Capacity-Building to Transform STEM Education Through Faculty Communities in Learning Analytics and Inquiry

Amy Chan Hilton; Shelly Blunt; Zane Mitchell

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Conference: 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Publication Date: August 23, 2022
Start Date: June 26, 2022
End Date: June 29, 2022
Conference Session: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Page Count: 5
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--42085
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/42085
Download Count: 224

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Paper Authors

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Amy Chan Hilton University of Southern Indiana

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Amy serves as the Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning and a Professor of Engineering at the University of Southern Indiana (USI). Her current work focuses on faculty development in teaching and research and institutional change in supporting learner-centered and inclusive instructional practices that contribute to student retention and success. Prior to joining USI in 2015, Dr. Chan Hilton was a Program Director at the NSF in the Division of Undergraduate Education (EHR/DUE) and Division of Engineering Education and Centers (ENG/EEC), where she worked in multiple STEM education and research programs, including the IUSE, TUES, STEP, WIDER, S-STEM, Noyce, REU, and ERC. She also served as Associate Chair and was on the faculty in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department at the Florida A&M University-Florida State University College of Engineering.

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Shelly Blunt University of Southern Indiana

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Zane Mitchell University of Southern Indiana

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Abstract

This NSF IUSE ICT Capacity-building track project is designed to build capacity for future efforts to support STEM faculty in collaborative inquiry processes to explore questions on student learning and success and to inform changes to improve individual classes, student pathways, and curricula. The goal of this capacity-building project is to strengthen the data infrastructure for faculty use and to cultivate faculty buy-in for engaging in STEM education transformation at a public, regional, primarily undergraduate institution. Specifically, the project objectives are to: 1) expand learning analytics data tools that are relevant and actionable for faculty; 2) engage faculty in activities and learning communities that connect academic data with individual perspectives and values to motivate interest in evidence-based instructional strategies; 3) build community across STEM educators; and 4) refine theories of change and frameworks for a future change implementation project. The focus is on introductory, foundational, and gateway STEM courses.

Towards these goals, two integrated and multidisciplinary faculty communities have been intentionally developed and implemented. The Inquiry in STEM Success community seeks to enhance faculty members’ understanding of student learning, success, and retention in STEM and increase knowledge of evidence-based instructional practices. The questions generated are used by the Data Tools Co-design community to iteratively refine use cases for data analytics dashboard. These activities aim to increase the collective understanding of faculty members in identifying bottlenecks and barriers to student success in STEM. Preliminary results indicate that the explorations and discussions facilitated through the faculty communities have started to create a sense of community and prompt further conversations and considerations of STEM student success issues by the 17 faculty participants across 7 departments.

Moreover, three assumptions, grounded in theories of change, guide this project. First, providing faculty with multiple ways to engage with student success challenges and evidence-based teaching will cultivate motivation to consider change in instruction and curricular design. Second, data alone will not drive change, but rather developing connections with data and evidence will help motivate transformation. Third, systems thinking establishes an effective framework to organize efforts to implement change. This project is funded by the Division of Undergraduate Education (EHR/DUE).

Citation
Format

Chan Hilton, A., & Blunt, S., & Mitchell, Z. (2022, August), Capacity-Building to Transform STEM Education Through Faculty Communities in Learning Analytics and Inquiry Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--42085

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - This NSF IUSE ICT Capacity-building track project is designed to build capacity for future efforts to support STEM faculty in collaborative inquiry processes to explore questions on student learning and success and to inform changes to improve individual classes, student pathways, and curricula. The goal of this capacity-building project is to strengthen the data infrastructure for faculty use and to cultivate faculty buy-in for engaging in STEM education transformation at a public, regional, primarily undergraduate institution.  Specifically, the project objectives are to: 1) expand learning analytics data tools that are relevant and actionable for faculty; 2) engage faculty in activities and learning communities that connect academic data with individual perspectives and values to motivate interest in evidence-based instructional strategies; 3) build community across STEM educators; and 4) refine theories of change and frameworks for a future change implementation project. The focus is on introductory, foundational, and gateway STEM courses. 

Towards these goals, two integrated and multidisciplinary faculty communities have been intentionally developed and implemented.  The Inquiry in STEM Success community seeks to enhance faculty members’ understanding of student learning, success, and retention in STEM and increase knowledge of evidence-based instructional practices. The questions generated are used by the Data Tools Co-design community to iteratively refine use cases for data analytics dashboard. These activities aim to increase the collective understanding of faculty members in identifying bottlenecks and barriers to student success in STEM. Preliminary results indicate that the explorations and discussions facilitated through the faculty communities have started to create a sense of community and prompt further conversations and considerations of STEM student success issues by the 17 faculty participants across 7 departments. 

Moreover, three assumptions, grounded in theories of change, guide this project. First, providing faculty with multiple ways to engage with student success challenges and evidence-based teaching will cultivate motivation to consider change in instruction and curricular design. Second, data alone will not drive change, but rather developing connections with data and evidence will help motivate transformation. Third, systems thinking establishes an effective framework to organize efforts to implement change. This project is funded by the Division of Undergraduate Education (EHR/DUE).
AU  - Amy Chan Hilton
AU  - Shelly Blunt
AU  - Zane Mitchell
CY  - Minneapolis, MN
DA  - 2022/08/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Capacity-Building to Transform STEM Education Through Faculty Communities in Learning Analytics and Inquiry
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/42085
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--42085
ER  -