Transforming Institutions: Undergraduate Stem Education for the 21st Century

by Gabriela C. Weaver (Editor), Wilella D. Burgess (Editor), Amy L. Childress (Editor)

Overview

Higher education is coming under increasing scrutiny, both publically and within academia, with respect to its ability to appropriately prepare students for the careers that will make them competitive in the 21st-century workplace. At the same time, there is a growing awareness that many global issues will require creative and critical thinking deeply rooted in the technical STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines. However, the existing and ingrained structures of higher education, particularly in the STEM fields, are not set up to provide students with extensive skill development in communication, teamwork, and divergent thinking, which is needed for success in the knowledge economy. In 2011 and again in 2014, an international conference was convened to bring together university leaders, educational policymakers and researchers, and funding agency representatives to discuss the issue of institutional transformation in higher education, particularly in the STEM disciplines. Central to the issue of institutional transformation is the ability to provide new forms of instruction so that students can gain the variety of skills and depth of knowledge they will need. However, radically altering approaches to instruction sets in motion a domino effect that touches on learning space design, instructional technology, faculty training and reward structures, course scheduling, and funding models. In order for one piece to move, there must be coordinated movement in the others, all of which are part of an entrenched and interconnected system. Transforming Institutions brings together chapters from the scholars and leaders who were part of the 2011 and 2014 conferences. It provides an overview of the context and challenges in STEM higher education, contributed chapters describing programs and research in this area, and a reflection and summary of the lessons from the many authors’ viewpoints, leading to suggested next steps in the path toward transformation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781557537249
Publisher:	Purdue University Press
Publication date:	10/15/2015
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	528
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Gabriela C. Weaver serves as vice provost for faculty development, director of the Center for Teaching and Faculty Development, and professor of chemistry at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Wilella D. Burgess serves as managing director for Purdue University’s Discovery Learning Research Center, an interdisciplinary center that examines the science of learning and seeks more effective ways to transfer cutting-edge research to learners.

Amy L. Childress is the center operations manager for Purdue University’s Discovery Learning Research Center.

Linda Slakey served at the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 1973–2006 in various capacities. From 2006 through 2011, she was director of the Division of Undergraduate Education at the National Science Foundation. At present, she has a consulting practice in Washington, DC.

