Weed-Out Classes and Their Consequences

BackgroundWith the increased attention on the need to retain students within STEM majors, it is important for STEM instructors to adopt evidence-based instructional practices that are student-centric and employ active learning techniques. However, traditional approaches for increasing student-centric, active learning practices such as workshops, seminars, and department or college mandates have been either inefficient or ineffective at motivating institutional change. This is particularly true for introductory STEM courses with large enrollments. One promising approach is to develop and support instructors in forming communities of practice around reforming introductory and foundational STEM courses. By engaging instructors within these communities of practice, and connecting the communities with each other, instructors may be more likely to experience an epistemological shift that will lead to adoption of active learning practices.To explore whether participating in a community of practice is related to the use of student-centered, active learning techniques, 25 undergraduate foundational STEM courses whose instructors were members of a community of practice were observed using the Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM Courses. The results were compared to a sample of 35 undergraduate foundational STEM courses whose instructors were not members of a community of practice.ResultsInstructors who were members of a community of practice were much more likely to employ student-centric practices, such as asking questions, following up, and engaging in discussion, and much less likely to use instructor-centered practices, such as lecturing. In addition, students in these classes were more likely to be actively engaged in problem-solving activities rather than passively listening. We found that student-centric, active learning practices correlated with students attending and actively participating in class, an effect that is stronger for courses taught by instructors who were members of a community of practice.ConclusionCommunities of practice are a potentially effective mechanism for enhancing student learning and retention by increasing the use of active learning practices by STEM instructors. These communities are particularly effective when they consist of small, disciplinary teams working on the same course(s) and are linked with other individuals or groups that use evidence-based instructional practices.

Office hours are a part of nearly all science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, with many academic and affective benefits for students who attend. However, despite their ubiquity, there has only been limited past work examining the sources of knowledge students draw from to shape their perceptions of office hours, as well as the factors that influence students' experiences in STEM course office hours. Here, we conducted semistructured interviews with 20 students enrolled in an introductory STEM course to investigate what motivates students to attend STEM course office hours, the factors that shape their experiences in office hours, and what influenced their conceptions of office hours. We situate our work using expectancy value theory and racialized opportunity cost, identifying that students' experiences with office hours in high school and how an instructor describes office hours in a class and on the syllabus influence students' expectancies and perceived value and costs for attending office hours. In addition, we find that most students are motivated by the need for help with course content, though some students report a higher perceived cost of attending office hours when they have lower self-efficacy in the course. We conclude by providing recommendations for instructors to encourage student engagement with office hours.

The scientific enterprise holds the most promise for addressing urgent societal challenges when diversity, inclusivity, and collaboration are fostered within the science community. This requires that scientists develop personal and interpersonal competencies that allow them to participate in diverse, inclusive, and collaborative endeavors. Within STEM education, persistence and success in science and math are also influenced by such personal and interpersonal experiences. The personal connection students feel to the class material, the nature and tone of interactions among students and faculty, the sense of agency that students develop around accessing the “hidden curriculum” (office hours, research experiences, and other academic support or leadership experiences), and the sense of mattering and belonging, are all important factors in helping students develop an identity as a scientist. At our small liberal arts college, a survey of 800 students in science and math courses revealed that women, students of color, first generation to college students, and students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds disproportionately report these factors as barriers to their academic success in science and math classes. We are exploring whether we can foster a diverse, inclusive, and collaborative community of science while also lowering barriers to student success through the creation of opportunities for students and faculty to come together in interdisciplinary Grand Challenge learning collectives. Learning collectives tacklecomplex societal issues that students care deeply about and which can be addressed only through collaboration among different disciplines and lived experiences. We report on outcomes and lessons learned from a Grand Challenges learning collective focused on Global Climate Change. A set of linked introductory STEM courses (Calculus, Physics, Chemistry, Data Science, Psychology) and freshman writing seminars (Sociology, History, Earth Science) addressed climate change from their own disciplinary perspectives while providing opportunities for students to engage in climate change work in foundational science courses. Work inside classes was supported by community conversations and events outside of class. At the conclusion of the introductory level courses, students explored opportunities to continue building the community by serving as near-peer mentors, by engaging in student research experiences or community-engaged learning experiences, or serving as a student Catalyst working to improve inclusion. Fundamental to the evolution of the learning collective was a program of professional and personal development for faculty and students. Working groups, formed around topics of common interest, aimed to build capacity for inclusion and equity. Faculty participants expressed the need for sustained support as they examined their teaching practices and experimented with ways to foster greater inclusivity. Students deeply valued out-of-class conversations and interactions with faculty that humanize the scientific enterprise and that help them foster their own identity as a scientist.

