Introduction to Volumes I - IV

The Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP, Division 2 of the American Psychological Association) launched its Internet electronic discussion list, PsychTeacher™, in late 1998. In the spring of 2000, E-xcellence in Teaching, a monthly column devoted to the teaching of psychology, joined the list. The column features monthly essays devoted to teaching at the high school, community college, and university levels in general, and to the teaching of psychology in particular. The essays take the form of lessons learned, advice and hints on particular aspects of teaching, lore regarding teaching, book reviews, and reflections on our roles as teachers of psychology. In general, though, the primary focus of the column is to provide a forum for the discussion and promotion of effective teaching practices.

This compilation of essays forms Volume IV of E-xcellence in Teaching. The first volume, which appeared on STP's Web site in 2002, contains the first 20 E-xcellence in Teaching essays, which were posted on the list in 2000-2001; Volume II contains 13 essays from 2002; and Volume III contains 12 essays posted in 2003. The present volume of E-xcellence in Teaching is comprised of 12 essays that appeared on the list in 2004. We would like to thank the authors of these 57 essays for their valuable contributions to the column and to the literature on the teaching of psychology and the scholarship on teaching. We would also like to thank the STP leadership for their continued support of E-xcellence in Teaching.

Volume I was dedicated to Jane Halonen (University of West Florida) for the important role she played in establishing E-xcellence in Teaching, and Volume II was dedicated to Randy Smith (Kennesaw State University) for his consistent and unwavering championing of the scholarship of teaching in his role as editor of Teaching of Psychology. Bill Buskist (Auburn University), past editor of E-xcellence in Teaching, dedicated Volume III to Bill Hill (Kennesaw State University) and Vinny Hevern (Le Moyne College), both of whom played pivotal roles in the creation, development, and continued success of the column. As the current co-editors of E-xcellence in Teaching, Bryan Saville and Tracy Zinn would like to dedicate Volume IV to Bill Buskist for his continual guidance, support, and friendship over the past 2 years.