NSF I3: Towards a Center for STEM Education

NSF I3:Towards a Center for STEM Education

National Science FoundationReverse Site Visit

26 Mar 2012

Noah FinkelsteinRobert Parson

University of Colorado Boulderand Rachel Scherr (external evaluator)

Introduction

• Who are we?• Program Activities• Institutional Integration• Impacts• Conclusions / Discussion

Introduction – Principal Investigators

• Phil DiStefano, Chancellor

• Russ Moore, Provost

• Todd Gleeson, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences

• Lorrie Shepard, Dean of the School of Education

• Rob Davis, Dean of the College of Engineering & Applied

Science

• Noah Finkelstein, Associate Professor of Physics

Introduction – Project Management TeamNoah Finkelstein, PhysicsMike Klymkowsky, MCD BiologyValerie Otero, School of EducationRobert Parson, Chemistry & BioChemistry, JILADerek Reamon, Integrated Teaching & Learning Program,

& Mechanical EngineeringDaria Kotys-Schwartz, Mechanical EngineeringDiane Sieber, Herbst Program of Humanities for EngineersEric Stade, Mathematics

Katherine Kidder, Project Manager

Introduction – Goals of I3 grant

Establish a center of STEM education research and transformation

Currently beginning year 4

Towards a

Center for STEM Learning

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

The University of Colorado as a national hub of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education research and reform

University of Colorado is a national center for:• Education in STEM disciplines• Research on STEM education• STEM teacher preparation

Program Activities – Creating a Center

Better education U.S. ranks:21 out of 30 in science25 out of 30 in math

- PISA 2006International Rankings (science)

Program Activities – Addressing National Need

Better educationMore and better teachers

2/3 Physics Out of FieldLess than 50% stay

Physics Teachers with degrees in:

Program Activities – Addressing National Need

Better educationMore and better teachersMore and better STEM grads

1 Million more STEM gradsneeded by 2018and growing

Program Activities – Addressing National Need

US surpassed by Europe and Asia in S&E PhD production

Higher education & research

More and better teachersMore and better STEM grads

Better educationProgram Activities – Addressing National

Need

the National Academies

Program Activities – Addressing National NeedA Era of Significant Attention:

the White House

Professional Societies

The University of Colorado as a national hub of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education research and reform

University of Colorado is a national center for:• Education in STEM disciplines• Research on STEM education• STEM teacher preparation

Program Activities –Creating a Center

STEM Educational Transformation

Discipline-BasedEducation Research

Teacher PrepCollege & K12

Program Activities –Creating a Center

STEM Education

(K12)

STEM Educ. Research (DBER)

STEM Research (college teaching)

Undergraduate STEM Students

Current STEM and Education FacultyAdministrative Structures / Support

Graduate STEM Students

Program Activities –Creating a Center

Organizational Structures: Organizational structure (PMT & Pis) Mission and vision statements By-laws, Center proposal Developed a budget

Communication: Branding/marketing/PR strategy Communication structure/ plan

Funding: Long term funding avenues

Programmatic Activities – Institutional Integration

Community building Symposia, Seed Funding, Seminars . . .

Program Activities – Creating a Center

Organizational Structures: By-laws, Center proposal Developed a budget

Communication: Branding/marketing/PR strategy Communication structure/ plan

Funding: Long term funding avenues

Programmatic Activities – Institutional Integration

Program Activities – Creating a Center

Mission and vision statementsOrganizational structure (PMT & PIs)

Community buildingSymposia, Seed Funding, Seminars . . .

Program Activities – Mission & Vision

Mission:To improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education at the University of Colorado Boulder, and to serve as a state, national, and international resource for such efforts.

Building on Four Categories of Change Strategies

For more details: C. Henderson, A. Beach and N.D. Finkelstein, ““Facilitating Change in Undergraduate STEM Instructional Practices: An Analytic Review of the Literature” J. Research Science Teaching, 48 (8), 952-984 (2011).

Program Activities – Theoretical Foundations

Project Activity – Center Structure

INSTITUTIONAL

INTEGRATION

IT InfrastructureProgrammatic support / linkingCommunication, Policy, PR

Symposia

EvaluationChancellor Awards

DBER Seminars

Integration – Building Community Infrastructure

Third annual symposium, October 10th 2011More than 160 people Representing 55+ departments, programs, & partners.Introduction by Lt. Gov. GarciaParticipation by: Legislators, media, public, & university

Integration – Annual Symposia & Events

Integration – Chancellor’s Awards

These awards fund:• faculty (up to $10,000)

and• graduate students (25%

RA)for DBER and/or educational course transformation.

iSTEM has supported 45 individuals through this award program.

Integration – Chancellor’s Awards

Kimberly Trenbath:First CU graduate ATOC Education Researcher.

The materials key to revision of two courses in atmospheric sciences at CU.

Continuing to faculty position

Integration – Chancellor’s Awards

Drs. Falconer & Nicodemous, Engineering,

Develop & teach with screencasts posted on our iTunes U at Colorado.

More than 500 screencasts over 200,000 hits in the last two months.

