Psychology 395 – Integrative Learning in Psychology
Though this class was not originally offered under the LeADERS Research options, I knew that it would fit perfectly. Plus, I was so close to having my gold status, that I just had to try and get the class included.
Integrative Learning in Psychology was not a normal class. I actually took it in conjunction with three other classes:
- Cross-Cultural Psychology (Psychology 420)
- Psychology of Adolescence (Psychology 322)
- Research Methods in Psychology (Psychology 318)
The goal of these four classes was to create a more well-rounded class experience. Since they were all 300+ psychology classes, they complimented each other. But the uniqueness came from the fact that my assignments in 395 pulled from what I learned in the other three. For example, we had a journal assignment due roughly every week. They were all done in APA format with title pages, running heads, references, etc., which of course pulled from what I was learning in 318. My journal #6 was titled – How Culture and Development Influences Personality and Social Media Usage – which tied all of my classes together nicely.
Finally, as if the class wasn’t already valuable enough, I completed a semester-long research (group) project. While we didn’t actually run an experiment or do interviews, we did everything else: choosing our topic, researching literature, creating a design, selecting a sample, data analysis (the data was provided), and discussions. Then after this was done, a couple of our groups members did a poster presentation on campus.
Skills that employers are seeking
| Work in a team structure | Plan, organize, and prioritize work |
| Make decisions and solve problems | Obtain and process information |
| Communicate verbally | Demonstrate computer software proficiency |
| Analyze quantitative data | Create and/or edit reports |
| Demonstrate technical knowledge |
Influence/sell to others |
Make decisions and solve problems – working as a team in an online class
Obtain and process information – taking information from others classes and applying it to this classes assignments
Analyze quantitative data – analyzing our table of data using SPSS
Create and/or edit reports – final project
———————– Reflection ———————–
This class was a fantastic experience. It gave me so many new opportunities in and outside of college. Because this class consisted of all online classes, I was able to accept a position as a manager — which helped me to develop my interpersonal and leadership skills. This semester also taught me how to communicate, work diligently, and connect concepts.
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