Undergraduate Class Asst. PSYC 341/ Dr. L. MoriAt — CSUF - College of Humanities & Social Science

Class Assistants (CAs) for Psych 341 (Abnormal Psychology) 

I usually teach 3 sections of PSYC 341 (Abnormal Psych) and I can accept up to 3 interns as Class Assistants per section or 9 openings. I hold in-person classes so the CAs need to attend the class meetings of the section agreed upon. All 3 classes meet on Tu/Th at these times: 10-11:15 am; 11:30am-12:45 pm; and 2:30-3:45 pm.

CAs should have completed PSYC 341 with at least a B or higher, and should have an overall Psych GPA of 3.0+. (It's preferable if CAs took PSYC 341 with me but not a deal breaker.) As it is an upper division elective with a writing requirement, CAs need to have good written as well as oral communication skills. They should also have good interpersonal skills and judgment since they will be interacting with students, fellow CAs, and the instructor.

CA duties include holding their own weekly (can be virtual) office hours and exam reviews; assisting me in class which includes monitoring Zoom students, assisting me and the students during class activities and discussions; (using a scoring rubric/answer key) scoring short answer essay quizzes and class assignments in Canvas; assisting students with technical issues (Zoom, Canvas, Macmillan's Achieve - online study program complementing the book) and monitoring online homework assignments; entering and tracking students' scores/grades/extra credits/bonus points in Canvas; posting announcements, replying to students' emails and Discord questions, and offering tutorial assistance and support. CAs should be able to work well independently as well as with their fellow CAs. Experience as a CA is a plus.

This position can be used as an internship for PSYC 495 or for 3.0 units of PSYC 494 (Teaching in Psychology) credit.

1. Displaying increased awareness and understanding of the various issues, tasks, and preparation and organization needed to create and conduct a university level psychology class.
2. Successfully applying various teaching methods throughout the semester.
3. Effectively communicating with students across different modalities.

Training:

1. Discuss and provide information about aspects of creating and conducting a university level psychology content class.
2. Train and demonstrate different methods of instruction as well as different online instruction programs such as Canvas, Zoom, iClicker, and Achieve.
3. Encourage and support CAs in handling student requests, grade challenges, and general concerns. Provide guidance and consultation to CAs as needed.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Recognize what is involved in preparing, organizing, and teaching an upper division content psychology class at the university level.
2. Use different methods of instruction ranging from didactic lectures to leading topic discussions and group exercises involving application of course material and critical thinking.
3. Hone communication and problem solving skills in responding to students’ needs and issues.