Teaching beyond the Classroom: Mentoring Student Publications and Presentations.

Classroom assignments have limitations in their ability to encourage student learning, communication skills, and appreciation for the professional aspects of psychology as a science. This document emphasizes the value of teaching beyond the classroom by mentoring undergraduate student scholarship. It identifies many opportunities for students to publish and present in both student and professional forums, and presents pedagogical, personal, and professional benefits of such joint endeavors for students and faculty. The benefits for students presenting research include: (1) promoting creativity and critical thinking skills; (2) encouraging collaborative learning; (3) refining communication skills; and (4) developing feelings of competence and familiarity with the entire research process. Interviews with former American Psychological Association presidents and anecdotal reports by instructors who have mentored students reinforce the advantages of the mentor approach. Table 1 lists information about psychology journals that publish undergraduate students' scholarly work. (Contains 18 references.) (JDM)