Contact: Maridith Geuder
Tour guides named "Dr. Mindstein" and "Unhold Schwampeneggar" are among the whimsical creations in a Mississippi State University-developed Web site being praised for introducing psychology students to the mysteries of the human mind.
The e-Psych site, http://www.epsych.msstate.edu, recently was honored at the 25th annual meeting of the National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology. Launched two years ago by associate professor Gary L. Bradshaw with support from the National Science Foundation, the constantly expanding site is designed to introduce and demonstrate psychological concepts.
Bradshaw, along with psychology department colleagues Nancy G. McCarley and B. Michael Thorne, received the Frank Costin Memorial Award of Excellence for their collaborative efforts.
The national institute, which serves more than 3,500 psychology teachers at universities, colleges and high schools, annually honors a project that best promotes quality teaching methods. The award is named for the organization's founder, a psychology professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where the institute first convened in 1978.
At present, visitors to the site may explore four areas: the descriptive mind (sensation and perception), deliberate mind (decision-making, planning, and problem-solving), adaptive mind (learning), and biological mind. Others are under development.
Video clips, animated graphics and a host of other technology applications are included to enhance the interactive exposure to abstract concepts.
"Each 'world' on the site offers the visitor a center for orientation, maps for navigation, modules that provide brief coverage of specific topics, and guidebooks for extended information on general topics," Bradshaw said.
"The goal of our effort is to challenge students by providing them the opportunities to dig deeper and, consequently, to learn more," he added.
For more information, telephone Bradshaw at (662) 325-0550.