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3 Goal 1: Increase Students' Mastery of STEM Concepts and Skills
Pages 55-86

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From page 55...
... 1.1:  se of evidence-based STEM educational practices both in and U outside of classrooms 1.2:  xistence and use of supports that help STEM instructors use E evidence-based learning experiences 55
From page 56...
... Existence and use of supports that 1.2.1 Extent of instructors' involvement in help STEM instructors use evidence-based professional development educational practices. 1.2.2 Availability of support or incentives for evidence-based course development or course redesign 1.3 Institutional culture that values 1.3.1 Use of valid measures of teaching undergraduate STEM instruction effectiveness 1.3.2 Consideration of evidence-based teaching in personnel decisions by departments and institutions 1.4 Continuous improvement in STEM No indicators: see "Challenges of Measuring teaching and learning Continuous Improvement" in Chapter 2
From page 57...
... These various practices have been shown to increase students' mastery of STEM concepts and skills, as well as promote positive attitudes toward learning, and persistence toward a degree (Fairweather, 2012; Kober, 2015; National Research Council, 2012a)
From page 58...
... . Active learning instructional practices have been shown to improve students' academic achievement both generally, across all fields of study (Mayhew et al., 2016)
From page 59...
... Much of the evidence of the effectiveness of active learning approaches is based on studies focusing on specific STEM disciplines, referred to as discipline-based education research. This research has shown that active learning increases students' STEM content knowledge, conceptual understanding, and problem-solving skills (National Research Council, 2012a; Faust and Paulson, 1998; Prince, 2004)
From page 60...
... As with active learning, there is significant agreement in the research literature about the importance of formative assessment processes for improving students' acquisition of STEM concepts and skills (National Research Council, 2012a)
From page 61...
... Below, we present examples of various "outside the classroom" experiences that can be part of undergraduate STEM education and review research on their effectiveness. These examples overlap to some degree with a group of educational approaches referred to as "high impact practices" (see Box 3-3)
From page 62...
... . Experiences outside the classroom can help all college students develop a basic understanding of STEM concepts and processes, in addition to their value for STEM majors.
From page 63...
... conducted a review of peer-reviewed, published research on student outcomes related to 5 of Kuh's original 10 practices: first-year seminars, learning communi ties, service learning, undergraduate research, and capstone experiences. They found that four of them -- first-year seminars, learning communities, undergraduate research, and service learning -- showed some evidence of positive effects on a range of student learning outcomes, including persistence, grades, graduation, and development of such skills as civic engagement and critical thinking.
From page 64...
... . Although better research on the direct effects of academic advising on student outcomes is needed, academic advising is consistently associated with variables that predict student success -- namely, student satisfaction with the college experience, effective educational and career decision making, student use of campus support services, student-faculty contact outside the classroom, and student mentoring (Habley, Bloom, and Robbins, 2012)
From page 65...
... . Though mentoring requires large investments of faculty time and effort, it is a valuable practice, with positive effects on the outcomes of STEM majors, especially those from historically underrepresented populations (Packard, 2016)
From page 66...
... Proposed Indicators Given what is known about the value of evidence-based STEM educational practices and the relative lack of their widespread adoption, the committee proposes two indicators to monitor progress toward the objective of using evidence-based practices in and outside of classrooms. Indicator 1.1.1: Use of Evidence-Based Practices in Course Development and Delivery In the National Science and Technology Council's 5-year strategic plan for STEM education (2013)
From page 67...
... Indicator 1.1.1 is designed to fill this gap, measuring the extent to which all STEM instructors (tenured and tenure-track faculty, part-time and adjunct faculty, instructors, and graduate student instructors) incorporate evidence-based educational practices in course development and delivery.
From page 68...
... If instructors are to make lasting positive changes to their pedagogy, they often need instructional support, which can include time and resources for professional development opportunities (e.g., through a center for teaching and learning) , mini-grants for instructional improvement, and development of instructional facilities that support different types of evidence-based educational practices.
