Psychology News

AQA(A) Psychology for AS published by Hodder Education, available before Easter!

Hodder Education will be first on the market to publish AQA(A) Psychology for AS resources. Fully tailored to the new 2008 AQA(A) Psychology specification this resource is supported by Student CD-ROM and a Network Edition CD-ROM for teachers. Both the book and the supporting Dynamic Learning CD-ROMs are written by best-selling authors and trusted experts Richard Gross and Geoff Rolls.

A FREE Evaluation pack of AQA(A) Psychology for AS, as well as Evaluation Packs for AQA(B) and OCR Psychology for AS resources can be requested now by e-mailing fe.marketing@hodder.co.uk. Please quote “slapes” in your email.

Hodder Education is currently the No. 1 publisher for A level Psychology. Being aware of the challenges difficulty teachers and students will be facing with the new 2008 specifications, it is our aim to provide teachers with leading expert advice and support. With this in mind and to maintain the complete support that teachers know and trust, we have chosen the leading expert authors to write our AQA(A) resources.

All of our A level psychology resources are complemented by Dynamic Learning CD-ROMs which will give you flexible support in the classroom and inspire your students.

What is Dynamic Learning?
Dynamic Learning is the e-learning platform that helps you to bring your subject to life for students, powerfully and simply.

“Arguably, the transition to e-learning, and beyond that to personalisation, will only be made if the content can be transitioned alongside the process in such a way that both teacher and learner can retain a sense of the structure and shape of the learning process that equates to the security provided by traditional learning materials. If this argument is accepted then Hodder Dynamic Learning deserves a “best of breed” award”.

Outsell Insights article: Hodder Dynamic Learning Gets Into Its Stride At BETT by David Worlock, Chief Research Fellow - London, UK. January 16th 2008

Request your FREE Evaluation pack today by e-mailing fe.marketing@hodder.co.uk and discover our 2008 Psychology for AS resources. Remember to quote “slapes” in your email.

This is a paid for sponsorship from Hodder - as soon as we have a copy of the books we will be writing reviews of them. From the extracts they look like excellent resources for the new specification.

Posted in Books, Resources, aqa by Jamie | No Comments »

ATP Conference 2008

The ATP conference web site has just announced the Keynote speakers at this years conference, has details of the costs, and how to book.

The 26th Annual Conference of the Association for the Teaching of Psychology will be held at the University of Lincoln on Thursday 10th July to Saturday 12th July, 2008

The programme will consist of keynote talks, workshops, exhibitions and social events

The agreed keynote speakers are:

Dr. Susan Blackmore
freelance writer, lecturer and broadcaster, and a Visiting Lecturer at the University of the West of England, Bristol.
www.susanblackmore.co.uk

Professor Mark Griffiths
Director of the International Gaming Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University.
www.psychblog.co.uk/2007/07/16/interview-the-gambling-man-prof-mark-griffiths

Professor Paul Harris
Developmental psychologist and Victor S. Thomas Professor of Education at Harvard University.
http://harvardscience.harvard.edu/node/3484

Dr. Tom Stafford
Cognitive neuroscientist with the Adaptive Behaviour Research Group in the Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, and co-author of the bestselling popular science book Mind Hacks - Tips and Tricks for Using Your Brain
www.mindhacks.com

Posted in ATP, Conferences, Resources by Mark Holah | 3 Comments »

Health Psychology course at the University of Cumbria

In March at the University of Cumbria (Carlisle) the applied health psychology lecturers are planning to put on a day of lecture/workshop sessions on several health psychology topics. They are aimed at OCR psychology students following the Health option.

The event will held at Learning Gateway Lecture Theatre, Fusehill Street Campus, Carlisle

There are 4 key sessions

Pain – pain management
Stress – Stress management
Factors affecting health
Adherence to medical advice

These sessions should be both interesting and useful reinforcements for the A2 OCR health exam in June 2008

The event is on Friday 7th March 2008 from 11am until 3pm. Registration from 10:30am

There is no charge for the day, but students need to either bring own lunch or be prepared to buy lunch

If you would like to bring students to this event, simply email Julie at Julie.Taylor3@cumbria.ac.uk to check that there are sufficient places available.

