1) Each article will include a published academic article, which you will deconstruct to show how an article is written, as well as to highlight some of the methodological decisions that a researcher might have to make in the course of doing research. In other words, if you decide you want to discuss correlation, you will write about correlational analyses in the context of this article.

2) The style of the chapter should be fairly informal, with examples and personal stories added to make the book more interesting. I want to keep in mind that most undergraduate textbooks do not make consideration for the audience. Therefore, the article and the examples and stories should be about a topic that will be interesting to people who are 18-21 years old. Also, by the use of personal stories or real-life connections, we can teach our students how research provides a cognitive practice that can help facilitate success.

3) The final "niche" of the book is the inclusion of learner-centered assessments at the end of each chapter. Rather than having an exam for each chapter, I would like the author to create or include an activity that acts simultaneously as an assessment of comprehension and a learning experience for the reader. This can be a project, an essay, an incorporation of technology, etc. The point is to stay away from in-class exams, and to provide a way for students to simultaneously learn about and demonstrate their mastery of the material.

Proposals will be accepted until there are 8-10 chapters in the queque. Your proposal should discuss what you would teach, some examples of how you would make it relevant, some ideas about which article you would use as the frame, and some ideas for learner-centered assessments you could create/include.

Deadline for a first draft is January 31, 2012.