EDGE
EDGE is a research group that investigates issues related to effective teaching and learning at the college and university level. It was first organized in 1999 following discussions about questions that graduate students had about particular teaching practices during the Teaching of Psychology course. These students started conducting their own research on these topics. As word spread around the department about this group, other students joined. At any given time, we generally have 9 to 12 members across the department’s three graduate programs.
Membership:
Open to all graduate students in psychology, 2nd year and beyond with major advisor approval.
Basic Operating Procedures:
- Ideas for research originate with either students or the faculty facilitator or through mutual discussions. These ideas generally stem from students’ experience in the classroom, or as a reaction to something they have read or have heard about in our research discussions—either in the Teaching of Psychology course or in the EDGE meetings.
- An idea is developed by a “team leader” in collaboration with at least one other EDGE member and sometimes 2-3 others. The faculty facilitator is also active with each team in the idea stage and at every stage thereafter.
- Each member of EDGE serves as a team leader on at least one project and as a team member on at least one other project.
- In conjunction with the faculty facilitator and other members of the team, the team leader develops the IRB for the research.
- Upon IRB approval, the team carries out the research together. At this point the team determines the division of labor for writing the data up either in manuscript form or poster form. Typically, though, the data are written in poster form and then in ms. form. The faculty facilitator usually write the introduction and plays a strong role in revising the ms.
- Once the ms. is written through the results section and circulated for editing and revision among team members, the ms. is sent to all members of EDGE for their editorial comments and suggestions for the direction of the discussion section. A meeting is then called and all members of EDGE verbally critique the work and make suggestions for revision. Marked copies of the ms. are collected by the team leader.
- The team leader then collates all this information and writes the first draft of the discussion section.
- The completed first draft of the ms. is then forwarded to all team members for editing and final revision.
- Once the team leader has integrated team members’ comments into the next draft of the ms., the ms. is given to the faculty facilitator for final editorial work.
- Once the team leader and the faculty facilitator agree that the work is complete, either the faculty facilitator or the team leader drafts the cover letter for the ms. and submits the ms. for publication or in the case of a poster, the poster presentation.
- Depending on who submits the ms., that person then is primarily responsible for all correspondence with the journal editor for first submission as well as all subsequent revisions.
EDGE Publications
Buskist, W., Miller, E., Ecott, C., & Critchfield, T. S. (1999). Updating coverage of operant conditioning in introductory psychology. Teaching of Psychology, 26, 280-283.
Buskist, W., & Saville, B. K. (2001). Rapport-building: Creating positive emotional contexts for enhancing teaching and learning. APS Observer, 14, 12-13, and 19.
Buskist, W., Tears, R., Davis, S. F., & Rodrigue, K. M. (2002). The teaching of psychology course: Prevalence and content. Teaching of Psychology, 29, 140-142.
Sikorski, J., Rich, K, Saville, & Buskist, W., Davis, S. F., & Drogan, O. (2002). Student use of introductory textbooks. Teaching of Psychology, 29, 312-313.
Rasmussen, E., Lawyer, S., & Buskist, W. (2003). Do researchers teach? A survey of selected APA journal editorial board members. Teaching of Psychology, 30, 73-75.
Schaeffer, G., Epting, K., Zinn, T., & Buskist, W. (2003). Student and faculty perceptions of effective teaching. A successful replication. Teaching of Psychology, 30, 133-136.
Keeley, J., Rossi, M. J., & Buskist, W. (2003). What do students remember from high school psychology? Psychology Teacher Network, 13(2), 5-6. (Invited Article).
Saville, B. K., & Buskist, W. (2004). Essential reading in the teaching of psychology. Teaching of Psychology, 31, 42-44.
Epting, L., Zinn, T., Buskist, C., & Buskist, W. (2004). Student perspectives on the distinction between ideal and typical teachers. Teaching of Psychology, 31, 181-183.
Zinn, T., Sikorski, J., & Buskist, W. (2004). McKeachie Early Career awardees: Their training, work, and perspectives on academic life. Teaching of Psychology 31, 263-265.
Benson, T. A., & Buskist, W. (2005). Understanding “excellence in teaching” as assessed by psychology faculty search committees. Teaching of Psychology 32, 46-48.
Buskist, W., Benson, T., & Sikorski, J. F. (2005). The call to teach. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 24, 110-121. (Invited Article).
Rossi, M., Keeley, J., & Buskist, W. (2005). High school psychology and student performance in the college introductory psychology course. Teaching of Psychology, 32, 52-54.
Benson, T. A., Cohen, A. L., & Buskist, W. (2005). Rapport: Its relation to student attitudes and behaviors toward teachers and classes. Teaching of Psychology, 32, 236-238.
Clifton, J., & Buskist, W. (2005). Preparing graduate students for academic positions in psychology: Suggestions from job advertisements. Teaching of Psychology, 32, 264-266.
Buskist, W., Keeley, J., & Irons, J. (2006). Evaluating and improving your teaching. APS Observer. (Invited Article).
Burgess, D., & Buskist, W. (2006). An effective model of engaging graduate students in the scholarship of teaching. Teaching of Psychology.
Keeley, J., Smith, D., & Buskist, W. (2006). The Teacher Behaviors Checklist: Factor analysis of its utility for evaluating teaching. Teaching of Psychology.
Henslee, A. M., Burgess, D. R., & Buskist, W. (2006). Student preferences for first day of class activities. Teaching of Psychology.
Buskist, W., & Irons, J. G. (2006). The truth about the job market in academic psychology: Teaching matters. APS Observer19, 14-17. (Invited Article).
Buskist, W., & Howard, C. (2007, September 5) Mentoring: Why it matters and how to do it well. An invited review of On being a mentor: A guide for higher education faculty by W. Brad Johnson. Available at PsycCRITIQUES-Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books, 52 (No. 36), Article 10, PsycCRITIQUES database.
Cox, B., Cullen, K. L., & Buskist W. (2008). Making the transition from undergraduate to graduate student: Insights from successful graduate students. Eye on Psi Chi, 12, 28-30.
Irons, J. G., & Buskist, W. (2008). Preparing the new professoriate: What courses should they be ready to teach? Teaching of Psychology, 35, 201-204.
Irons, J. G., & Buskist, W. (2008). The scholarships of teaching and pedagogy: Time to abandon the distinction? Teaching of Psychology, 35, 353-356.
Buskist, W., & Howard, C. (in press). Helping failing students part 1: The actively failing student. APS Observer.