1. Higher Education Topic Group NASA SMD Education Community Meeting Sept. 23-24, 2015

2. What Best Practices Were Noted? Getting college students to put down cell phone Needs assessments, for both instructors and students. Community college instructor survey, for example. Pedagogical research looking at misconceptions, and what works in instruction. Eliciting misconceptions from students. Undergrad research and faculty mentoring. Coherence and consistency across a program.

3. What Lessons Learned Were Shared? Taking advantage of social media to engage students. Funded internships. Local support for students. General education classes largely populated by future teachers, so it is important to be aware of K-12 standards, and for faculty to be aware of reform teaching so they can model better pedagogy. Support for community college instructors very important, with 2YC’s a big entry point for diverse and underserved audiences. K-12 teachers get most of their college science in community colleges. Adjunct faculty have big challenges. Helping adjuncts and 2YC faculty get PD opportunities (including research) and support is important. Hard for busy faculty to find time for our activities. User interfaces with NASA data can be challenging.

4. What TYPES of Impacts Were Noted? Who was reached and how? Monthly webinars with faculty: science content updates. Astro 101 slidesets also help busy faculty with science updates. Professional meetings give opportunities to disseminate our materials or programs. Internships lead to transformed students.

5. What NASA Resources Were Leveraged? SME’s and content experts. NASA data, e.g. GLOBE, MyNASAdata NASA mission science disseminated via other online resources

6. Additional Thoughts Rusty Low, Greg Schultz Sanlyn Buxner, Leon Johnson (CUNY-Medgar Evers College), Lou Mayo, Amanda Hackler (LPI), Lynn Cominsky, Emily Schaller (NASA Armstrong), Todd Ellis (Western Michigan U.)

7. Parking Lot Thoughts or Questions Big Ideas in Cosmology online higher ed curriculum shared by Lynn, just approved by NASA Product Review (yay!), and just published.