A Network for Psychology Educators 

The overarching aim of our interest group is to promote and facilitate the development of psychology education and training in tertiary and secondary contexts. The group fosters communication, exchange, and the development of communities of practice among a range of stakeholders; and provides a means for disseminating knowledge, resources and innovative approaches to psychology education and training. We warmly welcome members interested in psychology teaching and learning. 

Background

The establishment of the Psychology Education Interest Group at the 2007 APS Conference was an expression of an increasing interest in investigating, understanding and developing teaching and learning in psychology in a range of contexts, particularly tertiary and secondary education and training.

The group aims to build upon the knowledge and networks established by a series of recent initiatives supported by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (Formerly Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education), and its predecessor, the Australian Universities Teaching Committee (AUTC).  Among the 32 APS members who petitioned for the creation of the group were many people involved in meetings and forums held under the auspices of these initiatives.

The group is particularly focussed on expanding the Australian Psychology Educators Newtwork (APEN).  APEN was originally established by "Learning Outcomes and Curriculum Development in Psychology", an AUTC/Carrick project undertaken by Ottmar Lipp, Deborah Terry, Denise Chalmers, Debra Bath, Greg Hannan, Frances Martin, Gerry Farrell, Peter Wilson, and Stephen Provost between 2004 and 2006.  More recently the work of this project has been carried forward by two related initiatives directed by Jacquelyn Cranney: a Carrick Associate Fellowship project, "Sustainable and evidence-based learning and teaching approaches to the undergraduate psychology curriculum", and a Carrick Discipline-based Initiative, "Designing a future-oriented vision for undergraduate psychology in Australia" (with Stephen Provost, Mary Katsikitis, Frances Martin, Fiona White, and Lynne Cohen).

The initial intent of the group is to promote the dissemination of the knowledge and resources generated by the three AUTC/Carrick initiatives, and consolidate the networks that have coalesced around these initiatives.  Beyond this, the group aims to support the creation and dissemination of new knowledge and resources, and foster expanding networks among a broad range of psychology educators.

Terms of Reference

1. To facilitate communication, exchange, and the development of communities of practice among stakeholders in teaching and learning in psychology. 
2. To promote and recognise excellence in the teaching of psychology. 
3. To enhance the learning experiences of students of psychology. 
4. To enable the dissemination of knowledge, resources and innovative approaches to learning and teaching in psychology. 
5. To promote and support scholarly investigation and the evidenced-based development of psychology teaching and learning; and provide forums for the presentation of reports on investigations and developments. 
6. To provide advice to the APS, secondary and tertiary education institutions, government organisations, and other groups on relevant issues, including changes that impact on teaching and learning in psychology.