1 INTRODUCTION Design education usually employs project-based learning, in which students learn to research, plan, design and reflect on the creation of technological projects [1], [2]. Student experience issues may influence students' design process, as well as their perception of professional knowledge development. Studies have pointed out students are ill-informed about design education when entering university [3]. In the field of design, although there have been student surveys to analyze design thinking skills and for assessing design literacy. However, these studies are primarily assessment tools, and do not investigate students’ attitudes or experiences of their design courses. While several studies focus on measuring students’ cognitive knowledge, assessments of affective variables, such as attitude, are far fewer in number. The objective of this study was to investigate student experiences, specifically the issues and challenges faced by students in three foundational design courses – focusing on introductory design, architectural design and engineering design – at the . We investigate issues such as how do students experience various instruction modes such as lectures and studio; and their experience of working individually or as teams in the three foundational design courses. 2 METHOD We conducted a survey in three foundational design courses, in both online and paper format. The survey comprised quantitative and qualitative components. Respondents consisted of 248 students from the introductory design course, 48 students from the introductory architectural design course and 71 students from the engineering design course. Respondents rated their perceptions on 23 items in two types of questions: Likert, semantic differential. Additionally, they provided their input in two open-ended questions. 3 RESULTS A principal component analysis conducted on the data revealed five factors that primarily contributed to students’ perception of foundational design courses: (1) the fun aspects of design, (2) the stressful aspects of design, (3) Course Pressures, (4) Student temperament issues, (5) Teamwork experience. Performance pressures majorly affected student experience in all three courses. The architectural design course was seen to be the most enjoyable for students, as fun scores were higher than the stress scores, and low course pressures. The engineering design course was observed to be very stressful for students, with low scores for fun. 4 SIGNIFICANCE Student perception of foundational design courses is important because it can be used to drive forward changes in curriculum and pedagogy. While this study uses data from one university, the issues reported here are generic and relevant for instructors developing design courses across different parts of the world. Research in student experience and perspectives is crucial to develop design education and propel it into the future. REFERENCES [1] Y. Doppelt, “Assessing creative thinking in design-based learning,” International Journal of Technology and Design Education, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 55–65, 2009, [2] N. Lee, “Project methods as the vehicle for learning in undergraduate design education: a typology,” Design Studies, vol. 30, no. 5, pp. 541–560, Sep. 2009, [3] A. B. Gencosmanoglu, “Learning, teaching and administration in design education: DESIGNtrain Project: Training tools for developing design education,” in Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2010.

BackgroundProcess skills such as critical thinking and information processing are commonly stated outcomes for STEM undergraduate degree programs, but instructors often do not explicitly assess these skills in their courses. Students are more likely to develop these crucial skills if there is constructive alignment between an instructor’s intended learning outcomes, the tasks that the instructor and students perform, and the assessment tools that the instructor uses. Rubrics for each process skill can enhance this alignment by creating a shared understanding of process skills between instructors and students. Rubrics can also enable instructors to reflect on their teaching practices with regard to developing their students’ process skills and facilitating feedback to students to identify areas for improvement.ResultsHere, we provide rubrics that can be used to assess critical thinking and information processing in STEM undergraduate classrooms and to provide students with formative feedback. As part of the Enhancing Learning by Improving Process Skills in STEM (ELIPSS) Project, rubrics were developed to assess these two skills in STEM undergraduate students’ written work. The rubrics were implemented in multiple STEM disciplines, class sizes, course levels, and institution types to ensure they were practical for everyday classroom use. Instructors reported via surveys that the rubrics supported assessment of students’ written work in multiple STEM learning environments. Graduate teaching assistants also indicated that they could effectively use the rubrics to assess student work and that the rubrics clarified the instructor’s expectations for how they should assess students. Students reported that they understood the content of the rubrics and could use the feedback provided by the rubric to change their future performance.ConclusionThe ELIPSS rubrics allowed instructors to explicitly assess the critical thinking and information processing skills that they wanted their students to develop in their courses. The instructors were able to clarify their expectations for both their teaching assistants and students and provide consistent feedback to students about their performance. Supporting the adoption of active-learning pedagogies should also include changes to assessment strategies to measure the skills that are developed as students engage in more meaningful learning experiences. Tools such as the ELIPSS rubrics provide a resource for instructors to better align assessments with intended learning outcomes.

