1. Our Team - Learning/Education Focus Topic: STEM Education in College
Andrew Guan
Kevin
Liao
Santiago
Gutierrez
Valerie
Ding

2. Needfinding Methodology

3. Eric Au 60 minute interview, Oct. 4th, at Stanford
Recruited through Andrew
Chosen for student perspective at different school
Interview topics: courses, studying, lab work
Eric Au
Undergrad, SJSU

4. Co-term, CS198 Coordinator
30 minute interview, Oct. 5th, at Stanford
Recruited through Andrew
Chosen for combined student and educator perspective
Interview topics: section- style instruction and section leading
Aaron Broder
Co-term, CS198 Coordinator

5. Trancos RF, LSP Coordinator
60 minute interview, Oct. 5th, at Stanford
Recruited through Santiago
Chosen for educator perspective
Interview topics: student learning best practices
Lourdes Andrade
Trancos RF, LSP Coordinator

6. Keith Schwarz 45 minute interview, Oct. 6th, at Stanford
Recruited through Andrew
Chosen for lecturer’s perspective on student learning and slide presentation
Interview topics: mistaken student perspectives, student academic maturation
Keith Schwarz
Lecturer
Girl Code Instructor

7. Interview
Results

8. Eric - High Level Results
Wants to connect more with classmates
Studies alone
Participates through Piazza
Goes to the lab on his day off
Likes the people
Feels appreciated

9. Aaron - High Level Results
Always looking for new ways to engage and best represent different learning styles
cLAIR
Pair programming
Teaching section leaders

10. Lourdes - High Level Results
Emphasizes importance of living situation in college students’ learning
Many factors play into academic performance; a believer in holistic approach
Pre-existing conditions
Social/residential factors

11. Keith - High Level Results
Wishes there was a way for students to submit corrected problem sets
Not enough TAs to correct more psets
Solutions released after submissions
Hopes students can be more aware of the truth
Other students that fail
Dispelling ingroup/outgroup myth of math

12. Analysis

14. Eric - Empathy Map Highlights
SAY: “Sometimes I felt I could do better in school if I didn’t work” (a job)
THINK: Eric might be thinking about how to better balance work and school
DO: Eric goes to the lab on his day off. It’s a safe space for him
FEEL: Eric feels appreciated when he can offer special skills

15. Aaron - Empathy Map Highlights
SAY: “Nothing makes an error more apparent than seeing other people do it”
THINK: Aaron might be thinking of ways to best represent different learning styles in CS
DO: Implemented cLAIR (conceptual LAIR)
FEEL: Aaron feels like he would like to connect with CS students

16. Lourdes - Empathy Map Highlights
SAY: “Most academic struggles are never for academic reasons… the ability to be vulnerable is HUGE.”
THINK: Lourdes thinks all students have similar academic potential, innately
DO: Trancos RF (four-class this year) and LSP coordinator
FEEL: Lourdes feels the need to increase awareness of pre- existing conditions

17. Keith - Empathy Map Highlights
SAY: “The nightmare they [students] build for themselves is much worse than reality.”
THINK: Keith thinks that students are overcome with fear that “math is not for them.”
DO: Teaches CS 103A to help struggling students
FEEL: Keith is passionate to teach all students that CS and math are for them and to spread his love for the subjects

18. Needs Inferences/Insights
Bonding between classmates
Communication between classmates, TAs, professors
Alternative learning styles
Safe space
Students to intellectually mature
Inferences/Insights
Lab is Eric’s safe space
Lourdes says living situation is key
How do we find a learning space and style that is best for a given student?
CS198 approach
Student coupling of success with identity inhibits learning

19. Synthesis
Eric (student) holds a strict schedule, but we infer he is looking for flexibility and social opportunities
Aaron (student-instructor) advocates different learning styles, but there is work to be done
Lourdes (educator) advocates residential education, which poses tension with Eric’s experience
Keith (lecturer) hopes to get more students to think that math is “for them” by reducing ingroup/outgroup thinking

20. Thank You and Questions

22. The Complete Empathy Maps

23. Eric
SAY: “Sometimes I felt I could do better in school if I didn’t work”, “Cliche, but it’s a group of people that love you for you and appreciate you for who you are” (about the lab)
THINK: how to connect better with classmates outside of class? How to better balance work and school? How can I have more flexibility?
DO: commute from SJ to Stanford nearly every day for lab, goes to lab on Thursday day off, very strict schedule, came back to original lab after trying another lab for better pay
FEEL: appreciates commuting, appreciates maturity/independence, feels appreciated as applied math in his lab, inspired by hardworking people from all backgrounds, lab is a safe space

24. Aaron
SAY: “Write less code than you want to, to enable others to write it and benefit from it” -- “Nothing makes an error more apparent than seeing other people do it”
THINK: Big problem is how to identify what you don’t know. How can we help students identify their sticking points? Learning should have many faces/ways of teaching / Importance of student feedback to teaching
DO: cLAIR (conceptual LAIR)
FEEL: Wanting to connect with students as SL in future / sections are a safe space (more intimate)

25. Lourdes
SAY: “Living space is one of the most important aspects of a college student’s learning” -- “Most academic struggles are never for academic reasons, almost always from pre-existing conditions” -- “When students are close to staff, there is a sense that somebody cares for them… learning outcomes are greater” -- “the ability to be vulnerable is HUGE. Vulnerability creates bonding. The willingness to know about other people is also priceless.
THINK: Every student has a similar academic potential; Need for a safe space for everyone for learning or socialization etc.
DO: RF, Leland Scholars program coordinator
FEEL: Wants to increase awareness of pre-existing conditions and academic effects; with pset-based courses, no time to share feelings, this makes living situation more important