How Do IUPUI’s Principles of Undergraduate Learning Provide Undergraduate

Psychology Majors With Opportunities to Develop

Skills Valued by Employers

Drew C. Appleby, PhDProfessor of Psychology

Associate Dean of the Honors College

The Principles of Undergraduate Learning (PULs) are the essential ingredients of the general education all undergraduate students should receive at IUPUI, regardless of their major. More specific Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for psychology majors have been developed by the faculty in the IUPUI Department of Psychology to complement the University’s PULs. Together, these PULs and SLOs provide IUPUI’s psychology majors with the skills they will need to lead thoughtful, productive, responsible, and personally fulfilling lives after they graduate.

Although the purpose of an undergraduate education at IUPUI is much broader than preparing its graduates to enter the workforce, it would be woefully incomplete if it did not provide students with opportunities to identify, value, practice, and strengthen the skills they will need to enter and succeed in today’s highly competitive job market.

The remainder of this presentation is composed of the three following components.

Component #1

IUPUI’s PULs and specific examples of their learning outcomes

Component #2

The SLOs of IUPUI’s Undergraduate Psychology Program that can be mapped to the PULs’ learning outcomes

Component #3

Explanations of the relationship between these SLOs and the results of a meta-analytic study I performed in 2009 that identified the skills employers report they seek in potential employees

The following slides will demonstrate how IUPUI psychology majors develop the skills employers seek as they use their undergraduate educations to accomplish both the University’s PULs and the Psychology Department’s SLOs.

PUL #1A: Language Skills

Specific Learning Outcome of this University PUL

Express ideas and facts to others effectively in a variety of formats, particularly written, oral, and visual

Psychology SLOs Equivalent to this Learning Outcome

► Demonstrate effective writing skills

► Demonstrate effective speaking skills

Appleby (2009) discovered that employers value the following COMMUNICATION SKILLS in their current employees and hire new employees who can provide compelling evidence that they possess these skills.

►Writing skills►Speaking skills

PUL #1B: Quantitative Skills

Specific Learning Outcome of this University PUL

Identify and propose solutions for problems using quantitative tools and reasoning

Psychology SLO Equivalent to this Learning Outcome

► Use scientific research methods in psychology including design, data analysis, and interpretation to solve problems related to behaviors and mental processes

Employers value the following RESEARCH SKILLS in their current employees and hire new employees who can provide compelling evidence that they possess these skills.

►Find, gather, and organize information from a variety of sources

►Use statistical and quantitative skills to summarize, organize, and analyze data

PUL #1C: Information Resources Skills

Specific Learning Outcome of this University PUL

Make effective use of information resources and technology

Psychology SLOs Equivalent to this Learning Outcome

► Demonstrate information competence by identifying, locating, evaluating, and retrieving written and electronic information

► Utilize computers and other technologies for many purposes

Employers value the following INFORMATION RESOURCE SKILLS in their current employees and hire new employees who can provide compelling evidence that they possess these skills.

►The ability to find, gather, evaluate, and organize information from a variety of written and electronic sources

►Computer/technological skills

PUL #2: Critical Thinking

Specific Learning Outcome of this University PUL

Remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create knowledge, procedures, processes, or products

Psychology SLOs Equivalent to this Learning Outcome

► Remember► Understand► Apply► Analyze► Evaluate► Create

Employers value the following CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS in their current employees and hire new employees who can provide compelling evidence that they possess these skills.

