Krisstal D. Clayton, a clinical professor, director of undergraduate programs, and associate chair of academics for the Department of Psychology at the University of North Texas, recently sat down with PsychSessions' Garth Neufeld for an in-depth discussion of all things teaching psychology. She discusses how heavy workloads, commuting, work, and caregiving contribute to students' AI use. She also argues for explicitly teaching AI literacy, its limits, and responsible use. Krisstal describes building connection and engagement in a 210-student lecture hall through weekly team activities, team exams, and gamified, real-world assignments (including an ultra-processed “Texas State Fair food” concept-mapping activity). She explains her approach to required reading, attendance-based course design, and Sage Vantage quizzes to track learning and spot irregularities. She also discusses becoming first author on a new edition of an Intro Psych textbook (Essentials of Psychology, Second Edition), what pedagogical features they kept (“What’s Your Prediction?” and applied examples), and updates she “went hard” on, including a methods-focused chapter, mindfulness and wellness content, and topics driven by student needs (sleep, social media/mental health, vaping, neurodiversity). About the Author Krisstal D. Clayton is a clinical professor and director of undergraduate programs in the Department of Psychology at the University of North Texas. Known for her engaging teaching style, she uses gamification, storytelling, and real-world examples to bring psychology to life. Her research often includes student collaboration, with a focus on how higher education shapes perspectives. Outside of academia, Krisstal is a yoga enthusiast, vinyl collector, NPR podcast fan, and proud dog mom to Arya and Phoebe. She’s also a music lover who creates playlists for her students and loses her voice at concerts—Stevie Nicks forever! This episode brought to you by Sage Vantage. Learn more at collegepublishing.sagepub.com/vantage.
