Psychology Students Awareness of MLOs in Framing Desired Skills and Knowledge | Dr. Jen Dyer-Seymour Lab

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The American Psychological Association uses the "Guidelines 2.0" as a framework for the desired skills undergraduate students should have acquired by the time they graduate with their bachelors. California State University, Monterey Bay has utilized that framework by integrating those skills into the curriculum as Major Learning Outcomes (MLOs). Specifically, we were interested in understanding how much students know about what they are supposed to be learning, and if their awareness of learning outcomes is related to their acquisition of skills. Our project involves a mix of ranking, Likert, and open-ended questions to assess student’s perceived level of importance, emphasis, and explanation of Major Learning Outcomes (MLOs) in their coursework, as well as whether or not they are acquiring the targeted skills. Results showed a relationship between instructor emphasis placed on MLOs, and students’ awareness of them. Additionally, we found that the extent to which instructors emphasize MLOs relates to a student’s perception of how much they have learned. Assessing psychology undergraduates’ knowledge of MLOs could indicate if important skills are being fostered, and whether or not students are learning the skills necessary for postgraduate success. Future research could inform teaching methods and interventions that make more likely the acquisition of important skills, thus cultivating psychology undergraduates equipped with the skills necessary for postgraduate success. Please contact me to hear more in depth about our study! I'd love to share our results in greater detail.