Psychology professor’s research presented at SUNY conference

Dr. Joseph McFall, a professor in the Department of Psychology, was recently invited to speak at the SUNY-sponsored fifth annual Applied Learning Conference.

His presentation, which was given on Nov. 1 in Tarrytown, was entitled “Authentic Research Project-Based Learning in the Introductory Psychology Classroom.”

Dr. McFall’s analysis on his topic was based on the premise that students doing their own hands-on research is valuable, but often restricted to students at higher levels. Therefore, McFall is piloting his class, Foundations in Psychology, based on findings in his own work.

“Psychological research is at the heart of the mission of the Department of Psychology at Fredonia,” said McFall. “Conducting research is one of the best applied learning experiences that students can obtain during college…Unfortunately, too many students wait until the end of their academic career to undertake authentic research experiences through opportunities such as Independent Study Research, Honors Thesis or my Advanced Research Methods course.”

The class includes a model intended to aid students as they learn about and execute the research process, as well as approaches to gaining research materials and information that is useful in research projects.

The hands-on approach, McFall said, has been shown to improve college retention. Students who feel comfortable pursuing their own research early on tend to have a better transition into upper-level course work. Plus, they get the opportunity to learn from more advanced students if they join a research lab at an earlier level.

“These students are more likely to present and publish their research, get favorable recommendation letters from faculty supervisors and feel confident about their lab skills,” said McFall.

The next steps for McFall in learning more about integrating the model include using a summer research program and creating, what he calls, a “learning community” that will continue into future semesters.