charles L. Brewer Distinguished Teaching Award from the American Psychological Foundation and received the Ithaca College Faculty Excellence Award. He is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, four APA divisions, and the Eastern Psychological Association. He has been president of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology and the New England Psychological Association. He has served on APA’s Council of Representatives and Board of Educational Affairs, and he was the inaugural director of APA’s Office of Pre-College and Undergraduate Education.
(Biography courtesy of Macmillan Learning)
His books include Research Methods: A Tool for Life, APA Style Simplified, Effective Writing in Psychology (with Agatha Beins), Successful Research Projects, and Research Methods and Statistics (with Maureen McCarthy).
Beins was the 2010 recipient of the Charles L. Brewer Distinguished Teaching Award from the American Psychological Foundation and received the Ithaca College Faculty Excellence Award. He is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, four APA divisions, and the Eastern Psychological Association. He has been president of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology and the New England Psychological Association. He has served on APA’s Council of Representatives and Board of Educational Affairs, and he was the inaugural director of APA’s Office of Pre-College and Undergraduate Education.
(Biography courtesy of Macmillan Learning)