PsychSessions Podcast
Faculty and students discuss communicating psychological science
In May, two faculty members and two undergraduate students from Minnesota State University-Mankato Psychology Department were guests on the PsychSessions Podcast. The episode is out now!
This past Spring 2020 semester Dr. Karla Lassonde taught a Communicating Psychological Science course and two of her students from the course, Louisa Hall and Ellie Tiegs, participated in the podcast (the first undergraduate student guests ever!). Dr. Lassonde collaborates with her colleague Dr. Emily Stark on the Communicating Psychological Science website, and the blog entries from students from this course help to populate this website.
The course helps students develop essential communication skills regarding storytelling, the importance of empathy, and the basics of communicating science to the public. It is a treat to hear students talk about their classroom experiences in their own words, and Dr. Lassonde and Dr. Stark are tremendous role models for all of us as they work hard for their students and are eminently creative.
This conversation during May 2020 also provided the opportunity to talk to students and faculty who experienced the COVID-19 pivot, and to chat about what that was like with regards to adjusting to new instructional styles and student workloads/expectations. Although students didn't mind the extended time provided over spring break, they actually mourned the missed opportunities to end their class together, face-to-face, which is a tribute to the environment created by Dr. Lassonde.
