From Cells to Society: The Centrality of Introduction to Psychology to a UMN Undergraduate Education
Introduction to Psychology–affectionately termed Psych 1001–is the scientific study of human behavior in all of its wonderful and challenging complexity, from the cells which carry our DNA to the societies which carry our history. At the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, over 2,000 undergraduates enroll in Psych 1001 each year. A quarter of students will continue to major in psychology, making the Psychology undergraduate program one of the largest at the University. The other three quarters of students will rely on the foundations they learned in studying human behavior in Psych 1001 as they pursue degrees in the sciences, the arts, medicine, and the law. Psychology majors are consistently successful in fields such as business and education and content from Psych 1001 is now regularly included medical school exams. From cells to society, Psych 1001 is one of the largest single undergraduate course at the University of Minnesota.
The intellectual objectives of Psych 1001
The overarching structure of the Psych 1001 course is based upon areas of study whose professional definitions have evolved over time–three to four lectures cover biological psychology, another series covers organizational psychology, another clinical, etc. The University of Minnesota Department of Psychology offers seven areas of specialization, while the American Psychological Association lists 15 subfields. Professor Liza Meredith, who has taught and served as the faculty coordinator for Psych 1001 for the past 9 years, noted that the phrase 'from cells to society' is meant to capture these very different areas or subfields, from focusing on how our brains are structured to understanding cultural norms.
Psych 1001 emphasizes this 'area of specialization' approach to the study of psychology by highlighting senior faculty lecturing on the major findings within their subfield. The involvement of senior faculty in Psych 1001 at the UMN is unique among large research universities across the United States. Early-career students deeply benefit from hearing leading researchers discuss the field of psychology and their specific subfield. Also, they get to learn about research being done at the University–research they may have the interest and the opportunity in which to participate during their undergraduate career.
Underlying this multiplicity of approaches is a discipline-wide commitment to the scientific method. Meredith noted that both philosophy and psychology focused on human behavior, yet psychology distinguishes itself because of the importance placed on the scientific method in the discipline. In Psych 1001, students learn about the scientific method, as well as the variety of research methodologies used in the field. Students also learn how psychologists draw conclusions from their data and develop ways of helping people based on their findings.
Because so much emphasis is placed on being thorough in covering all aspects of human behavior and on being rigorous in how studies are conducted and conclusions drawn, Psych 1001 students are sometimes frustrated to discover human behavior is truly complex. Meredith reminds her students that often psychology does not provide us with simple answers for human behavior. For instance, what type of therapy should be recommended for heart patients? How do we integrate knowledge on how cells respond to stress with information on how different religions, families, or organizations teach about stress management? A challenge in studying psychology is to be open to including multiple perspectives–biological, familial, developmental–and multiple methods–behavioral genetics, family histories, survey data–when considering human behavior.
In Psych 1001, students will learn why human behavior–from cells to society–is complicated. This knowledge will prepare them for learning how to manage such behavior, their own and others, as business owners, teachers, doctors and nurses, scientists, or lawyers.
The nuts and bolts of Psych 1001
Strong learning depends on sound instruction and Professor Meredith is laser-focused on providing high-quality instruction. For Meredith, the cornerstone of effective teaching depends on connecting with students, prioritizing time to talk with them on a one-on-one basis, engaging them in a variety of learning activities, and emphasizing the relevance of the course content to their lives today. Professor Meredith builds the course around these values, coordinating a team of contributors and providing multiple learning resources, ensuring that each student has the opportunity to succeed. The people with whom Meredith coordinates each semester to offer Psych 1001 include:
- multiple expert faculty presenters
- 25-30 teaching assistants
- multiple tutors
- an instructional designer
- a videographer
Students can get their questions answered through lectures and the textbook, in-person and online discussion sections, meeting with their discussion section leader or a peer tutor, and by attending review sections. Meredith also encourages students to meet with her individually to discuss course questions, concerns, and/or their future academic plans. Meredith has a PhD in Counseling Psychology, so she is accustomed to, and excited about, talking to students one-on-one; she cares about their success in the course.
Meredith noted that Psych 1001 is a particularly good class for first years to take because it also helps students more broadly learn about how college works. This point may be especially true for students who do not consider themselves to be good test-takers. Meredith and her team have developed multiple resources for students to learn how to study and take tests, including study guides, practice exams, tutors, and review sessions.
The University’s Department of Psychology recently doubled down on its commitment to quality instruction by reclassifying the administrative coordinator position into a teaching faculty position. Professor Meredith now has the academic standing she needs to design and deliver the most effective course possible.
The challenges of Psych 1001 today
Some of the challenges Meredith faces in teaching Psych 1001 are shared across higher education today: how to use technology well and how to accurately assess student learning. Both issues are made more difficult by the increasing ubiquity of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools.
Increasing numbers of students are taking Psych 1001 online. They watch three lectures online per week and they participate in weekly online discussion groups. The major benefit for all involved in providing an online option is the scheduling flexibility it offers. This flexibility particularly serves students who may have to work during the day, those who have personal and family obligations, and/or those who develop health-related issues that limit their in-person availability. Indeed, an entire section of students in China was able to take the course with the assistance of a teaching assistant who was fluent in Mandarin during COVID. A flexible course delivery system gives Meredith and her team the tools needed to ensure that 2,000 students have the opportunity to successfully complete the course.
Yet, Meredith worries about the potential for students taking the course online to become isolated, losing connection with their instructors, the course content, and their fellow students. Students may lose sight of their goal of successfully completing the course if they are unconnected to the formal in-person structure and the informal communities that often define college life. For this reason, Meredith strongly supports some kind of ongoing contact between instructors and students, whether that is with herself, a graduate assistant, or a peer tutor.
Meredith uses a variety of assessments in determining how well students have learned the material. Fifty percent of a student's grade is based on a series of summative assessments, which are traditional exams that measure students' command of the vocabulary and the main findings in the areas of specialization covered. The other fifty percent is based on discussion section involvement and other tasks as assigned. These assessments require students to engage with the material covered in the course to address real-life problems. For instance, what can operant conditioning teach us about why people relapse? What role do parents have in early childhood learning? Why do people vote? What does the evidence say?
Of course, if students use AI to complete their school work, their isolation may increase, and their comprehension of the material may decrease. Meredith has already identified some instances in which students have used AI to complete their assignments. Those students receive 0 points for the assignment and are offered an opportunity to come into the office to complete the assignment themselves. As the technological landscape continues to rapidly evolve in teaching and learning, Meredith is constantly engaging with colleagues to implement innovative ways to both maximize the benefits and mitigate the downsides of AI.
A message for future students and parents
After 10 years leading Psych 1001, Meredith views working with students as a privilege rather than an obligation. She communicated that she still has the energy and excitement for Psych 1001 that she started with ten years ago. Now, however, she also has the depth of experience needed to continue delivering the course now and into the future. Professor Meredith knows that students will use the content and skills they learn in Psych 1001 in their future professional lives, leaving her confident of its ongoing relevance and importance for each and every student who takes it, and her sense of satisfaction in being a part of it.
