Assessing Undergraduate Learning in Psychology: Strategies for Measuring and Improving Student Performance

This book shows educators how to develop assessments for designing pedagogies, courses, and curricula around student learning goals, including those identified by APA’s Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major.

The contributors are veteran educators who offer expert advice for addressing assessment-driven pressures from individual and institutional stakeholders. They also discuss international pressures as education programs around the world become more interconnected, which requires global cooperation and harmonization.
     
Using illustrative case examples, the authors provide strategies for assessing students’ learning, developing institutional assessment plans, and building bridges across institutions and international borders. In addition, they highlight the limitations of assessment, encouraging flexibility in determining what to assess and how to act on and communicate the resulting data. They encourage active, thoughtful engagement to improve student learning, and ensure that today’s students are ready to compete in the global economy.

Susan A. Nolan, PhD, is a psychology professor at Seton Hall University, New Jersey. She has taught numerous courses, including Abnormal Psychology, International Psychology, Introduction to Psychology, and Statistics. She has also coauthored several statistics and introduction to psychology textbooks. Dr. Nolan served as a United Nations representative for the American Psychological Association and researched international psychology education in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar. She also studies the education and careers of women and men in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Susan Nolan lives in Jersey City, New Jersey. Follow @susan_a_nolan on Twitter.

Christopher M. Hakala, PhD, is a psychology professor and the director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship at Springfield College, Massachusetts. His research has focused on reading comprehension, teaching and learning, effective faculty development and assessment, and best practices in the classroom. Dr. Hakala has been invited to present at many conferences around the country as well as dozens of colleges and universities on topics ranging from reading narrative text to managing large classes and engaging students in ways that maximize their learning. He lives in Wilbraham, Massachusetts. Follow @chakala5 and @CenterTeaching on Twitter.

R. Eric Landrum, PhD, is a professor and chair of the Department of Psychological Science at Boise State University, Idaho. He teaches courses including Introductory General Psychology, Introduction to the Psychology Major, Statistical Methods, Research Methods, and Psychological Measurements. Dr. Landrum’s research interests center on educational issues and facilitating student success. He is the author of Undergraduate Writing in Psychology (3rd ed.) (2021) and has won multiple teaching awards, including the American Psychological Foundation’s Charles L. Brewer Distinguished Teaching of Psychology award in 2019. Eric Landrum lives in Meridian, Idaho. Visit https://ericlandrum.com/ and follow @ericlandrum on Twitter.

Susan A. Nolan, PhD, is a psychology professor at Seton Hall University, New Jersey. She has taught numerous courses,
including abnormal psychology, international psychology, introduction to psychology, and statistics. She has also coauthored
several statistics and introduction to psychology textbooks. Dr. Nolan has served as a United Nations representative for the
American Psychological Association for several years and researched international psychology education in Bosnia and
Herzegovina as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar. She also studies the education and careers of women and men in science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Susan Nolan lives in South Orange, New Jersey.
 
Chris Hakala, PhD, is a psychology professor and the director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship at Springfield College, Massachusetts. His research has focused on reading comprehension, teaching and learning, effective faculty development and assessment, and best practices in the classroom. He has been invited to present at many conferences around the country as well as dozens of colleges and universities on topics ranging from reading narrative text to how to effectively manage large classes, or how to engage students in ways that maximize student learning. Chris Hakala lives in Springfield, Massachusetts.
 
R. Eric Landrum, PhD, is a professor and chair of the Department of Psychological Science at Boise State University, Idaho. He has taught multiple courses, including general psychology, introduction to the psychology major, statistical methods, research methods, and psychological measurements. Dr. Landrum’s research interests center on educational issues and facilitating student success. He is the author of Undergraduate Writing in Psychology, Revised Edition (2012) and has won multiple teaching awards, including the American Psychological Foundation’s Charles L. Brewer Distinguished Teaching of
Psychology award in 2019. Eric Landrum lives in Boise, Idaho. Visit https://ericlandrum.com/ and follow @ericlandrum on Twitter.