Leading to TUES proposal

Integration – DBER

Weekly Discipline Based Education Research (DBER) seminars• For Faculty, staff, and graduate students • Ave 20+ participants, 80+ faculty, grads, staff in last

year.• 40 different programs and departments• 4 schools/colleges

DBER

2009:09 September - Leilani Arthurs, Geological Sciences 16 September - Clayton Lewis, Computer Science 23 September - Eric Frew, Aerospace Engineering 30 September - Steven Pollock, Physics 07 October - Laurie Landgon, Chemistry 14 October - Valerie Otero, School of Education …2010:22 February- John Basey, Environmental Biology01 March- Mike Klymkowsky, Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology15 March- Angel Hoekstra and Bethany Wilcox, Sociology and Physics 29 March- Garret Nicodemus & Falconer , Engineering12 April- Laura Border, Graduate Teacher Program ….27 April - Kim Trenbath, Atmospheric Science…2012:28 February- Luana Prevost, MSU06 March- Jamie Engel, Students for Education Reform13 March- Tiffany Ito, Psychology and Neuroscience…

Integration – DBER

Integration – DBER as a Communication Hub

DBER

Integration – Evaluation

Three levels of evaluation:• Increased capacity for constituent programs.• Integration of constituent programs.• Institutional capacity and commitment to a center

Internally:(under the direction of the iSTEM directors)

Externally (external evaluator, Dr. Rachel Scherr).

Integration – Evaluation

Colorado Learning Assistant Program:• Model for educational transform• Impacting ~10,000

students/year,• 200+ LAs/year, • dramatically increased the

learning gains in large-enrollment classes,

• nearly tripled the number of K12 teachers, esp. in hard to staff areas

Longitudinal Impacts on Content Knowledge

Traditional/no-LAs

Transformed w/ LAs

LAs20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Students enrolled in traditional intro

course as freshmen

(no LAs)

Students enrolled in

course transformed with LAs as freshmen

Students who served as LAs in

intro course

Scor

e on

Test

Same Electricity and Magnetism Test* but taken after completing junior-level E&M

Recruitment to Teacher Certification

MA+ PBA UG0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

Math/Science Secondary Certi-fication Program Completers

2000-20062006-2010

Program

ave

# co

mpl

eter

s pe

r yea

r Approximately 15% of undergraduates (UGs) who participate in LA program go on to enroll in a teacher certification program

Recruitment into Teaching by Discipline

Integration – STEM Education Research

Our research is published in leading journals

For example: in a recent study, we have found a brief intervention (values affirmation) can eliminate the gender gap in physics. (Science,330(6008), 2010).

Control Values Affirmation50

55

60

65

70

75

80Males Females

Values Affirmation Condition

% S

core

on

Mas

tery

of

Cont

ent

Integration – PublicationsMore than 75 Publications in the past 2 years

• Science• J of College Science Teaching• J of Res. on Science Teaching• Change• J of the ACM• J Chem Education• ACS Symposium Series • CBE Life Sciences• Physical Review• AERA• Il Nuovo Cimento C • J of Science Education and Technology

LA Program

a broad network on campus

Integration – Synergies

• Growth of Individual Programs, for example:• LA program development (near tripling)• Science Education Initiative Expansion (more

departments)• CUTeach growth (Engineering)• More programs offered through Science Discovery

• More Opportunities, for example:• PhD programs in DBER

(Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, ATOC, APS, Education)• Development of CEERA

• New Campus programs, for example:• Annual fall symposium• Mini-symposia by topic• Funding, publicity, and communications

• Inter-programmatic collaboration, for example:• LA program – SEI – CU Teach• DBER / Science Discovery

Integration – Program Growth

IMPACTS

Center Structure Communication

Information Technology Foundation Support

Impacts – Infrastructures

Impacts – PublicityArticles Featuring CU STEM Education in:

Impacts – Regional & State Engagement

Impacts – National Policy

Serving the Nation:

DiStefano at theWhite HouseEducate to Innovate

Finkelstein testifiesCongressional COMPETES Act

Otero advisingNat’l Governor’s AssocRace to the Top

Impacts – National Policy

Impacts – ReplicationUniversity of Colorado at BoulderAuburn UniversityBlack Hills State UniversityBoise StateBoston UniversityCalifornia Polytechnic StateCalifornia State University - LBCornell UniversityFlorida International UniversityIndiana University (UTA Program)James Madison (Planned 11/12)Louisiana State UniversityMarshall University (Planned 11/12)New Jersey Institute of TechnologyNorth Dakota State UniversityRutgers UniversitySeattle Pacific UniversitySouth Dakota StateTowson UniversityUNC Chapel HillUniversity of ArizonaUniversity of ArkansasUniversity of MaineUniversity of MarylandUniversity of Minnesota - St PaulUniversity of OklahomaUniversity of Texas - AustinUniversity of Texas - El PasoUtah State UniversityVirginia TechWestern Kentucky University

NSF i3 at CU BoulderEnhancing the quality and access to STEM education for CU, the state and the nation:Tools, resources and models for:

• DBER• educational transformation• teacher and faulty professional development

Integrating 50 programs across 4 colleges at CU:• Active educational transformation across 14 departments /

programs• Dozen PhDs supported• Dozens of faculty supported• Hundreds of faculty staff and grads engaged• Thousands of undergrads students impacted

Establishing CU Boulder as a national hub:• Education in STEM disciplines• Research on STEM education• STEM teacher preparationThis material is based upon work supported, in part, by the National Science

Foundation, Award number:  DRL 0833364. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.