An educational framework for experimental psychology classes to enhance experimentation and report writing skills

The emergence of ChatGPT calls for a shift in education from knowledge acquisition to skill development. This study focuses on experimental psychology courses and highlights the need to prioritize enhancing students’ skills in conducting experiments and writing reports. The rationale for this emphasis was derived from findings in the learning sciences. To examine the current state of experimental psychology education, the syllabi of experimental psychology courses from 26 universities were analyzed. The analysis revealed that most courses did not include actual experiment execution, and only one university required students to individually conduct experiments and write reports covering the entire experimental process. This study introduces this teaching approach and discusses the challenges and barriers associated with its adoption and dissemination in other courses. Finally, it emphasizes the necessity of collaboration not only among individual instructors but also at the departmental and academic society levels to enhance students’ competencies in conducting experiments and writing reports.