Improving the coherence in the Psychology curriculum: a pilot study

Abstract

To teach students a solid and coherent knowledge of how to do research in Psychology, and of how to review research in the field of Psychology, an easily accessible overview of the research skills that are taught and used in the different courses of the Psychology Bachelor is important. To improve the accessibility of the content of the research skills curriculum a web tool was designed that allows both students and teachers to see where they learned and used different research skills. Students are often directed at the content of a Psychology course and on passing the exam of the course. With the newly designed web tool students can be stimulated to place the new knowledge (from a certain course) in their existing knowledge, the research skills they have already learned in previous courses. Over and above, the use of the web tool allows teachers to improve the alignment of the curriculum. With the same web tool lecturers and teachers can easily oversee the curriculum of the Psychology Bachelor and by doing that, they can improve the alignment of the courses. During a meeting (once a year) the alignment of the curriculum is discussed. Furthermore, in the Psychology courses that are not aimed at Methodology & Statistics lecturers can refer more easily to previously taught knowledge on research skills. In the bachelor of Clinical and Health Psychology of Utrecht University a pilot study is being done where both students and teachers are involved in creating the content of the web tool, and in using the information in their courses. At the end of their Bachelor Psychology students are doing their own Psychological study (or involved in a larger research project). By using the web tool they have an easy access to the research skills they have learned during the first two years of their bachelor. From the beginning of the bachelor they are stimulated to reflect on the accumulation of their knowledge on doing en reviewing research within the Psychological Field. A grant is awarded to expand the use of the web tool to other bachelor studies, such as veterinary medicine and theater, film and television studies.