Instructors often encounter challenges in the implementation of evidence-based teaching practices in large-enrollment STEM courses. A novel Instructional-Teams Model (I-TM) seeks to address some of these challenges with the support of student assistants in specialized roles. I-TM roles focus on supporting course and classroom management (instructional managers), formative assessment (learning researchers), and student engagement (learning assistants, who are already a common feature of many large-enrollment STEM courses). We analyzed benefits and challenges in teaching with this model as expressed by participating instructors. Our results support the utility of the I-TM for implementing evidence-based, active-learning instruction in large-enrollment STEM courses.

Recent Higher Education Funding Council research echoes previous findings that student satisfaction scores differ between subject areas (HEFCE, 2011). However, there remains a paucity of research attempting to account for this, and these differences have only been reported for final–year student satisfaction. It is unclear at what stage during a study programme differences in satisfaction might emerge, and satisfaction of firstyear students is of particular interest because of its association with student progression and retention (Tinto, 2007). Exploratory analyses of first–year students’ responses to National Student Survey (NSS) questions (N=1180) revealed that there were significant differences in students’ perception of teaching and available resources depending on whether they were enrolled on a STEM subject course or not. Perhaps unsurprisingly (given funding council bands) the STEM students were more likely to agree that they had access to adequate resources. However, the non–STEM students were more likely to agree that their teachers were good at explaining material and were enthusiastic about their topic. Furthermore, the differences in the perceptions of teaching experienced by STEM versus non–STEM students varied as a function of sex of the student. The implications of these findings are that although the experience of STEM students may be bolstered by access to resources, their experience of teaching and learning (and particularly that experienced by males on STEM courses) is less satisfactory than that of non–STEM students. This finding is of particular interest in light of the increasing use of student satisfaction data to inform league tables and students’ degree choice. Furthermore, these data challenge stereotypes of the experiences of males and females in STEM disciplines and have implications for how STEM teaching practitioners approach the learning experience of their students.

In September 2017, our university's first graduate apprentices began degrees in Software Development, Cybersecurity, and Information Technology Management for Business. This study explores how apprentices experience their association with the university and identities as students, but also employees. In Scotland, Graduate Apprenticeships (GAs) are undergraduate degrees in which the students are in full-time employment, while completing degree modules over four years, as for a traditional full-time degree. The curriculum follows a skills framework designed by employers so that graduates have the professional and technical attributes required by the industry. The degrees parallel Degree Apprenticeships in England, though there are national differences in implementation. Themes of identity and belonging are central to current investigations of the experience of STEM students, especially computing students, as fewer students choose STEM courses, and many transfer out of their subjects or do not complete their degrees. The research hypothesis is that the apprentices' employment will provide a strong IT professional identity supports their progress at university. Semi-structured interviews with apprentices in the first computing cohorts explored their situated perspectives. Responses were identified which concerned the apprentices' identity as students or employees, including themes around belonging. Thematic analysis of these responses revealed that apprentices defined themselves in opposition to traditional student identities and did draw strength from their identity as employees. They experienced belonging specifically within their GA cohort-the first of its kind in the university. A better understanding of identity and belonging can be used by universities to address the challenges of retention.