Posted in Conferences, lectures, ocr by Mark Holah | No Comments »

Hear from leading researchers for free at OCR Psychology event

There are quite a few events for the 2008 specifications going on this year but so far, this one has to be easily the most interesting.

OCR is offering two free events for psychology teachers thinking of offering OCR specifications for 2008.

As well as giving an overview of the new qualification, this event will delve into some of the new core study material. Three leading psychologists, whose research is included in the core study options, will give presentations.

These include:
Professor Mark Griffiths, Professor of Gambling Studies
Professor Alexander Haslam, Professor of Social Psychology
Professor Stephen Reicher, Professor of Social Psychology

The first event is to be held in Leeds on Wednesday 30th January 2008 and the second is to held in London on Thursday 31st January 2008

You can find out more here where you can register a place. Hurry because they may run out of places.

Posted in Courses, Specifications, ocr by Mark Holah | 4 Comments »

StudySuccess.co.uk

I first purchased Exam Genie a few years ago for one of my students. The small book and supporting materials are very student friendly and simple to follow.

I have since directed a number of students to this website if they want tips on mnemonics for exams and the feedback from students has been very good. I am currently trying to persuade our librarian to purchase some copies of Exam Genie too.

The memory aid only costs about ten quid and the support (including the learning styles questionnaire) on the web site is pretty good too.

The author, Richard Ogden is an occupational psychologist and member of the BPS.

Visit the site at www.studysuccess.co.uk

Posted in Resources, studysuccess by Mark Holah | 2 Comments »

Changes to GCSE Psychology

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has this month announced plans for changes to GCSE qualifications - including psychology GCSE.

Teaching of the new criteria will begin in 2009 (if you are teaching the course over two years) and the first awards will be given in 2011.

The awarding bodies will have to produce a subject criteria that explains the general aims of studying the subject at GCSE, outline the core material that should be present in all specifications irrespective of the awarding body, and indicate the assessment objectives and the scheme of assessment.

This will have to be submitted to the regulators in spring 2008, with the majority of these being accredited by August 2008. The specifications will be available from September 2008, with first teaching from September 2009.

Currently OCR and AQA offer GCSE psychology although Edexcel is proposing to offer GCSE psychology.

For psychology, coursework will be dropped, the content will be updated, be more consistent and comparable between the different awarding bodies, and inline with current 14-19 curriculum developments, the assessment arrangements will provide stretch and challenge for all learners and make assessment less formulaic and predictable.

Commenting on the new changes, the chief executive of the QCA Dr Ken Boston said, ‘The revised GCSE qualification and subject criteria will ensure that public confidence is maintained in the qualification for the future.’ He added that it will also help to stretch and challenge young people by setting them ‘extended writing tasks and more varied question types’.

Here is the new GCSE subject criteria for psychology.

One of the requirements of the new GCSE psychology specifications is that the GCSE specifications in psychology must require learners to develop knowledge, understanding and skills in the following core areas of psychology:

Biological
Social
Cognitive
Developmental
Individual differences

Posted in GCSE, QCA, aqa, edexcel, ocr by Mark Holah | 5 Comments »

OCR Psychology for AS Karon Oliver, Louise Ellerby-Jones

Hodder Education have promised that their textbook for the new OCR AS specifications will be due before April 2008

The textbook is written by Karen and Louise and for 20 quid you get the book and an interactive CD.

The book will obviously be good. For example, the blurb states that the book is “highly accessible and readable, with useful guidance on comparing studies, applying themes, and learning key concepts and terminology. Each study is introduced in detail, with Background, Aims and Methods to fully contextualise it, and includes Focus on Themes and Focus on Research Methods boxes to aid students. There is also a separate chapter dedicated to Research Methods, and numerous hints and tips for top exam performance”

I am looking forward to the “unique Dynamic Learning Student CD, including: • self-test exercises • knowledge quizzes • multiple-choice questions • wordsearches • crosswords • evaluations and summaries of the core studies. These comprehensive digital resources bring learning to life, allowing students to test their knowledge and understanding of all key areas.

Here is the link to the book

Posted in Resources, Specifications, ocr by Mark Holah | 2 Comments »

Introducing Psychological Research (Third Edition) – Banyard and Grayson

I forgot to mention that I received my pre-ordered copy of this book a few weeks ago from Palgrave.com  As far as I know this is the first textbook to be published for the new 2008 specifications.

