Improving the Undergraduate Learning and Teaching Experience Through Innovative Course Clustering

新泽西城市大学的生物和化学学院将开设一门新的实验室课程，探索“课程集群”的概念。这些是跨越生物和化学的高级本科课程的符合逻辑的、跨学科的分组。集群内的学生将协作使用各自的实验室组件进行单一的通用项目，而不考虑他们注册的是哪门课程。这将为涉及多个学科的跨职能、真实的研究体验建立模型，以解决现实世界的问题，就像在工业环境中所做的那样。学生们将在协作环境中相互交流，发展STEM劳动力所需的技能。由于新泽西城市大学学生的多样性，该项目将增加攻读STEM的学生的数量和多样性。该项目将开发一种独特的方法来改进和扩大生物和化学实验室课程的范围。课程组合将形成一种综合的方法，在本科生环境中解决现实世界的研究课题。这种方法反映了研究驱动型组织用来解决问题的范例，因此学生在毕业后将同时发展为劳动力做好准备所需的技术技能和软技能。与项目评估员合作，研究人员将产生新的证据，说明课程分类如何提高学生对基本科学原理的理解，以及它如何影响非认知学生的结果。预期结果包括提高自我效能感、留校率和毕业率，学生和教师对课程的满意度，以及在工业岗位和研究生院的就业机会。项目成功将使用经过验证的调查工具进行评估，并与历史数据进行比较。

The biology and chemistry faculty of New Jersey City University will institute a new laboratory curriculum exploring the concept of "course clusters". These are logical, cross-disciplinary groupings of advanced undergraduate courses that span both biology and chemistry. Students within a cluster will work collaboratively to pursue a single common project using their respective laboratory components, regardless of which course they are enrolled in. This will model a cross-functional, authentic research experience involving multiple disciplines to solve a real-world problem, as is done in an industrial setting. Students will interact with each other in a collaborative environment and develop the skills needed for the STEM workforce. Due to the diverse nature of students at New Jersey City University, the project will increase the number and diversity of students pursuing STEM.This project will develop a unique methodology to improve and broaden the scope of the biology and chemistry laboratory curriculum. The course clusters will form an integrated approach to addressing real-world research topics in an undergraduate setting. This approach mirrors the paradigm utilized by research-driven organizations to solve problems, so students will develop both the technical skills and the soft skills required to be workforce-ready upon graduation. Working with a project evaluator, the investigators will generate new evidence regarding how course-clustering increases student understanding of fundamental scientific principles, and how it influences non-cognitive student outcomes. The expected outcomes include improved self-efficacy, retention and graduation rates, satisfaction with the curriculum for both students and faculty, and placement in industrial positions and graduate schools. Program success will be assessed using validated survey tools and compared to historical data.