Mathematical skills are crucial in our modern knowledge society. Consequently, poor mathematical skills can significantly limit societal participation in terms of academic but also life prospects more generally. However, little is known about specific consequences of mathematical learning difficulties like dyscalculia in adults. In this study, we conducted a thematic analysis of anamnestic interview data from 18 university students with dyscalculia presenting at a university clinic for students with neurodevelopmental conditions. Results indicated three major themes. First, all participants reported significant number-related key deficits with basic mathematical skills and arithmetic operations. Second, considerable daily struggles , in particular regarding money usage and time management were indicated. Third, severe emotional and behavioral consequences, such as shame, mathematics anxiety, and avoidance behavior emerged. Together, our findings underscore the impact of dyscalculia on the academic and personal lives of adult university students. Considerable everyday strain resulted in lasting emotional and behavioral consequences. Despite these experienced limitations, dyscalculia in adults remains largely neglected in academic and societal discourse on neurodivergence. By examining this frequently overlooked form of neurodivergence, our study contributes to a critical perspective on neurodiversity, calling for a more inclusive understanding of neurodevelopmental differences. Lay Abstract Mathematical skills are essential in our modern world and difficulties with math can significantly impact a person's life, from their education to their daily activities. Yet, little is known about the specific challenges that adults with a mathematical learning difficulty like dyscalculia face. This study looked at the experiences of university students with dyscalculia who sought help at a university clinic that supports students with neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD, autism, and learning disorders. We spoke with 18 university students to learn about their struggles. Our conversations revealed three key areas of difficulty. First, all participants reported fundamental problems with numbers and basic calculations. These issues were not just limited to academics; they also caused significant daily struggles with common tasks like managing money and understanding time. These challenges, in turn, had a profound emotional impact. The students described feeling shame and anxiety about math, and often went to great lengths to avoid situations involving numbers. Our findings show that dyscalculia can significantly impact an adult's life, affecting their studies, personal life and emotional well-being. By shedding light on the experiences of these students, we hope to start a broader conversation about dyscalculia and create a more inclusive understanding of neurodevelopmental differences. By exploring the experiences of adults with dyscalculia, our work highlights the need for greater understanding, recognition, and support for this often-overlooked group.

This study aims to investigate the effect of robotics design with Arduino on students' attitudes towards ICT courses and STEM. In this context, robotics design activities with Arduino were conducted with an experimental group, while the current IT curriculum was applied to a control group. The study lasted for a period of 12 weeks and was conducted with 53 middle school students. The Information Communication Technologies Course Attitude Scale (ICTCAS) and STEM Attitude Scale (SAS) were used as data collection tools. The study's findings revealed that robotics design activities with Arduino increased the students' attitudes towards engineering and technology in the context of STEM and ICT courses. Additionally, the participating students supported the use of robotics activities in their ICT course, and they reportedly found the activities to be fun, interesting, different, difficult, complex, and time-consuming. During the first weeks of the study, the students were excited, very curious, interested, enthusiastic, worried, and hesitant to participate in the activities and avoided them. However, in the subsequent weeks, they gained practical experience related to the activities and took on a more active role in the class.

During this time of heightened awareness of social injustices via Black Lives Matter protests, the #MeToo movement, and the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to ensure that teacher preparation curriculum includes attention to knowledge and skills related to social justice issues in education. Th e purpose of this study was to investigate the ways in which social justice, diversity, and equity are addressed in the foundational courses of the Purdue Teacher Education Program (PTEP). McDonald (2005) proposed a framework in which social justice is integrated across all experiences (e.g., courses, activities, clinical placements) in a teacher education program. In an analysis of PTEP, we found that each required course referenced social justice, diversity, and/or equity, albeit to varying degrees, including practical applications of knowledge related to these ideas. In her framework, McDonald recommended conceptual and practical tools related to social justice. In PTEP, such tools (e.g., differentiation, Universal Design for Learning, culturally responsive teaching) are incorporated across multiple courses through readings and assignments. In this investigation, we used curricular analyses, faculty input, and student experiences to identify the nature of social justice references in the program curricula, and also highlight productive connections that begin in the foundations courses and could be continued into the methods courses later in the program. With a better understanding of the program curricula, personnel can both enhance opportunities in their own courses, as well as capitalize on experiences offered in other courses.

