GLN Consulting was founded in 2003 by Dr. George L. Newsome, III to help teachers develop in their students the cognitive skills that are necessary to think critically about the subject matter of psychology. It specializes in  helping teachers of psychology to develop and refine these skills in their students by (1) engaging them in explanatory modeling activities, and (2) integrating these activities with other teaching methods, such as lectures and class discussions. The techniques recommended by GLN Consulting for using student engagement in these activities are developed by Dr. Newsome in conjunction with individual clients and sometimes other associates (depending on ther nature of the consulting activities). These techniques are based on Dr. Newsome's use of explanatory modeling activities in his own teaching and on current research findings.

Since earning his doctorate in Educational Psychology from Indiana University in 1983, Dr. Newsome has taught both psychology and educational psychology courses in a variety of colleges and universities. He has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in educational psychology at two state universities, undergraduate educational psychology courses at a state technical institute, and undergraduate psychology courses at a liberal arts college and a state technical university. He has also published research on reading, spatial and linguistic processes in deductive reasoning, external memory aids, higher-order thinking skills, and causal reasoning, and he has served as a reviewer of manuscripts for The Journal of Research and Development in Education.

Dr. Newsome first used student engagement in explanatory modeling activities when he taught a research methods course.  His use of explanatory modeling activities in that course was based on current (at that time) research in science education that demonstrated the effectiveness of using engagement in these activities to help students refine and systematize their relevant knowledge about phenomena that were the focus of high school science courses.  After using his adaptation of those activities, Dr. Newsome noticed that students'    performance in that class (on exams, research article critiques, and their research project proposal), and students' reflections and discussion of their modeling activities suggested the usefulness of these activities for teaching other psychology courses as well.

Dr. Newsome's analysis of these data suggested that engagement in explanatory modeling activities can help students develop a more coherent understanding, and this enhanced understanding can increase students' proficiency in analyzing and presenting evidence-based arguments about complex psychological issues. Based on these insights, Dr. Newsome used explanatory modeling activities in his teaching of other kinds of psychology courses and analyzed students’ performance (on tests and essays). He then used those analyzes to develop (1) a set of general techniques for using engagement in explanatory modeling activities to develop student’s thinking skills and (2) a set of heuristics for integrating engagement in these activities with other teaching methods, such as lectures and classroom discussions.

Since his retirement from teaching, Dr. Newsome has synthesized the analyzes described above with current research on the psychology of human reasoning and scientific cognition  to develop more effective explanatory modeling tasks and recommended strategies for students to use in performing these tasks.  The recommended strategies are designed to complement the requirements of these tasks in helping students develop and refine their skills in (1) constructing generic models, (2) model-based simulative reasoning, and (3) coordinating explanations of phenomena with relevant empirical evidence. 

The recommended techniques for using student engagement in explanatory modeling are continually refined on the basis of client feedback and ongoing research by GLN Consulting.

GLN Consulting offers a variety of service packages that are organized around the individual client’s needs ( see GLN Consulting Store ). The typical service package is designed to help the teacher(client) to (1) develop effective explanatory modeling tasks, (2) provide students with effective strategies for performing these tasks, (3) integrate student engagement in these tasks with teaching methods (eg. lectures, class discussions) and instructional resources, and (4) engage students in metacognitive reflection on and discussion of their modeling activities.  Some service packages include additional services, such as assistance in using students' performance on essays and exams and their reflections and discussions of their modeling activities to improve instructional strategies.

For each project (e.g. course to be taught, student research to be directed), the client first provides us with relevant information (e.g. course objectives, class size, student characteristics, etc.) and GLN Consulting uses this information to develop recommended instructional strategies for the effective use of student engagement in explanatory modeling activities.  Next, the client examines the recommendations and we consult with the client about any changes or modifications that might be made. 

The effectiveness of the techniques we recommend will depend on several factors: how well the client executes these procedures, the accuracy of the information presented by the client at the beginning and throughout the course or project, and various other situational variables. Although no guarantees of success are offered, the services provided by GLN Consulting have the potential to help teachers enhance (1) the coherence of their students’  understanding of the subject matter of psychology and (2) students' ability to use that understanding to improve their proficiency in presenting, analyzing, and evaluating evidence-based arguments about complex psychological issues.

Dr. George L. Newsome, III