"MPL lowers DFW rate and improves grades when students take practice tests." featuring Sue Spaulding
"As a senior professor with 35 years in the classroom, I thought I'd seen everything a textbook rep had to offer—then I saw MDL and have never looked back! Can old dogs learn new tricks? Absolutely, but MyDevelopmentLab isn't a trick, sizzle, or the frosting—it's the heart and soul of teaching in the 21st century. Student performance is enhanced, students' self assessment of their learning is enriched, and as a faculty member, I feel that MDL has allowed me to move beyond the confines of the classroom and the lecture hour. As class sizes have increased along with the content of the texts, I have had to cut back on outside reading assignments and limit evaluations to the ubiquitous multiple guess test. Now within MDL, I can assign students videos to watch or supplemental readings and require essay answers to questions I pose. Students submit their work to me within MDL, and I get to read the essays, make comments, and assign grades with the ease of a keystroke. Even better feedback to students is literally instanteous!"
Bill Holt, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
"MyPsychLab has become an indispensable tool for me, especially for managing large lecture courses. The tools in MyPsychLab improve my teaching, make me more accessible to my students, and help me communicate with my students. My students benefit from MyPsychLab, too. It helps them study more efficiently via technologies that are a central part of their lives."
Mark Laumakis, San Diego State University and University of San Diego
"MyPsychLab allows me to target mastery learning outside of class with immediate, detailed feedback on the quality of students' preparation for upcoming exam style questions."
Sean Reilley, Morehead State University
"MyPsychLab is a wonderful technological tool to keep students engaged in the course material content beyond the walls of the classroom. My students not only benefit from the media embeded into my PowerPoint slides during the lecture, but also use the media outside the classroom to gain more in-depth experience with the concepts introduced in class. Outside the classroom students use MyPsychLab to keep track of their grades, monitor the lectures and assignments on the calendar and use the pre- and post-tests to help them prepare for the chapter quizzes."
Larry Thomas, Blinn College; Brenham Texas
"One student in my class asked that I tell you,'MyPsychLab is just great!' Every student loved the auditory definitions, the videos, and the e-book. They love the pre and post tests, the personalized study guide, etc. There isn't one thing they didn't like! But, the grades on the first test are amazing! The students who have taken the test so far are scoring in the 80s, 90s, and some have made 100. I am thrilled, because the past tests from another publisher had basically devastated my students. Our IT staff also adds 'The team at ABL that set this up did an excellent job and their effort showed!'.... I guess I'm trying to tell you this has been the best decision I've made on a textbook, and I'm excited to see what the semester holds in the weeks to come. Thanks again for introducing me to this concept."
Kathy Manuel, Psychology Department, Bossier Parish Community College
"In a recent study evaluating the effectiveness and preference for using MyPsychLab vs. traditional materials in my introductory Psychology course, my students using MPL reported greater satisfaction, more frequently accessed study materials, and earned higher overall grades. The comparisons were statistically significant and I plan further research in upcoming semesters. My findings will be presented in the upcoming APS conference."
Arlene Lundquist, Psychology Department, Utica College
"I have been using the MyPsychLab/CourseCompass software for over three years. I absolutely love it! MyPsychLab has revolutionalized my classroom. MyPsychLab has a plethora of pre-loaded simulations, videos, audios, activities, biographies, and practice tests. My students have compared the MyPsychLab program to a Playstation or X-Box that is psychology based and they love it. Before using MyPsychLab I was seldom able to use any type of multimedia in my classroom to enhance learning because NFCC has a very small, almost non-existent budget for the purchase of videos, audios, etc. Due to this exciting new learning and teaching tool, I now have access to every imaginable resource needed to teach and administer a psychology course!"
Teresa R. Stalvey, Behavioral Science Instructor, North Florida Community College
"MyPsychLab is a powerful innovative tool for student learning. Its helps the teaching effectively transfer some of the responsibility for learning squarely on the shoulders on those for whom it belongs--the students. Everything the student needs to "get into" the textbook and truly learn from it are included in MyPsychLab. My students have reacted very positively to the interactive simulations, study plan, and the practice quizzes. One student even told me that it's like having "my own private tutor available for consultation 24/7."
Bill Buskist, Psychology Department at Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
"Feedback from students last semester was positive. Most students reported that they enjoyed the practice tests. I found the parts of the program that I utilized to be very useful in introducing new concepts to my class. I plan to expand my use of the program even further. I was able to motivate most students by allowing students to earn credit by working with MyPsychLab. I'll keep you posted on future progress with the program".