This is the third edition of the text designed to cover the new studies added to the OCR specifications. If you are planning to teach the OCR specifications, I do recommend the book. The authors have added 14 clear and accurate studies now making a total of 84 research studies.

As in earlier editions, the studies are accessible, lively and engaging. The authors have a real knack of summarising the studies in a wider context and demonstrating the limitations of the empirical research without knocking the stuffing out of the studies as some textbooks do.

I pre-ordered my first copy and then ordered a few more for work and the latter came within three days when ordered through Palgrave.

The only criticism I have of this text is that it does not cover the Sue Savage-Rumbaugh study, although in the authors’ defence this was a late addition to the specifications.

Phil and Cara are also working on a new edition of their OCR Psychology AS Core Studies text (Psychology Press) which will cover the whole of the AS OCR specifications.

Posted in Books, Palgrave, Resources, Specifications, ocr by Mark Holah | 5 Comments »

Psychology Short Cuts 2 from onlineclassroom.tv

Following the success of Short Cuts 1 Classic Studies in Psychology, the second Short Cuts collection is being launched in early 2008. If you haven’t already purchased Classic Studies you can purchase it from onlineclassroom.tv

Research in Context: Making statistics accessible
In response to a need identified by teachers, this collection focuses on the new emphasis in the 2008 specs on integrating ‘science’ and statistical analysis into the curriculum.

Each video has been designed to appeal to a student audience: students are featured throughout and each point is grounded in clear illustrative examples.

Each of the five programmes includes a 5-minute video, PowerPoint presentation and tried and tested activities to enhance teaching and learning experiences for students.

As a special bonus the DVD also includes a statistics package, so that students can practice statistical analysis using computer software.

1 How Science Works
Using Piaget’s classic conservation experiment and Donaldson & McGarrigle’s ‘Naughty Teddy’ critique, this video provides an accessible introduction to the hypothetical-deductive method and how scientific knowledge changes and develops.

2 Descriptive Statistics
Two rival bands are vying for a record contract, but what can the producer learn from attendance at their previous concerts? How does an educational psychologist use IQ tests? Descriptive statistics made accessible with clear examples.

3 Data Presentation
A psychologist is studying lonely hearts dating, but what’s the best way of matching data and presentation? Here different types of data meet their pie chart, line graph, scatter graph and bar chart partners.

4 Data Analysis
Simple memory tests are used to give a clear visual representation of nominal, ordinal data and interval data, and how psychologists find out if their results are statistically significant? A statistical analysis package is included.

5 Data Interpretation
Data never ‘speak for themselves’. Here a questionnaire study measuring levels of aggression amongst students is used illustrate data interpretation with tests of difference and data evaluation with the key criteria of validity and reliability.

The price will be about £50.00 + VAT and the DVD should be availabile from Feb/March 2008.  As soon as the DVD is released I will post a review.  I am sure that it will it be as  good as the first Short Cuts DVD which was a real hit with my students.

Posted in Resources, dvds, onlineclassroom by Mark Holah | 3 Comments »

Insight Conferences - spring dates

Insight conferences have announced the dates for their spring Conferences which will take place during February and March 2008.

The Crime Conferences and the Applied Psychology Conferences listed below will be running at the same venues on the same date.

Dates for Crime Conference and Applied Psychology
Stourbridge Town Hall 5th March 2008
Bristol BAWA Centre 7th March 2008
Friends House London 12th March 2008

Further dates are to be confirmed.

Crime Conference
The Keynote Speaker is Nicholas Yarris, an exonerated Death Row Prisoner. The conference will include the topics of Offender Profiling, Eyewitness Testimony, Courtroom Psychology and Psycopathy.

Applied Psychology
Presentations will include Stress, Memory and Mental Health. During the afternoon students will be split into smaller groups and have the opportunity to speak to individuals who suffer with schizophrenia, a terminal brain tumour, addiction and depression. This session will give students an opportunity to gain an insight into conditions they would not necessarily come into contact with.

Posted in Conferences, Insight Conferences by Mark Holah | No Comments »