Table of Contents

Foreword, by Carl Wieman
Introduction
1. Why Now is the Time for Institution-level Thinking in STEM Higher Education, by Gabriela C. Weaver
2. Transforming Undergraduate STEM Education: Responding to Opportunities, Needs and Pressures, by Martin Storksdieck
A. Theories and Models of Institutional Transformation
1. The Reform of Undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education in Context: Preparing Tomorrow’s STEM Professionals and Educating a STEM-Savvy Public, by Joan Ferrini-Mundy, Layne Scherer, and Susan Rundell Singer
2. Institutional Transformation in STEM: Insights from Change Research and the Keck-PKAL Project, by Adrianna Kezar and Elizabeth Holcombe
3. The Role of Cultural Change in Large-Scale STEM Reform: The Experience of the AAU Undergraduate STEM Education Initiative, by Emily R. Miller and James S. Fairweather
4. Increasing Student Success in STEM: An Overview for a New Guide to Systemic Institutional Change, by Susan Elrod and Adrianna Kezar
B. Case Studies—Projects at the Institutional Level
1. Advancing Evidence-Based Teaching in Gateway Science Courses Through a Mentor-Apprentice Model, by Kelly A. Hogan, Jennifer Krumper, Laurie E. McNeil, and Michael T. Crimmins
2. Developing Faculty Cultures for Evidence-Based Teaching Practices in STEM: A Progress Report, by Gail D. Burd, Debra Tomanek, Paul Blowers, Molly Bolger, Jonathan Cox, Lisa Elfring, Elmer Grubbs, Jane Hunter, Ken Johns, Loukas Lazos, Roman Lysecky, John A. Milsom, Ingrid Novodvorsky, John Pollard, Edward Prather, Vicente Talanquer, Kay Thamvichai, Hal Tharp, and Colin Wallace.
3. From Grassroots to Institutionalization: RIT’s CASTLE, by Scott V. Franklin
4. Towards a Model of Systemic Change in University STEM Education, by Daniel L. Reinholz, Joel C. Corbo, Melissa H. Dancy, Noah Finkelstein, and Stanley Deetz
5. The Science Education Initiative: An Experiment in Scaling Up Educational Improvements in a Research University, by Stephanie V. Chasteen, Katherine K. Perkins, Warren J. Code, and Carl E. Wieman
6. Planning Transformation of STEM Education in a Research University, by Robert Potter, Gerry Meisels, Peter Stiling, Jennifer Lewis, Catherine A. Bénetéau, Kevin Yee, and Richard Pollenz
7. Supporting STEM Education: Reflections of the Central Indiana Talent Expansion Project, by Lisa Bunu-Ncube, Jeffery X. Watt, Howard Mzumara, Charles R. Feldhaus, Andrew D. Gavrin, Stephen P. Hundley, and Kathleen A. Marrs
8. Applying the CACAO Change Model to Promote Systemic Transformation in STEM, by Anthony Marker, Patricia Pyke, Sarah Ritter, Karen Viskupic, Amy Moll, R. Eric Landrum, Tony Roark, and Susan Shadle
9. Review of the Undergraduate Science Curriculum at the University of Queensland, by Michael E. McManus and Kelly E. Matthews
10. Key Elements to Create and Sustain Educational Innovation at a Research-Intensive University, by Daniel Hastings and Lori Breslow
11. Changing Practice Towards Inquiry-Oriented Learning, by Les Kirkup
C. Case Studies—Projects at the Course and Departmental Level
1. The Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) Program: Leveraging Faculty Research Interests to Transform Undergraduate STEM Education, by Edward J. Coyle, James V. Krogmeier, Randal T. Abler, Amos Johnson, Stephen Marshall, and Brian E. Gilchrist
2. Transformative Initiatives: How iFoundry Reimagines STEM Education for the 21st Century, by Diane E. Sheets
3. Current Directions in Modern Undergraduate Engineering Education, by Anas Chalah, David Hwang, and Fawwaz Habbal
4. How an R-1 University Rallies Around Transforming Education: Opportunities and Challenges, by Fatma Mili, Robert Herrick, and Tom Frooninckx
5. Departmental Redesign: Transforming the Chattanooga State Math Program, by John Squires
6. Successful Model for Professional Development: Creating and Sustaining Faculty Learning Communities, by Ann C. Smith, Gili Marbach-Ad, Ann M. Stevens, Sarah A. Balcom, John Buchner, Sandra L. Daniel, Jeffrey J. DeStefano, Najib M. El-Sayed, Kenneth Frauwirth, Vincent T. Lee, Kevin S. McIver, Stephen B. Melville, David M. Mosser, David L. Popham, Birgit E. Scharf, Florian D. Schubot, Richard W. Selyer, Jr., Patricia Ann Shields, Wenxia Song, Daniel C. Stein, Richard C. Stewart, Katerina V. Thompson, Zhaomin Yang, and Stephanie A. Yarwood
D. Faculty Development
1. A Disciplinary Teaching and Learning Center: Applying Pedagogical Content Knowledge to Faculty Development, by Gili Marbach-Ad, Laura C. Egan, and Katerina V. Thompson
2. Faculty Learning Communities: A Professional Development Model that Fosters Individual, Departmental, and Institutional Impact, by Katerina V. Thompson, Gili Marbach-Ad, Laura Egan, and
Ann C. Smith
3. STEM Faculty Perceptions of Concept Map Assessments, by Lindsay Owens, Chad Huelsman, and Helen Meyer
4. Teaching to Increase Diversity and Equity in STEM (TIDES): STEM Faculty Professional Development for Self-Efficacy, by Kelly M. Mack and Kate Winter
5. A Social Constructivist Perspective of Teacher Knowledge: The PCK of Biology Faculty at Large Research Institutions, by Kathleen M. Hill
6. Culture, Policy and Resources: Barriers Reported by Faculty Implementing Course Reform, by Loran Carleton Parker, Omolola Adedokun, and Gabriela C. Weaver
E. Metrics and Assessment
1. Clickers in the Wild: A Campus-Wide Study of Student Response Systems, by Lynn C. Reimer, Amanda Nili, Tutrang Nguyen, Mark Warschauer, and Thurston Domina
2. Closing the Loop: A Model for Inter-Institutional Collaboration Through Delivering Formative Assessment in Large, First-Year STEM Classes, by Gwendolyn Lawrie, Anthony Wright, Madeleine Schultz, Tim Dargaville, Roy Tasker, Mark Williams, Simon Bedford, Glennys O’Brien, and Christopher Thompson
3. Describing Instructional Practice and Climate: Two New Instruments, by Emily M. Walter, Andrea L. Beach, Charles Henderson, and Cody T. Williams
4. The Roles of Data in Promoting Institutional Commitment to Undergraduate STEM Reform: The AAU STEM Initiative Experience, by James Fairweather, Josh Trapani, and Karen Paulson
F. Synthesis of Common Themes
1. The Reformers’ Tale: Determining Progress in Improving Undergraduate STEM Education, by Elaine Seymour and Catherine L. Fry
2. Why Doesn’t Knowing Change Anything? Constraints and Resistance, Leverage and Sustainability, by Elaine Seymour and Kris De Welde
3. Toward a New Normal, by Linda Slakey and Howard Gobstein
G. Appendices
1. Editor Biographical Information
2. Transcript of Keynote Address by Freeman Hrabowski III at the 2014 Transforming Institutions Conference