Faculty Learning for OutComes and Knowledge (FLOCK) at Fresno State

最近的STEM教育国家报告概述了一系列基于研究的建议，以改善STEM学科所有学生的学习和成功。这些报告（例如，Vision and Change in Biology Education，AAAS，2011）呼吁在本科STEM教育中进行系统和机构转型。具体而言，改进的教师发展和计划改革模式是必要的，以确保以证据为基础的改革方法成为广泛的教学实践，而不是孤立的做法。这些改革是必要的，以继续改善学生的学习和成功，特别是对于代表性不足的少数民族学生群体，以证据为基础的改革已被证明有最大的影响。该项目将为基础科学和数学课程的教师主导的教学和学习改革开发一个综合模型。这项工作将适应教师学习社区（FLC）的结构作为其模型的基础。将成立四个名为FLOCKs（为成果和知识而学习的教师）的FLC，生物学，化学，数学和物理学各一个。每个FLOCK将发展专门知识，以规划、实施和评估为期一年的门户课程系列的改革（例如，化学1A 1B），由文献，专业发展经验和学科为基础的教育专家的指导。该小组成员将定期与同事讨论文献、改革计划和取得的成果，以帮助推广使用更有效的方法。最后，FLOCKs将与机构领导人合作，制定可持续的运营模式，包括解决教师工作量和晋升以及可能成为改革障碍的终身教职政策。FLOCK将由一个指导委员会在各个学科之间进行协调，该委员会由FLOCK领导人和来自校园支持单位和利益相关部门的代表组成。一个由外部专家组成的咨询委员会将指导FLC的发展和方案改革工作。这一努力将得到校园领导的大力支持，因为它承诺有助于实现提高学生保留率和毕业率的目标。

Recent national reports in STEM education outline a series of research-based recommendations for improving student learning and success for all students in STEM disciplines. These reports (e.g., Vision and Change in Biology Education, AAAS, 2011) call for systemic and institutional transformation efforts in undergraduate STEM education. Specifically, improved models for faculty development and program reform are needed to ensure that evidence-based reform methodologies become widespread instructional practices as opposed to isolated practices. These reforms are needed to continue to improve student learning and success, particularly for underrepresented minority student populations for which evidence-based reforms have shown to have the largest impact. This project will develop a comprehensive model for faculty-led teaching and learning reforms in foundational science and mathematics coursework. This effort will adapt a faculty learning community (FLC) structure as the basis for its model. Four FLCs called FLOCKs (Faculty Learning for OutComes and Knowledge) will be formed, one each in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. Each FLOCK will develop expertise to plan, implement and assess reform of a year-long gateway course series (e.g., CHEM 1A & 1B), guided by the literature, professional development experiences and discipline-based education experts. The FLOCK members will regularly engage colleagues in discussions of the literature, plans for reform and outcomes achieved to help spread the use of more effective pedagogies. Finally, FLOCKs will work with institutional leaders to develop a sustainable operating model, including addressing faculty workload and promotion and tenure policies that may be barriers for reforms. FLOCKs will be coordinated across the disciplines by a steering committee comprised of FLOCK leaders and representatives from campus support units and stakeholder departments. An advisory board of external experts will guide FLC development and program reform efforts. The effort will receive strong support from campus leaders as it promises to help meet targets for improving student retention and graduation rates.