Portland, Oregon
June 23, 2024
June 23, 2024
June 26, 2024
Milhouse's Moment: Engineering Inclusivity, Everything's Coming Up Milhouse!
Pre-College Engineering Education Division (PCEE)
Diversity
20
10.18260/1-2--47524
https://peer.asee.org/47524
73
As an engineer turned educator, through her company, Engineer Inclusion, Dr. Meagan Pollock focuses on helping others intentionally engineer inclusion® in education and the workforce.
Serves as the Outreach and Public Engagement Coordinator for The Grainger College of Engineering. She brings to this position and this initiative expertise in teacher education and curriculum design.
Luisa-Maria Rosu is the Director of I-STEM (Illinois Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) Education Initiative.
This paper explores the implementation and efficacy of a novel rubric designed for pre-college STEM educators participating in a six-month professional development program focusing on creating inclusive STEM learning environments. The rubric, grounded in contemporary educational theory, emphasizes 27 key elements categorized under three main tenets: cognitive engagement (Head), emotional engagement (Heart), and active participation (Hands) in STEM. Educators first employed this rubric during a summer institute, applying it to observations made in engineering summer camps. Then, they used the rubric within their classrooms and STEM clubs. Their assessments aimed to classify observed teaching practices and learning environments as "Inequitable and Exclusive," "Performative or Status Quo," or "Equitable and Inclusive." Aside from an assessment tool, the rubric provides a framework for improving the learning environment. The paper investigates how educators integrated the rubric into their practice and its impact on enhancing inclusive teaching methodologies in STEM education. The study contextualizes the rubric within a rich theoretical framework, drawing upon literature in educational psychology, inclusive pedagogy, and STEM education research. The findings offer insights into how educators discern and foster inclusivity in STEM learning environments, providing evidence of the rubric's utility in professional development. This study contributes to the field by offering a validated tool for educators to self-assess and evolve their pedagogical approaches towards more inclusive STEM education, ultimately aiming to broaden STEM participation across diverse student populations.
Pollock, M. C., & Hebert, L., & Goddard, L., & Rosu, L. (2024, June), Head, Heart, Hands: A Rubric for Creating Inclusive STEM Learning Environments Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--47524
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