“Mythbusters” video project

As part of my large-scale Psychology 101 courses, I assign students to work over the course of the semester to “bust” a popular myth about psychology.  This project grew out of the need to assign a final project that was manageable for a large class but would still help student develop critical thinking skills.  As a bonus, feedback (above) indicates that they enjoy the project more than a traditional group paper or PowerPoint.

Students work together to choose academic sources to supplement an assigned book chapter* and the text.  They must then come up with an engaging way to present the material in order to convey the “commonsense,” but incorrect, view of the material and then present the reasons underlying the actual truth.  All students do not have to appear in front of the camera, as long as the team agrees to everyone participates equally in the peer evaluations completed throughout the semester.  Some examples of outstanding student work appear below**

Myth:  There’s Safety in Numbers: The More People Present at an Emergency, the Greater the Chance that Someone Will Intervene