Susan Elrod, Project Kaleidoscope at AAC&U FIPSE Project Director’s Meeting November 7, 2011 Washington, DC Faculty Development and STEM Education Reform

Challenges 1.Faculty knowledge about learning and effective pedagogy and assessment One solution - faculty learning communities and long-term programs to help faculty learn Examples from PKAL, universities, Center’s for Teaching and Learning

Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) National organization dedicated to “advancing what works in undergraduate STEM education” Cross disciplinary community of nearly 7,000 people at over 1,000 colleges, universities, and organizations Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) affiliationAAC&U

Challenges 2.No motivation/incentive to change teaching practices One solution – create standards and rubrics for measuring effective teaching based on research Use Chickering’s Good Practices, Recommendations in Vision and Change report (AAAS, 2011), AAC&U’s High Impact Practices …

From AAAS Vision & Change Focus on Student-Centered Learning – Engage students as active participants, not passive recipients. – Use multiple modes of instruction. – Ensure that undergraduate biology courses are active, outcome oriented, inquiry driven, and relevant. – Facilitate student learning within a cooperative context. – Integrate multiple forms of assessment to track student learning. – Give students ongoing, frequent, and multiple forms of feedback on their progress. – View the assessment of course success as similar to scientific research and apply the assessment data to improve and enhance the learning environment.

Challenges 3.Lack of leadership that promotes a focus on undergraduate STEM learning and success One solution – launch a coordinated initiative that links institutional goals with an action research agenda that is inquiry/data driven

Institutional Action Research Start w/ institutional and program data to ask strategic questions about student learning and success as connected to institutional goals, plans and priorities in STEM Engage faculty in discussion of data Form teams, supported appropriately, to investigate and create plans for solving critical issues Continue to monitor progress, from an institutional perspective

Institutional Retention Data