J. Rosella, Psychology Department, Bucks Community College
"After using My Psych Lab for two semesters I am a fan, advocate, and cheerleader. Teaching large Introductory Psychology sections often feels like talking to an anonymous crowd. My Psych Lab allows a rich full-bodied experience I can share with my students. It allows more personal contact especially the discussion boards. Even though the addition of the My Psych Lab component required additional work for students, 72% felt it was a good addition to the class. Whether My Psych Lab is used as the base for an on-line course or as an addition to a traditional lecture course it provides students with a rich learning environment they enjoy and appreciate….. An unanticipated benefit was for those students who have English as a second language, the ability to hear words pronounced in the e-book allowed them to make better connections between the lecture and the written text."
Sue Spaulding, General Psychology Lab Director/Lecturer, University of North Carolina-Charlotte
"One of the reasons I like MPL is because I am in touch with the students all the time. I can put my thoughts in an announcement at midnight if I choose. The fact that the student names are automatically entered into the grade book is a relief - that is one of the onerous tasks of grading - typing in all the names. Being able to check when a student logged in eliminates a few arguments about accessing information. No more copying syllabi! It's all there for them. I've easily posted class notes, reminders of tests and dates for assignments. The other aspect of the site that I like and really haven't had a chance to investigate further is the online text and the videos clips - they are terrific…I'm sure I can say much more in a week or two because something new will become clear to me!"
Mary-Ellen O'Sullivan, Psychology Department, Southern Connecticut State University
"You have finally organized all the materials that have been stand alone items for many years. I would encourage my students to explore and use the Pre Tests, Post Tests, Practice and Exams. As a supplement to my class, I would encourage students to explore the Explore, Watch and Simulate areas."
Fred Whitford, Montana State University
We found the navigation system of MyPsychLab to be very user-friendly. It was straightforward and took you to the next step with very little effort.
MyPsychLab instructor customer
The general set up of the website is user-friendly. The layout of the modules is easy to read and simple to use. The questions in the diagnostic and exit exams help the user remember the information presented in the book resulting in a better grade on lecture exams.
We found the navigation system of MyPsychLab to be very user-friendly. The navigation is not confusing in any way. It was very straight forward and took you to the next step with very little effort.
MyPsychLab makes it easy for students to study anywhere that has Internet access. The program provides an e-book, so if students don't have their book with them they are able to read the book online.
Another positive aspect about MyPsychLab was the virtual flashcards. This is a great study tool, mainly because it saves so much time. It is also environmentally friendly since students don't have to waste paper on flashcards for each chapter.
It was nice to be able to use the computer as a study tool, when the actually class test was given, some terms seemed to jump out because of the MyPsychLab review.
Helpful that results were sent straight to the professor, so there was no bother with seeing if the teacher had received the work.
MyPsychLab is useful as a study guide because it covers every part of the book by section. It's easy to get back to trouble areas if needed.
It was nice to study a portion of the book, then take a test over it. Helped students realizing if they were really reading well enough, of it something needed to change in study habits.
The test questions were well aimed and seemed very specific to what was being studied. There were not any irrelevant questions.
What we liked about MyPsychLab the most is that it helps the user understand new concepts that are presented in the book in a different format than the book; because the site asks questions about the concept themselves instead of just stating what they are.
It is very informative and a great study guide for tests. It helps you learn the material that you need to know and helps you review and learn what you do not know.
MyPsychLab is also a great tool for review. If the student completes the MyPsychLab exercises, they will get more out of their studying than if were only reading the book. The exercises provided by MyPsychLab helps students process the information they have read, and make it more likely to be stored in their long term memory. In addition, the comprehension test can be taken at any time, so students can use this as a review tool any time and as many times as they wish.
The MyPsychLab program has been a good learning tool for students in Psychology 100.
The flashcards are a great way to demonstrate how well you know the material and very helpful in learning the material. The research navigator and eBook were informative and straight to the point about what was important to learn and understand. The learning tool on MyPsychLab are extremely beneficial and very helpful.
What Students Are Saying (PDF)
Requiring MyPsychLab was much better than requiring students to purchase merely a textbook, as it facilitates learning, not just memorization. Even though I'm generally a crammer by nature, it still helped a lot, and I imagine it helped a lot of other students even more. (Spring 2005)
Overall, I thought that MyPsychLab was very helpful. It was the main tool that I used to study for our exams. When I did not do well on a certain area, it clearly showed me the things that I needed to work on. All of the practice tests really helped me to narrow down what I needed to study for the test. I am very glad that we were able to use MyPsychLab as a tool in this class. (Fall 2005)
I really enjoyed using MyPsychLab. The program was very beneficial to me and it really helped me to learn the material for the test. It also helped with my understanding of each unit and presented information that I did not understand in a new way. I wish that every class had a program like this one, it was very helpful in many different ways. (Fall 2005)
Each time I used MyPsychLab my grade improved. It was obvious what chapters I studied for using the program and which ones I did not. MyPsychLab was a very beneficial and key element to helping me to understand this class. (Fall 2005)
The set up of the website is user-friendly. The layout of the modules is easy to read and simple to use. The questions in the diagnostic and exit exams help the user remember the information presented in the book, resulting in a better grade on lecture exams.
