Effectuating Evidence-based Transformative Pedagogical Approaches in STEM Foundational Courses at AAMU

通过这个更广泛的计划规划项目，阿拉巴马农业和机械大学（AAMU）的教师和管理人员团队正在为教师和学生在STEM课程中使用循证教学实践建立专业发展机会。认识到在入门课程（最容易发生人员流失的地方）中实施有效的教学方法至关重要，项目团队将重点放在收集基线数据上，这些基线数据是关于目前在这些课程中使用的循证实践的程度，并培训教师将需要学生积极参与、概念理解、批判性思维和解决问题的课堂和实验室活动纳入课程的前两年。此外，包括四名pi在内的八名STEM教师“催化剂”正在设计课程，其中以证据为基础的实践是学生学习的核心。模范学生正在接受培训，使用基于证据的对等学习策略来领导补充教学（SI）课程。这个项目的广泛影响是双重的。首先，通过评估和评价产生的数据有望支持理论基础，即STEM教育的系统性变革必须包括广泛的利益相关者（管理人员、教师、员工和学生）。形成性评估将检查基于证据的实践实施的保真度和项目主要组成部分的质量。总结性评估将侧重于确定整个STEM领域的循证实践的总体扩散。其次，本工作结果的传播有望为类似规模和/或学生群体统计数据的学院或大学（AAMU是一所历史悠久的黑人大学）的机构实施循证实践提供一个模型。在这个项目的过程中，一些可交付成果正在开发中，包括(a)新的门户课程材料（教室和实验室），(b) SI领导者培训材料，以及(c)教师和SI领导者的评估和评估材料。

Through this WIDER Program planning project a team of faculty and administrators at Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (AAMU) is establishing professional development opportunities in the use of evidence-based instructional practices in STEM courses for both faculty and students. Recognizing that it is essential to implement effective pedagogy in gateway courses (where most attrition occurs), the project team is focusing on collecting baseline data about the extent to which evidence-based practices are currently being used in these courses and training faculty members to incorporate classroom and laboratory activities that require active student engagement, conceptual understanding, critical thinking, and problem-solving into the first two years of the curriculum. Moreover, eight STEM faculty "catalysts," including the four PIs, are designing courses in which evidence-based practices are central to student leaning. Model students are being trained to lead Supplementary Instruction (SI) courses using evidence-based peer-to-peer learning strategies. The broader impact of this project is twofold. First, data generated through assessment and evaluation is expected to support the theoretical rationale that systematic change in STEM education must include a wide spectrum of stakeholders (administrators, faculty, staff, and students). Formative evaluation will examine the fidelity of implementation of evidence-based practices and the quality of the projects major components. Summative evaluation will focus on determining the overall diffusion of evidence-based practices throughout the STEM fields. Secondly, dissemination of the results of this work is expected to provide a model for institutional implementation of evidence-based practices at colleges or universities of similar size and/or student body demographics (AAMU is a Historically Black University). Several deliverables are being developed over the course of this project including (a) new gateway course materials (classroom and laboratory), (b) SI-leader training materials, and (c) evaluation and assessment materials for faculty and SI leaders.