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

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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

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  • 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

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  • 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

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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

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  • 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

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

Not used

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

Name games/icebreakers

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  • 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

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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

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  • 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.