AAU Undergraduate STEM Initiative

AAU Undergraduate STEM Initiative

Tobin SmithAAU Vice President for Policy

Mission StatementThe goal of the AAU Undergraduate STEM

Education Initiative is to help influence change in the culture of STEM departments at AAU universities so that they will use evidence-based, student-centered, active, sustainable pedagogy in their classes, particularly at the freshman and sophomore levels.

The Motivation…

The Five Minute University

Rationale Workforce needs → Competitiveness

Desire for a scientifically-literate population

New scholarship on what works in the classroom: evidence-based teaching methods

Several AAU institutions are already at the forefront of improving STEM undergraduate education

Problem Completion Broad based literacy Research universities don’t produce

as many STEM majors as other colleges and universities

Key ComponentsFramework (Goal #1)

Demonstration Projects (Goal #2)

Incentives (Goals #3 and #4)

Promising Practices (Goal #5)

Framework [Goal #1]What is the Framework?A taxonomy of evidence-based practices that can be used to improve STEM teaching and to measure these improvements. Core Component Pedagogy

Who will use it?The framework is designed to be used by several different stakeholders including: Faculty Administrators Departments Institutions

How will it be used? The framework is usable along several dimensions:

To improve teaching and learning in the classroom To coordinate courses within the department To determine how broadly evidence-based techniques are being used

Out with the old…

In with the new…

Demonstration Projects [Goal #2]A subset of AAU institutions will be identified to serve as demonstration sites that will implement the framework.

Activities will include developing tools to measure:

The quality of teaching and learning in STEM classes

How evidence-based teaching methods are being used

The effects of improved teaching on STEM and Non-STEM majors

Vs.

Incentives [Goals #3 and#4]FEDERAL INSTITUTIONAL

Work with federal agencies on mechanisms to encourage good teaching

Explore institutional and departmental incentives for good teaching

Including:◦ Working with HHMI and others

on promising practices for evaluating teaching in promotion and tenure

Promising Practices [Goal #5] To develop effective means for sharing information about promising & effective undergraduate STEM

programs, approaches, and methods.

Key ProjectsPromising Practices Resource Booklet &

Workshop Program Evaluation Techniques

Other Parallel Efforts Association of Public Land-grant Universities (APLU)

Business Higher-Education Forum (BHEF)

Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL)

Bay View Alliance (BVA)

Many others…

PedagogyCourse

Content/Curriculum

Broader Institutional Policies and

Practices Workforce Development Faculty Development

Graduate Student Training/Future

Faculty Development

Retention of Women, Minorities

and other Under-represented groups

in STEMK-12 Teacher Development

Research Universities

Comprehensive and Liberal Arts

Colleges

Minority Serving

InstitutionsCommunity

Colleges IncentivesDemonstration

ProjectsWorkshops/Forums/

Conferences/Seminars Framework Course Re-designResearch

Study

Association of American Universities (AAU): Undergraduate STEM Education Initiative l l l l l l

Association of Public Land-grant Universities (APLU): Science and Mathematics Teacher Imperative (SMITI) l l l l l

Association of Public Land-grant Universities(APLU): Minority Male STEM Initiative l l l l lAssociation of Public Land-grant Universities(APLU)/American Association of Community Colleges (AACC)/Open Learning Initiative (OLI): Cognitive Coursewares Design l l l l l l

Business Higher Education Forum (BHEF): STEM Higher Education Workforce Projects l l l l l

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI): Society of HHMI Professors l l l l l

Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) l l l l l l

Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL): Framework for Institutional Effectiveness in STEM Learning l l l l l l

Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL): Leadership for 21st Century STEM l l l l l l

Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL): STEM Student Transfer Success l l l l l l

Bay View Alliance (BVA) l l l l l

Reinvention Center l l l l

Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education l l l lUniversity of Texas-Austin/U-Teach Institute/National Math & Science Initiative (NMSI): U-Teach Program l l l l

American Physical Society: Support Programs for Undergraduate Instruction l l l l l l l lAmerican Association of Community Colleges (AACC): Advanced Technical Education Program l l l l

Target Institutions Mechanisms for ImplementationPrimary Area(s) of Emphasis

Complementary ReportsPresident’s Council of Advisors on Science &

Technology (PCAST): Engage to Excel Report

National Research Council (NRC): Discipline-Based Education Research Report (Expected mid-2012)

DiscussionandQ&A