Social psychology (psychology)/Tutorials/Introduction/Tutor notes

Notes for tutors and/or working or old information not currently part of the tutorial.

Notes for tutors

This class has three main sections:

1. Intro and overview of websites and assessment, especially e-portfolio
2. Name games/icebreakers
3. Exploring social psychology

Equipment

• Stickers for name tags
• Coloured markers
• Butcher's paper
• Digital camera
• People Bingo handouts (1 per person)
• Spare hard copies of the unit outline (in psych office)

Names

• Names provide a basic building block for developing social interaction.
• Name Tags - big & bold - use each week.
• Make an effort to learn the names each week of the people you are working with.
• Some form of name-game will be included most tutorials to help.

Sociometric icebreaker

In an open space (rearrange tables and chairs)... allow firstly mingly and meeting, chat, etc. to create a social vibe, then announce a category. Join in, watch the flow of grouping, and then ask briefly about each major grouping, with a question or two to help students tease out their group or position, and what its like to be in those groups.

• People Map (this isn't used, but contains ideas about how to conduct the groups/line-ups, especially 'where you live')

Contact info

• Tutor introduction
• Contact details (and who to contact about what)
  • Tutors or convener can be contacted for essay support.
  • Students are encouraged to attend drop-in tutorials (after lectures in weeks specified in outline) hands-on support
  • Technical, admin, extension, etc. questions should be directed to the convener.

Photographs of group / group work

• After the class, make some photographs of group and/or group work for recording the tutorial knowledge and sharing online.

Not used

These are ideas from earlier versions of the tutorial which are no longer used.

Name games/icebreakers

• People Map
• People Bingo
  • The purpose of this activity is to facilitate people in meeting one another and finding out a little bit of information about one another.
  • Issue each person with a People Bingo sheet.
  • This activity is a bit like 'speed-dating' - the idea is to meet as many people as possible, and to gather as many signatures as possible, on the "People Bingo" sheet.
  • Any one person may only sign another person's list once.

Brainstorming/concept mapping

Introduce the main ideas underlying Brainstorming, Mind-mapping, and Concept Mapping emphasising that:

• They are particularly useful in the early stages of developing knowledge
• Their value is in providing techniques for quickly mapping ideas and possibilities
• They work best when people feel unconstrained in bringing ideas forth; the goal is to generate as many ideas as as possible and to provide a rough organisation of the ideas and their interconnections.
• All contributions are valuable and should be added; even if they seem silly or duplicate they may later trigger other better ideas.
• Critical discussion and reorganising/redrafting comes later.

Group photograph

• This is a very simple exercise which will help to give the group an 'identity' and give individuals a sense of 'membership'.
• Simply take a few photographs of them as a group - can be done inside or outside.
• Tips:
  • Use a place with consistent lighting hitting students' faces (not backlit)
  • Make sure the group is physically close together
  • Fill the frame with the group
  • Take several shots - they don't need to be serious - have fun :)
• Send the best photo to the convener who will put them online.