This full paper of Research Category presents the main results of a systematic review of the literature about the use of computer games in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. The concept of lifelong learning has often been encouraged in literature. However, it also reports students facing difficulties in exact sciences since elementary school: a significant challenge to overcome. Among the reasons for such difficulties are demotivation, disinterest, learning difficulties, and even the use of outdated teaching-learning methods. In an attempt to improve the relationship between students and exact sciences, schools are expanding the use of information technologies to offer the students interactive environments in order to enrich their classes. In this context, characteristics of digital games appear as a didactic resource that can benefit the students’ learning process. If properly used, digital games can stimulate memory, creativity, socialization, and also incite curiosity. Due to the ease young students have with games and considering the benefits mentioned above, many institutions have been investing in digital games (or environments with some of their characteristics). However, these games can generate compulsive behaviors (WHO classified such disorders in 2018), and it is worth noticing that many articles reporting the use of games in education focus mainly on its acceptance instead of its teaching capabilities. In this article, we report the main findings, such as that technology is the area with the highest concentration of digital games. It is also observed that different guiding theories appear, such as those with a constructivist tendency. Among the arguments for using games stand out: the gain in cognitive skills, the possibility of using simulations, and the ease in understanding complex themes. The methods of didactic-pedagogical evaluation mostly used are questionnaires of acceptance or the student’s perception. This review highlights the potential of digital games to promote learning. However, these games should not be focused solely on their ludic aspect, as they have a different purpose from regular games. Active methodologies mediated by information and communication technologies can make class more engaging as students actively participate in the construction of student learning.

Nurse Practitioner Educators' Perceived Knowledge, Beliefs, and Teaching Strategies Regarding Evidence-Based Practice: Implications for Accelerating the Integration of Evidence-Based Practice Into Graduate Programs

Programming foundation is a basic required course of computer-related subjects, and thus how to improve the teaching quality of this course is a very important problem for computer educators. To improve the teaching quality of programming foundation course in private higher learning college in China, some reform measures are proposed, including the following 5 aspects: teaching content, teaching method, teaching practice, examining form and network teaching. The well teaching practice effect shows that these reform measures can improve the teaching quality of programming foundation course, and also can be used for reference to other computer-related subjects.

In the spring of 2019, COVID-19 surprised the world in every way. People, organisations, and processes had to adapt to the new realities. Higher education was one of the first areas where the educational activities of students and faculty had to shift from institutions to home. Many faculties had to move from the traditional model of face-to-face teaching (where ICT is used in a very rudimentary way) to the model of online teaching. The transition had to be made almost immediately using available digital tools, and during this transition period it was difficult for many to remain focused on the educational process as they had before the pandemic. In retrospect, it was apparent that the digital technologies themselves were not sufficient for a successful transition from the traditional to the online environment. Over the next few months, however, teachers had some time to reflect on the results. Today, still under pressure from the pandemic, they are better organised, trained, and ready for modern teaching, some of which still takes place online. The hybrid teaching model combines both traditional face-to-face and online teaching with lectures supported by ICT and learning management systems (LMS). The Data Modelling course is one of the foundational courses of the undergraduate computer science curriculum at the authors' university. Like many other courses in the field, it requires both theoretical and practical assignments. Teachers need to design an appropriate range of activities for students to ensure that they acquire the theoretical knowledge needed to solve the practical tasks (drawing, modelling, programming, designing, or the like). However, general or support skills (communication and interpersonal skills, teamwork, creativity and critical thinking) are also important. In an online environment, it is very difficult for even an experienced teacher to reconcile both requirements. When it comes to testing knowledge in an online environment, the process becomes even more difficult to implement.This paper presents the development of this course during the COVID -19 pandemic. The course was delivered in a face-to-face-only setting in 2019, an online-only setting in 2020, and a hybrid model in 2021. The paper compares these three models, their advantages and limitations. In addition, the models were evaluated based on teacher and student evaluations and experiences, as well as grade points earned. The final model can be used as a reference for other courses in the field of information systems design and development. This model is hybrid and the authors try to make it as agile as possible. Agility and speed in adapting to changing policies and constraints at the national and state levels are important because current pandemic conditions are unpredictable and make it difficult to plan far (even weeks) in advance.