MyPsychLab student customer
MyPsychLab is great! I am using the site and related material instead of the book, at first before I tried the site I was a little apprehensive about using the site because it looked as if it would not have detailed information. I was blown away, with all the material available to me -- videos, research articles, etc. I spent 2 hours just looking up research articles about fish oil and how it related to memory. MyPsychLab is perfect!
Christopher McCullar, Northeastern Illinois University
"MyPsychLab is a great learning tool!"
Christina Paulson, Pensacola Junior College
"MyPsychLab really impressed me because I've never used anything like it before for a class. I like the fact that there are little activities (like the simulations) and practice tests as well. They help you better understand the concepts and prepare you for the actual exam. This is definitely better than using a regular textbook."
Alyssa Pierce, Boston College
"MyPsychLab injects a burst of energy into the material and the process of studying. Through the e-text, concepts are enlivened by interactive resources and reinforced by fresh, creative study tools. With its creative design, personalized feel, and time-saving features, MyPsychLab challenges the age-old notion that studying is an endless, boring process. The activities, videos and simulations really make studying enjoyable!"
Michael Popper, Brandeis University
"I thought [MyPsychLab] was great! The text is current and the examples used were interesting and up-to-date. I would be psyched (no pun intended) to have MyPsychLab as my resources and text for an Intro Psych course."
Sara Owen, University of Vermont (graduate)
"I think MyPsychLab would definitely help me do better in class... Also, MyPsychLab is a lot more fun than reading a textbook. If MyPsychLab was offered for courses that I take in school I¹d probably be a much better student."
Sharon Feder, SUNY New Paltz
Posted by Sarah on Friday, July 16, 2004 11:34am
Prof. Capozzi,
I find the CourseCompass/MPL site to be extremely helpful. Not only is it easy to use but it also keeps me interested in the material. I have used the pre- and post-tests for every chapter thus far. I like them because they are an indication of the material that I should be concentrating on. All in all I'd say that CourseCompass/MPL is great and very helpful. Sarah
Posted by Christine on Sunday, May 9, 2004 9:14pm
Hi Julie,
I believe the reason that I did so well in the class was first and foremost that I enjoyed the material and was interested in all of the topics covered. I did pace myself- usually I would take the pre-test without reading the chapter, as instructed - I would then note the material that I did not do very well in. Possibly the next day or two I would read the chapter and then
review the test questions in the book - once I was comfortable I would then proceed with the post test- I found this to be very helpful (and this test can be taken more than once-very nice if you are not quite comfortable with the material the first time around). Once that was completed I would again note the questions I had answered incorrectly and review once again prior
to taking the test. I believe that with anything- practice and review is the key- also in this course pacing myself and not trying to rush everything in one night (although I must admit that for a few chapters I was quite intrigued and spent most of the evening reading, reviewing and practicing).
Again- I would emphasize pacing yourself- but I think an interest in the material is also a key factor in a persons' success.
Thanks again, Christine
Posted by Donna on Tuesday, May 11, 2004 6:13pm
Hi Julie,
I did use most of the resources available. The ones that really helped me were the PowerPoint presentations because I actually took notes on them. I also printed out the objectives and reviewed them. I did 4 of the 5 section reviews at the end of each chapter. I used the simulations and explores on CourseCompass/MPL. I am someone that needs a lot of repetition, so I took advantage of as many things as I could. I really enjoyed the format of the class because I could go at my pace. Thanks for a great class and have a great summer!! -Donna
Sent by Christine on Monday, May 10, 2004 6:25pm
Hi Julie,
I would review the tests in the book, but found that the pre-tests and post
tests at CourseCompass/MPL were very helpful...the pre-test can only be taken once but you can practice with the post test as often as you like...I found the CourseCompass/MPL testing very valuable. Thanks, Christine
Posted by Deborah on Friday, July 16, 2004 3:30pm
I have only taken one other on line course and feel that taking this course with CourseCompass/MPL I am learning more. I find the pretests gets me started in reading the chapter and connects when actually exploring the chapter with the simulations and explores. The post test is better than the study plan. After I have taken it I make notes on the incorrect answers in my book and reread the individual items to hopefully have better results on the exam. Debbie
Posted by Pierre on Tuesday, July 13, 2004 8:46pm
Thanks Julie,
I finally got the book last week and I must say that the CourseCompass/MPL web site is a great help.
It's all good. Thanks
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