From page 69...
... evaluated "On the Cutting Edge," a program that included workshops and a website to share teaching resources, to determine whether participation had led to use of evidence-based teaching practices. The authors surveyed program participants in 2004, 2009, and 2012, asking about teaching practices, engagement in education research and scientific research, and professional development related to teaching.
From page 70...
... .  Studies conducted at research-intensive universities that may not always 3 The week-long summer institutes focusing on life sciences education engaged participants in active learning and formative assessment, to help them both understand and experience these evidence-based educational practices. See http://www.hhmi.org/news/hhmi-helps-summerinstitute-expand-regional-sites [September 2017]
From page 71...
... . Full engagement with evidence-based course development or redesign forces examination of learning objectives, instructional activities and approaches, assessment of student learning outcomes, connections with preceding and post courses, and interdisciplinary connections.
From page 72...
... . For example, allowing each individual instructor full control over his or her course, including learning outcomes, a well-established norm in some STEM departments, can cause instructors to resist working with colleagues to establish shared learning goals for core courses, a process that is essential for improving teaching and learning.
From page 73...
... With leadership and funding from the provost and assistance from the Association of American Universities Undergraduate STEM Initiative, the university developed new policies and practices for introductory genetics. Previously, no single college or department had "owned" the course.
From page 74...
... Both groups would benefit from including additional methods." Indicator 1.3.2: Consideration of Evidence-Based Teaching in Personnel Decisions by Departments and Institutions As noted above, individual instructors' decisions about teaching practices are influenced by departmental and institutional cultures and contexts that may facilitate or discourage use of evidence-based educational practices (Austin, 2011)
From page 75...
... OBJECTIVE 1.4: CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT IN STEM TEACHING AND LEARNING Importance of the Objective Just as students' mastery of STEM concepts and skills is supported by ongoing formative assessment and rapid feedback, instructors' work on course redesign and implementation is supported by ongoing formative and summative assessment of student learning to determine which teaching approaches are most effective and thus inform continued course improvement. At the same time, department-level improvement in STEM teaching and learning can be supported by instructors' collaborative work to develop common learning goals for all students and engage in ongoing evaluations of students' progress toward those goals in order to guide continued improvement.
From page 76...
... Institutional-level improvement efforts are essential when attempting nationwide improvement in undergraduate STEM education. Although most institutions are engaged in multiple quality improvement efforts in different departments, schools, and classrooms, they are often disconnected, rather than linked for systemic continuous improvement.
From page 77...
... Challenges of Measuring Continuous Improvement After considering alternative approaches to measuring continuous improvement in STEM teaching and learning, the committee did not propose specific indicators for this objective. The first step in continuous improvement -- establishing clearly articulated student learning goals and assessments of students' progress toward those goals -- could potentially be measured.
From page 78...
... student learning goals and assessment results. For example, the Senior College and University Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges asks institutions to clearly state student learning outcomes and standards of performance at the course, program, and institution level and to engage faculty in developing and widely sharing these student learning outcomes.4 4 See https://www.wscuc.org/resources/handbook-accreditation-2013/part-ii-core-commitments and-standards-accreditation/wasc-standards-accreditation-2013/standard-2-achieving-educationalobjectives-through-core-functions [November 2017]
From page 79...
... . Progress Toward Achieving Systemic Change: A Five-Year Status Report on the AAU Undergraduate STEM Education Initiative.
From page 80...
... About Campus: Enhancing the Student Learning Experience, 14(6)
From page 81...
... Slakey (Eds.) , Transforming Institutions: 21st Century STEM Education.
From page 82...
... . Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics.
From page 83...
... . Improving undergraduate STEM education: The ef ficacy of discipline-based professional development.
From page 84...
... . Federal STEM Education 5-Year Strategic Plan.
From page 85...
... . Does active learning work?
From page 86...
... . Transforming Institu tions: Undergraduate STEM Education for the 21st Century.


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