► To remember information accurately► To understand and explain information from different

perspectives► To apply information to solve problems► To analyze complex materials into their constituent parts► To evaluate the validity of information to reach valid

conclusions► To create new knowledge by integrating existing

information in new, unique, and useful ways

PUL #3: Integration and Application of Knowledge

Specific Learning Outcome of this University PUL

Enhance their personal lives

Psychology SLOs Equivalent to this Learning Outcome

► Develop self-awareness by identifying personal strengths, weaknesses, values, and goals

► Develop a realistic plan about how to pursue a career in psychology or a psychology-related field

Employers value the following INTEGRATION AND APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE SKILLS in their current employees and hire new employees who can provide compelling evidence that they possess these skills.►To exhibit effective time, stress, and

conflict management skills►To demonstrate the ability to understand,

monitor, and regulate themselves►To explore, develop, plan, manage, and

experience career options

PUL #3: Integration and Application of Knowledge

Specific Learning Outcome of this University PUL

Meet professional standards and competencies

Psychology SLOs Equivalent to this Learning Outcome

► Apply psychological knowledge and methods to personal, social, and organizational issues

Employers value the following INTEGRATION AND APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE SKILLS in their current employees and hire new employees who can provide compelling evidence that they possess these skills.

►To plan, organize, and carry out projects successfully

►To manage human, financial, spatial, and temporal resources effectively

PUL #3: Integration and Application of Knowledge

Specific Learning Outcome of this University PUL

Further the goals of society

Psychology SLO Equivalent to this Learning Outcome

►Apply psychological knowledge and methods to personal, social, and organizational issues

Employers value the following INTEGRATION AND APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE SKILLS in their current employees and hire new employees who can provide compelling evidence that they possess these skills.

►To apply information to solve personal, social, and organizational problems

PUL #4: Intellectual Depth, Breadth, and Adaptiveness

Specific Learning Outcome of this University PUL

Show substantial knowledge and understanding of at least one field of study

Psychology SLO Equivalent to this Learning Outcome

►Remember and understand the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology

Employers value the following INTELLECTUAL DEPTH, BREADTH, AND ADAPTIVENESS SKILLS in their current employees and hire new employees who can provide compelling evidence that they possess these skills.►To understand the behavior of others and

themselves from many perspectives►To use higher-order analysis to break

down complex wholes into their constituent parts

►To adapt, cope, and display flexibility in new situations

PUL #5: UnderstandingSociety and Culture

Specific Learning Outcome of this University PUL

Compare and contrast the range of diversity and universality in human history, societies, and ways of life

Psychology SLOs Equivalent to this Learning Outcome

► Recognize, understand, and respect the complexity of socio-cultural and international diversity

Employers value the following UNDERSTANDING CULTURE AND SOCIETY SKILLS in their current employees and hire new employees who can provide compelling evidence that they possess these skills.

►To deal effectively and sensitively with diverse populations

PUL #5: UnderstandingSociety and Culture

Specific Learning Outcome of this University PUL

Operate with civility in a complex world

Psychology SLO Equivalent to this Learning Outcome

►Collaborate in a civil and effective manner as a member of diverse groups to accomplish complex tasks.

Employers value the following UNDERSTANDING CULTURE AND SOCIETY SKILLS in their current employees and hire new employees who can provide compelling evidence that they possess these skills.

►To collaborate effectively in diverse groups, teams, organizations, and systems

PUL #6: Values and Ethics

Specific Learning Outcome of this University PUL

Understand ethical principles within diverse cultural, social, environmental, and personal settings

Psychology SLO Equivalent to this Learning Outcome

►Understand and abide by the ethics of psychology

Employers value the following VALUES AND ETHICS SKILL in their current employees and hire new employees who can provide compelling evidence that they possess this skill.

►To behave in an ethical manner

The most important conclusion you should draw from this presentation is that our University’s PULs and our Department’s SLOs are not meaningless, abstract phrases created by faculty and administrators who are out of touch with the “real world.” They are, in fact, carefully crafted sets of expectations that have been used to construct a comprehensive curriculum designed to prepare psychology majors for life in general and also for their life’s work.

Reference

Appleby, D. C. (2009, August). Essential skills for psychology majors: Those we say they can develop and those employers say they value in job applicants. In R. E. Landrum (Chair), Essential work skills for psychology majors: Do our students actually acquire them? Symposium conducted during the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Toronto, Canada.