2009 STP Best Practices Conference

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Hot Topics: Best Practices in Teaching Controversial Issues in Psychology

Friday & Saturday, October 16-17, 2009
Atlanta Marriott Northwest
200 Interstate North Parkway
Atlanta, GA, 30339, (770) 952-7900

Proposal Submission Deadline:
May 15, 2009

Early-bird Registration Deadline:
September 1, 2009

About the Conference	Call for Proposals
Conference Schedule	Registration and Payment Information
Location, Hotel Accommodations, & Travel Information	Conference flyer for posting

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

The Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP, Division 2 of APA), the Psychology Department of Georgia Southern University, and the National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology (NIToP) are excited to announce the 8th conference in the popular "Best Practices in Teaching Psychology" series, which started in 2002. The 2009 conference will focus on teaching controversial topics in psychology. We are interested in proposals from individuals or teams that will address positive ways to teach topics in psychology that evoke an emotional response in our students. We encourage proposals that provide up-to-date information on issues surrounding a controversial topic and innovative ways to open students’ minds while still respecting the individual. Modeled after the format of the previous conferences, the conference will include keynote speakers, concurrent symposia and workshops, and poster sessions.

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

In 2009, our three keynote speakers will be Dr. David Myers, discussing Bridging the Divide: Strengthening Marriage, Welcoming Gays, Dr. David Buss, talking with us about 17 Tools for Teaching Evolutionary Psychology, and Dr. Laura King, presenting Moving Beyond Serial Killers and Their Ilk: Engaging Students Without Overreliance on the Extraordinary and Abnormal.

The conference will run from 8:00am on Friday, October 16th through 1:00pm on Saturday, October 17th.

View the complete conference schedule (PDF)
Abstracts of Keynotes, Workshops, and Symposia (PDF)
Abstracts of Posters (PDF)

Conference Workshops

Finding the FUN in Fundamentalism: Assisting Students in Seeing Beyond the Belief Systems of the Subcultures in Which They Were Raised, Christy Price; Controversy in SoTL: Are IRBs Needed for Research? John Habel; Critical Thinking and Values, Carrie Brown, Janet Kuebli, Bryan Sokol, Brien Ashdown, Natalie Homa, Challis Kinnucan, & Ursula Sanborn.

Conference Symposia

Using Just-In-Time Teaching for Controversial Topics, Apple, Benedict, & Reis-Morgan
Group Work, APA Style, and the “F” Word, Appleby
Animals in Psychology: Lessons From Teaching Comparative Psychology and Psychology of Learning, Baker & Serdikoff
Using Current Events to Promote Class Discussions of Controversial Topics, Cleveland
Teaching Multicultural Issues in Psychology: A Model for Increasing Both Teacher and Student Cultural Competence, Cobb, Jackson, & Anderson
The “Real” Reality Show: Teaching Sensitive Topics Through Documentary Film, Daniels
Debates: Effective for Teaching Controversial Topics in Developmental Psychology?, Drouin & Vartanian
Let’s Talk About Sex…REALLY!, Faulring
Self-Made Knowledge: Engaging Experiences and Emotion in a Psychology of Gender Course, Francis
Using Monopoly to Teach the Systemic Nature of Oppression, Garczynski & Harvey
Free Web-Based Tools for Engaging Students in Controversial Topics, Harris & Chappell
Diversity in Developmental: Opening the Classroom to Differences, Hayes, Adams, & & Bush
Reading Psychopathologies: Teaching Difficult Topics Through Literature, Haynes & Davis
Using Controversial Issues to Teach Critical and Scientific Thinking in Psychology, Holmes
Provocative Methods and Courses to Teach and Teach our Students, Khan, Munnich, Cheung, O’Sullivan, & Clausen
Evolution and Human Sexuality: Two Controversies for the Price of One; Kirsner & Jacobs
Academic Integrity in Psychology Writing, Kirsner, Underwood, & Goodwin
When Ethics and Teaching Collide: Should the Ethics of Teaching be More Controversial, Landrum, Peden, Keniston, Hatcher, Boggs, & McCarthy
Taboo Topics in Advising, Lawrence, Apple, Reis-Bergan, & Zinn
Evaluation of a Classroom Exercise on Social Distance & Discrimination, Maurer
Innovations in Teaching and Learning About Drug Addiction: Biopsychological and Clinical Approaches, Mutchnick
Teaching Evil: Obstacles, Activities, and “The Fairy Tale” Project, Naufel
Critical Thinking Through Films, Nelson & O’Brien
Remember the Data: Teaching Critical Thinking About Controversies Through Research-Based Assignments, Nordstrom, Lajeunesse, & Goodfriend
Controversial Topics and Controversial Techniques, Peden, Carroll, & Keniston
Incorporating Diversity Topics Throughout the Psychology Curriculum, Phelps, Moore, Pityman, & Warner
Less is More: The Use of Cognitive Dissonance Theory to Teach Controversial Topics, Porter & Rodgers
Graduate Training in Clinical Psychology: Promoting Realistic Educational and Career Planning, Rogers, Helms, & Niederjohn
Using Debates and Small Group Discussions to Promote Critical Thinking and Appreciation of Diversity, Stowell
Discussion Daze: A Growth Perspective on Teaching Controversial Issues, Stuart & Sego

