This project is establishing a dedicated computer-based laboratory for experimental psychology at three campuses of an urban college. New instructional materials that emphasize an inquiry-based pedagogy and a research-based curriculum are being created for the project. Lab technologies include Psychmate and the PEAK (Psychology Experiment Authoring Kit) software. From prior NSF-funded work, the project is also adapting the concept of preceptors, trained laboratory monitors who will provide on-site assistance to students in the labs. In the labs, students first learn to think critically about classic experiments, and then perform the experiments themselves. Faculty are provided professional development opportunities to learn a guided-inquiry approach to teaching, to gain experience in managing learning teams, and to help students improve their self-reflective skills. A course for preceptors is also being developed. To evaluate the project, the performance of a control group of students, enrolled in experimental psychology prior to the implementation of the computer labs, is being compared to an intervention group of students, enrolled in the same course after the computer labs were installed. A companion evaluation study compares students in sections of the course that are using the labs to ones that are not.
