Institutionalization of Innovative and Effective Instructional Reform at the University of Michigan-Dearborn

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This project is addressing the issue of how to disseminate successful reforms in instruction throughout the university and then to other similar urban universities. Traditionally, useful techniques tend to remain with one instructor instead of finding application in other courses. The project institutes a process for institutionalizing effective, innovative instructional changes originating in mathematics at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, as well as for institutionalizing other reforms. The process includes establishment of a "Pedagogy Forum" for all faculty and support of faculty as they adopt/adapt new pedagogical methods ranging from non-technical changes such as use of cooperative learning and group projects to technical use of computer software for in-class demonstrations and "real-life" homework. Leadership that has been provided in terms of "Commuter 26", a forum for public, urban, universities which typically have high minority enrollments, and MDAMP, a metropolitan Detroit Alliance for Minority Participation created with the support of NSF, is extended to this project. The specific changes being promulgated include integration of the software program Mathematica into the sciences beginning with chemistry and physics, adoption of cooperative learning strategies throughout the sciences, creation of a computer based statistics course in economics followed by a similar course for science majors, and development of a constructivist, hands-on sequence of laboratory experiences for non-science concentrators which, with the addition of more material in the earth science, is being converted to a three semester sequence of science courses for future K-12 teachers. An opportunity is being created for talented undergraduate students to serve as facilitators of learning in introductory course recitation sections.