Accelerating Systemic Change Network: Promoting Knowledge Development to Support Institutional Change in Higher Education

在过去的几十年里，本科STEM教育的研究人员和课程开发人员在发展关于有效教学实践的知识方面取得了巨大的进步。然而，这项重要的工作尚未转化为教学实践中的广泛变化，因为知道需要做什么并不等于知道如何推动一个机构或部门朝着这个目标前进。加速系统变革网络(ASCN)的目标是发展关于如何推动各机构采用更有效的教学实践的新知识。ASCN将汇集两个重要的群体和思想：1)关于组织变革、基于学科的教育研究和制度经济学的既定知识；2)旨在改善本科教育的高等教育教师和网络的实践智慧和需求。这些教师和网络可以利用由此产生的关于制度变革的新知识来加速他们自己在改善本科STEM教育方面所做的工作的影响。ASCN于一年前成立，由24名大学教职员工和来自领先STEM教育机构的管理人员组成。这24人代表不同的学科，在以学科为基础的教育研究、教育研究、高等教育经济学和制度转型方面都有经验。这个组织可以被认为是一个变革网络的网络，因为它的成员本身就是其他更专门的变革网络的成员。ASCN有六个工作组，涵盖成功的体制转型的关键问题：逻辑模型、领导问题、变革的成本和效益、进展的衡量和沟通、多样性和包容性问题，以及激励措施与系统性变革的协调一致。该网络将是一个开放的网络，因此任何有能力为ASCN的有效运作做出贡献的人都可以加入。

Over the last several decades, researchers and curriculum developers in undergraduate STEM education have made enormous strides in developing knowledge about effective teaching and learning practices. However, this important work has not yet translated into widespread change in teaching practices, because knowing what needs to be done does not equal knowing how to move an institution or department toward that goal. The goal of the Accelerating Systemic Change Network (ASCN) is to develop new knowledge about how to move institutions to adopt more effective teaching and learning practices. The ASCN will bring together two important groups of people and ideas: 1) the established knowledge about organizational change, discipline-based education research, and institutional economics; and 2) the practical wisdom and the needs of higher education instructors and networks of people who aim to improve undergraduate education. These instructors and networks can use the resulting new knowledge about institutional change to accelerate the impact of their own work at improving undergraduate STEM education.The ASCN started a year ago with a team of 24 university faculty and administrators from leading STEM education institutions. These 24 individuals represent various disciplines and have experience in discipline-based education research, education research, the economics of higher education, and institutional transformation. This organization can be thought of as a network of change networks because its members are themselves members of other more specialized change networks. The ASCN has six working groups covering the key issues of successful institutional transformation: logic models, leadership issues, costs and benefits of change, measurement and communication of progress, diversity and inclusion issues, and alignment of incentives with systemic change. The network will be an open network, so that anyone may join if they have the capability to contribute to the effective functioning of the ASCN.