The Swiss Army Knife to Your Curriculum

Every professor has their go-to tools. Maybe it’s a favorite textbook, a set of slides you’ve polished over the years, or the discussion prompts that always get students talking. But if you’ve ever wished for something that could flex as easily across Intro to Psychology as it does in Abnormal Psych, consider this your multi-purpose, classroom ready Swiss Army knife, Symptom Media.

Why Symptom Media Works Anywhere

One of the hardest parts of teaching psychology is bridging the gap between theory and lived experience. In Intro Psych, students are wide-eyed, curious, and just dipping their toes into Freud, Skinner, and Maslow. By the time they hit your advanced or graduate courses, they’re being asked to parse subtle diagnostic differences, analyze comorbidities, and think clinically.

So how do you keep both ends of the spectrum engaged? You use a resource that’s as flexible as you need it to be.

  • In undergraduate, introductory courses, may pause at different points in the video, pointing out the symptoms unfolding.  Can assign video from the test section and ask what the diagnosis is.
  • In Core & Mid Level courses – perfect.  Can assign case study activity, watch the video without the diagnosis listed, and answer multiple choice questions about the symptoms presented.  Prepare for clinical rotations by watching a video without the diagnosis listed and complete the activity.  Students often give feedback that perhaps they’re intimidated about seeing an aggressive patient or seeing certain mental health conditions.  This provides a safe, contained environment for students.
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    • In graduate courses, may design questions, assignments and tests around videos tailored to their curriculum.  For example, is there a dual diagnosis or ask questions pertaining to, what would the follow up next steps.  Supplement students clinical rotation experience.  Perhaps they aren’t seeing personality disorders or certain patient populations.  You can create a well rounded clinical environment.

    For Any Teaching Style

    That’s the beauty of Symptom Media, you decide how much to use it. Some professors drop in a two-minute clip just to break up a lecture while others center entire units around video-based assignments. For online or hybrid classes, simulations easily slot into your LMS, keeping students engaged outside the classroom.

    It’s not about replacing your curriculum, it’s about giving you a tool that adapts to it.

    The Engagement Factor

    Here’s the simple truth, students retain what they connect with. Research on simulation-based learning shows it boosts both engagement and retention compared to traditional lecture alone. And let’s be honest, when students see a symptom, hear the dialogue, and watch the subtle nonverbals, they’re not just memorizing, they’re experiencing.

    That’s the kind of learning that sticks.

    Your Curriculum’s Swiss Army Knife

    At the end of the day, Symptom Media doesn’t lock you into a single way of teaching. It gives you options.

    • Use it to illustrate a single concept in Psych 101.
    • Build full assignments around it in Clinical or Counseling courses.
    • Or weave it throughout your semester as the living, breathing companion to any textbook.

    It’s flexible. It’s dynamic. And it’s built to meet you wherever you and your students are in the learning journey.

    Symptom Media, the Swiss Army knife for teaching Mental Health. Use it as little or as much as you need, but once you try it, you’ll wonder how you ever taught without it.

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