For the lab portion of her Psychology of Learning class, Margaret McDevitt, an assistant professor of psychology, assigns each student a retired racing pigeon. The pigeons spend an hour in a computer-operated chamber, where students observe — and learn that even birdbrains appreciate information.

The pigeons offer students a unique opportunity to research the basic stages of learning that are common to all animals, including humans. This kind of hands-on learning makes the material come alive — and gets the students excited about coming to class.

As McDevitt says, “When students are in the classroom and have their own bird, you can see that they feel a personal connection to what they’re learning.” You couldn’t get that from a textbook!