Additional presenters will participate in a poster session on Saturday morning.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

We are seeking innovative symposia, workshops, and poster presentations that address how we might best teach about controversial issues in an informed and sensitive way. Possible topics include (but are not limited to): evolution, sexuality, corporal punishment, race and ethnicity, gender, drugs, religion, animal research, or other course topics that routinely cause students to react with negative emotion. If you have questions about a topic, please contact Janie Wilson at jhwilson@georgiasouthern.edu.

Submitting a proposal represents a commitment to make the presentation at the conference if it is accepted. Persons with accepted proposals must participate at the scheduled time during the conference or make an arrangement for someone else to make the presentation. Individuals with constraints with respect to the scheduling of the day or time of their presentation must indicate those limitations when the proposal is submitted. No incomplete research should be submitted.

Submissions must be received by midnight on May 15, 2009.

Symposia/Workshops: 200 word overall summary plus maximum 200 word summary for each presenter. (Note: Group presentations are encouraged, but individual proposals will also be included in the program.)

Posters: 200 word summary of completed work

Cover Sheet: Please complete a cover sheet and email it with your proposal. Proposals should be submitted by e-mail as a Word or RTF attachment to Janie Wilson, STP Director of Programming, at jhwilson@georgiasouthern.edu.

Members of the Program Committee are Dana Dunn, Sue Frantz, Regan Gurung, and Karen Naufel.

REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT

The registration fee includes all refreshments and meals during the conference (lunch, continental breakfast, dinner, breaks, and reception, including 2 free drinks) and conference materials.

Early-Bird Rate if register by September 1st:
$185 for members of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology
$215 for nonmembers
Don’t forget to reserve your room early (see Lodging information below)

For those who register after September 1st, but by October 1st
$200 for members of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology
$230 for nonmembers

After October 1st, rates are: $240 for all registrants
Please contact Janie Wilson directly at jhwilson@georgiasouthern.edu to make sure space is available.

REFUND POLICY: A full refund is available with notification of cancellation by 5:00PM on October 1st, 2009, with no refund after that date.

SPACE IS LIMITED to 250 participants--PLEASE REGISTER EARLY: Once we reach our capacity, additional registrations are on a waiting list for openings due to cancellations. Onsite Registration is on a space available basis. You should verify space in advance.

Registration can only be done online. To register, complete the steps listed below. If you have any problems or questions about registration, please contact Janie Wilson.

Complete the registration form.
Continue to the payment page and select the appropriate conference rate when making payment.

CONFERENCE LOCATION & ACCOMMODATIONS

Lodging

Conference sessions and lodging will be at the Altanta Marriott Northwest, 200 Interstate North Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia, 30339, USA. Phone: 1-770-952-7900. The conference rate is $101 per room.We CANNOT guarantee room availability at the conference rate after September 15, 2009, so make your reservations early!

You can reserve a hotel room at the conference rate online. Reserve your room.

Travel

Driving: Follow I-75 through the city to Exit 260 (Windy Hill Road). When exiting, stay in far right lane, which winds around onto Interstate North Parkway. The Marriott Northwest will be on your left.

Atlanta Map

Flying: If flying into Atlanta, from the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport there are several options for reaching the conference hotel. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND TAKING A TAXI DIRECTLY FROM THE AIRPORT BECAUSE OF THE DISTANCE AND HIGH COST.
- The hotel is accessible by van service from the airport (A&M Limousine, http://www.aandmlimo.com/reservations.asp). Advance reservations are REQUIRED and can be done at the A&M Web site!
- You can take the Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit System (MARTA) directly from the airport to the Dunwoody (Perimeter Mall) station. Taxi service to the hotel is available from this station. Call the hotel for recommended taxi companies (1-770-952-7900).

Any individual who requires assistance under the Americans with Disabilities Act for participation in this conference should contact Janie Wilson at jhwilson@georgiasouthern.edu or 912-478-5580.

Sponsoring Organization

Society for the Teaching of Psychology (APA Division 2)

Co-Sponsoring Organizations

If you have questions about the conference, please contact Janie Wilson at jhwilson@georgiasouthern.edu

Conferences

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