Implementation Project: From Learning Community to Teaching Community - A Grass Roots Approach to STEM Undergraduate Teaching and Learning

实施项目为历史上的黑人学院和大学（HBCU）提供支持，以设计，实施，研究和评估全面的机构努力，以增加获得STEM本科学位的学生人数，并通过加强STEM教育和研究来提高他们的准备质量。该项目在奥尔巴尼州立大学寻求建立在以前的成功努力，以增加非洲裔美国学生在STEM学科的参与。该项目的一个组成部分是一个学习社区教学实验室，教师将专注于教学方法，最好地帮助学生发展在STEM学科取得成功所需的技能。该项目将采用跨学科的方法，使用自然科学和教育学的教师，他们将采用基于证据的教学方法来提高学生的学习能力。该项目有四个具体目标：1）增加STEM专业的新生入学人数; 2）提高STEM毕业率; 3）提高STEM专业的入学率。3）培养强大的STEM技能，如解决问题的能力，批判性思维能力，研究能力，以及在看门人课程的内容领域中应用这些技能;以及4）在STEM教学中实施专业发展伙伴关系。这些目标将通过教师的专业发展，学生的支持系统，学习社区和综合垂直对齐的课程来实现。该项目旨在为那些对STEM感兴趣但有表现不佳和辍学风险的学生创建一个密集的持续支持系统，为他们提供坚持STEM专业的技能和动力。通过评估计划，该项目寻求研究这些相互关联的方法的效果，作为其他主要是教学机构的HBCU的模式。

Implementation Projects provide support to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to design, implement, study, and assess comprehensive institutional efforts to increase the number of students receiving undergraduate degrees in STEM and enhance the quality of their preparation by strengthening STEM education and research. The project at Albany State University seeks to build on previous successful efforts to increase participation of African-American students in STEM disciplines. A component of the project is a Learning Community-as-Teaching Laboratory where faculty will focus on pedagogical approaches that best assist students to develop the skills needed for success in the STEM disciplines. The project will employ a cross-disciplinary approach, using faculty from both the natural sciences and education, who will employ evidence-based methods of teaching to enhance student learning.The project has four specific goals: 1) to increase the number of entering freshmen in STEM majors; 2) to increase the STEM graduation rate; 3) to develop strong STEM skills, such as problem solving skills, critical thinking skills, research skills, and the application of the skills in the content areas in gatekeeper courses; and 4) to implement a professional development partnership in STEM teaching. The goals will be accomplished through faculty professional development, a support system for students, a learning community, and an integrated vertically aligned curriculum. The project seeks to create an intensive Sustained Support System for Students who are interested in STEM but who are at risk of not performing well and dropping out, providing them with the skills and motivation to persist in STEM majors. Through the evaluation plan, the project seeks to study the effects of these interconnected approaches as models for other HBCUs that are predominantly teaching institutions.