Teaching Psychology Experientially on an MEd in Human Relanons

Abstract

Two recent articles in the Review provided us with an examination of the introduction of a humanistic experiential interpersonal skills training element into a traditional psychology course. Carol Shillito-Clarke (1987) provided a rationale for the inclusion of an innovative experiential element in an undergraduate psychology degree course and made a strong case for the advantages both personal and professional to the students. She reported gains which could not have been made with a didactic teaching approach. Leonie Sugarman (1987) gave us an interesting and thought-provoking reply to this article describing the gains and organizational problems of including an experiential interpersonal skills element into a psychology Course. Both writers share a common theme; that is, the experiential learning process facilitates personal and social learning in a way that formally organized courses fail to do. We fully support this notion and welcome the opportunity to write about the Human Relations MEd course in the School of Education at Nottingham University, a psychology course which also includes a strong interpersonal skills training element.