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About Integrating STEM Education at CU Boulder
Chancellor's Graduate and Faculty Awards for Excellence in STEM Education
John Basey, College of Arts & Sciences - Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Variation in Working Memory and the Optimal Design of STEM Labs
Our ultimate goal is to research how cognitive load imposed on students in the form of different designs of inquiry-oriented labs interacts with individual variations in working memory among students to influence learning. As a beginning step, I am re-designing the traditional and guided, diversity-survey-labs in biology (i.e. teacher-centered with guided procedures and a guided write-up) to mirror constructs advocated by science education reform (i.e. student-centered without guided procedures and an open-ended write-up). In addition, the new survey labs begin with “the learning cycle” and are more inquiry-oriented (hypothesis-driven). I will develop and finalize a working model of this new survey lab during summer 2010 and do a test-run in the classroom with an assessment in spring 2011. pdf
Virginia Ferguson, College of Engineering & Applied Sciences – Mechanical Engineering
Assessing
YOU’RE@CU: A New Program to Promote Diversity in Engineering
This proposal seeks to improve training and academic preparation of engineering students, who are interested in the combined study of engineering and biology. The PI, along with the
BOLD Center, will achieve this by developing a new program that targets women and minority students at the undergraduate and graduate levels: “Your Own Undergraduate Research Experience at the University of Colorado: YOU’RE@CU”. We seek to establish a vibrant and diverse research community that increases the accessibility of studying biological materials and medicine from an engineering perspective. Our educational vision is that merging bioengineering research with teaching and providing a range of research opportunities will enhance new student recruitment, improve retention of engineering lower classmen – and particularly target retention of underrepresented minorities and women, encourage undergraduates to seek graduate degrees, and provide mentoring training for graduate students.
Jenny Knight, College of Arts & Sciences – Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology
Development of a Capstone Concept Assessment to measure integrated content retention in biology
The intent of this proposal is to begin developing a Capstone Molecular Biology Concept Assessment (Capstone MBCA) to evaluate how well graduating seniors in Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology (MCDB) can integrate and apply concepts from all their coursework. Such an assessment tool will have widespread impact in supporting the transformation of undergraduate education and providing a resource to evaluate meaningful student learning. Some of the expected uses of this tool are: 1. To measure the level of conceptual learning in graduating biology majors, 2. To measure conceptual learning gains between beginning and end of final year of coursework, 3. To measure the level of content retention after graduation, 4. To help determine which different models of pedagogy can help to promote long-term content retention and integrative abilities. The Capstone MBCA can be used not only at CU, but at any college or university department that teaches genetics, molecular biology, and cell biology, across the nation and internationally. It may also be valuable to science educators in other disciples, as well as to science teachers at the secondary school level. pdf
Heather Lewandowski & Charles Rogers, College of Arts & Sciences – Physics
Learning Goals and Course Materials for Advanced Undergraduate Physics Laboratories
In Physics, we recognize and teach that experiment is an extraordinarily powerful method for judging and differentiating competing ideas. Although most physics majors are required to take an upper-level laboratory course, these courses are seldom effective at teaching students the necessary skills to carry out independent research beyond the classroom setting. We are requesting support for the development of learning goals, coordinated course materials, and a preliminary online evaluation survey for the upper-level “advanced laboratory” courses, PHYS3340, PHYS4430, and PHYS5430.
Year-end Report
2010-2011 Graduate Fellows:
Lindsay Anderson, College of Arts & Sciences - Psychology
Advisor: Alice Healy
Understanding the Components of the iClicker System that Promote Learning, Retention, and Generalization of Classroom Knowledge proposal, Year-end Report
Heidi Iverson, School of Education
Adviser: Erin Furtak
What Works in Undergraduate Physics Education?
A Research Synthesis pdf
Seyitriza Tigrek, College of Engineering & Applied Science - Electrical Engineering
Advisor: Frank Barnes and Melinda Piket-May
Developing an Adaptive Method for Teaching Mobile (Phones) Programming to Freshman Engineering Students pdf
Colin Wallace, College of Arts & Sciences – Astrophysical & Planetary Sciences
Advisor: Doug Duncan
Understanding Students' Difficulties with Cosmology pdf
Clayton H. Lewis, Computer Science with Profs. Dirk Grunwald and Ken Anderson
Video Resources for Lower Division Computer Science Curriculum
This project aims to improve the effectiveness of Computer Science pedagogy by developing, evaluating, and sharing the practice of providing short video modules that students can view before class and review after class. This two-year study will develop and evaluate materials for four lower division courses, and assess the costs of creating and using these materials. In the longer term, the project aims to extend this approach to the remaining curriculum, while at the same time providing a model for creating and sharing such materials that can be widely adopted elsewhere. Proposal, Year-end Report
Eric Frew, Aerospace Engineering
The Sky's the Limit: An Unmanned Aircraft Laboratory Model
The goal of the Sky’s the Limit project is to create, evaluate, and then disseminate new learning material that reflects advances both in unmanned aerospace systems and in what is known about the impact of active learning on engineering education. The centerpiece of the proposed effort is the creation of a complete unmanned aircraft laboratory module. This module will reflect the current state of the art in embedded systems, wireless communication, automatic control, and unmanned systems. Proposal, Year-end Report
Erin Furtak, School of Education
Teaching and Learning Biology at CU: Course Evaluation and Revision Project
The proposed research supports a collaboration between two CU STEM faculty members; fosters research into the design and evaluation of instructional strategies and novel course design, and promises to promote a uniquely effective type of course/instruction with great potential to positively impact STEM education, both at CU and nationally. The proposed research will support: a) the completion of the evaluation of the TALB course, its effectiveness as a teacher education and educational research recruitment tool; b) suggest revisions of the course to be implemented when it is offered again in the fall of 2010. Proposal, Year-end Report
Steven Pollock, Physics
Development of Pre-Post Tests for Upper Division Electricity and Magnetism Tutorials
This research study is part of a broader effort to move beyond research and development of curricular reforms at the introductory level, in order to better address the specialized needs of students in upper-division physics courses. Proposal, Year-end Report
2009-2010 Graduate Fellows:
Kim Trenbath, Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences
Adviser: Linnea Avallone
AY appointment to support Undergraduate Climate Change Curriculum Development and Validation Proposal, Year-end Report, CCLI Poster
Sarah Roberts, School of Education
Adviser: Erin Furtak
Summer appointment to support Reforming Undergraduate Biology Teaching Through Formative Assessment Proposal, Year-end Report
Ryan Grover and Louisa Harris, School of Education
Advisers: David Webb and Victoria Hand
AY appointments to support a Longitudinal Study of the Implementation and Impact of LAs on Teaching in Undergraduate Mathematics Proposal, Year-end Report
David Cheeseman, Computer Science
Adviser: Michael Main
AY year appointment to support a Tablet Teaching Pilot Program Proposal, Year-end Report
Colin Wallace, Astrophysical & Planetary Sciences
Adviser: Doug Duncan
AY year appointment to support Student's Difficulties with Cosmology Proposal, Year-end Report
Lauren Kost, Physics
Adviser: Steven Pollock
AY year appointment to support Investigating the Gender Gap in Undergraduate Physics Courses Proposal, Year-end Report
Benjamin Spike, Physics
Adviser Noah Finkelstein
AY appointment to support An Examination of Conceptions of Teaching and Learning Physics in Graduate TAs and Undergraduate LAs Proposal