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Experiments in Psychology (Journal Club)

Read, discuss, and analyse real research publications in psychology.
Dr Steph Acaster
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:
(253)
Star Educator
Class

What's included

1 live meeting
45 mins in-class hours per week
Homework
1-2 hours per week. Reading 1-2 hours per week. Learners must be familiar with the week's article to participate in class.

Class Experience

US Grade 8 - 11
This ongoing class aims to share interests in academic research in psychology, covering a broad range of topics, whilst also working on the skills needed to understand research articles. 

Each week, learners should read the week’s article BEFORE class, so that we can discuss it together. A concept worksheet will be provided, which will allow you to note down the aims, method, results, and other important elements from your reading. All articles used in class will be freely available via google scholar searches.

In class, we will go through the main points from the article together, and discuss our thoughts on the topic, and whether the research leaves us with any unanswered questions! We will also cover key aspects of research methods applied to each article.

This class is suitable for advanced readers and learners who have an interest in psychology. The reading, discussion, and analysis skills fostered in this class would be particularly useful for anyone preparing for higher education.

The weekly topic list may vary upon requests from learners, but an indication can be found below:

5th June: Music Psychology
Cohen, S., & Bodner, E. (2019). The relationship between flow and music performance anxiety amongst professional classical orchestral musicians. Psychology of Music, 47(3), 420-435.

12th June: Personality and Social Psychology
Zajenkowski, M., Jonason, P. K., Leniarska, M., & Kozakiewicz, Z. (2020). Who complies with the restrictions to reduce the spread of COVID-19?: Personality and perceptions of the COVID-19 situation. Personality and individual differences, 166, 110199.

19th June: Spatial Memory
Maguire, E. A., et al. (2000) Navigation-related structural change in the hippocampi of taxi drivers. 
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Volume 97, No. 8, pages 4398-4403.

26th June: Personality and Education
Bhagat, K. K., Wu, L. Y., & Chang, C. Y. (2019). The impact of personality on students' perceptions towards online learning. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 35(4).




4th September: Social psychology and Helping Behaviour
PILIAVIN, I. M., RODIN, J., & PILIAVIN, J. A. (1969)
Good Samaritanism: An underground phenomenon? 
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Volume 13, No. 4, pages 289-299.

11th September: Learning and Health Psychology
CHANEY, G., CLEMENTS, B., LANDAU, L., BULSARA, M. and WATT, P. (2004) 
A new asthma spacer device to improve compliance in children: a pilot study.
Respirology, 9, (4) 499-506

Other Details

External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
A range of peer-reviewed scientific articles will be selected for use in class. I will aim to rotate through a diverse range of topics, authors, and time periods.
Joined June, 2020
5.0
253reviews
Star Educator
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Doctoral Degree in Psychology from Sheffield Hallam University
Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from University of Birmingham, UK
ABOUT ME
I love to learn, and I am a big advocate of following your interests - even if they might not seem compatible at first glance!
My teaching philosophy is to encourage intellectual curiosity, motivation, and aspiration in students, whatever their current stage of education.

I teach a range of subject areas, including Psychology, Biology, Music Theory, and Maths. I'm developing new ideas all the time, so please feel welcome to get in touch if there's something you'd like to see! I can also create custom sessions - so if there's something you're looking for and can't find, please just ask!


GENERAL TEACHING APPROACH
My teaching style differs depending on different topics/activities, but my general approach is to welcome students into an environment where they can engage at a level where they feel comfortable, whilst also having opportunities to reach further and learn new things. I believe that learning is forever, and that learning should never be constrained by just one syllabus/curriculum. Students tend to learn best when they are really interested in the subject, and I love to be able to give students the chance to explore their interests! 

I encourage students to tell me what they already know about a topic, and I don't assume that I'm always the expert! I believe that learners can learn from each other's experiences and knowledge too. I also encourage everyone to ask 'why' things work as they do, and to research further around topics that capture their interest.

I don't use AI tools to provide feedback to learners as I believe that feedback should be provided that is genuine and written in my own voice.

I also believe that everyone should be able to participate in my classes, so if there may be barriers or you require adjustments to allow you to participate in a class, please feel welcome to get in touch. 

Aside from initial verification when joining the session, I do not require students to use their camera for the full session (though sometimes I will request for certain activities!). I ask students to participate, but accept that this may be verbal discussion, writing in the chat box, or using zoom 'reactions' or visual cues on camera to respond during class. In general, I will invite anyone who would like to get involved to raise their hand, rather than putting an individual 'on the spot'.



MY CLASSES - OVERVIEW
I offer a range of sessions on Psychology topics - including themes such as Introduction to Neuroscience/Neuropsychology, Psychology of Music, Brain History, and Psychology of Gaming. The aim of these sessions is to capture students' interest, share knowledge from an unusual angle, and/or give space for students to discuss their interests while bringing in elements of the science of Psychology in an accessible way.

The most popular courses in 2023 were my ongoing sessions where students can further their learning in a relaxed setting, such as my Biology, Animal Anatomy, Plants, and Neuroscience colouring classes (where students can listen whilst making creative learning resources, with little pressure to answer questions and no pressure to be tested).

I offer lots of Flexible Schedule classes suitable for learners who prefer to take time to process information or to dig into a topic more deeply before coming back to discussion or to complete assignments. These classes allow students to take time to engage with material and written discussion threads outside of the constraints of a live session schedule, and spend additional time completing assignments that will encourage deeper thinking and topic enjoyment. These classes can also be great as holiday-projects!

I offer individual tutoring for students who would like to explore additional topics in Psychology, Biology, Mathematics, or Music. These sessions can be used to supplement other classes, as an individualised study session/program, or as subject-related mentoring.

For all my classes, if you don't see a suitable section scheduled, please do reach out as I can often fit in additional meetings!


WHAT ELSE DO I GET UP TO?
As well as teaching online on Outschool and independently, I also work as an Associate Lecturer in Psychology at the Open University. When I'm not teaching, I can usually be found practicing the violin, playing in orchestra, reading, and learning new things.

I previously completed a PhD in Psychology/Cognitive Neuroscience, which involved using EEG (an electrical brain recording method) to investigate visual perception. I have taught high school and university level Psychology classes since 2014, and I have tutored in Biology, Maths, and Music Theory since 2018. I started to learn the violin as an adult and progressed through to ABRSM Grade 8 in violin and AMusTCL Diploma level in music theory!

Reviews

Live Group Class
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$12

weekly
1x per week
45 min

Completed by 1 learner
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-18
2-5 learners per class

This class is no longer offered
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