Work-focused Experiential Learning to Increase STEM Student Retention and Graduation at Two-year Hispanic-serving Institutions

在改进的本科生STEM教育：西班牙裔服务机构(HSI)计划的支持下，这个Track 1项目试图为学生提供计算机信息系统方面的指导工作经验。学生将有机会获得校内工作经验和企业和行业的外部实习机会。潜在的学生项目包括移动应用程序开发、网络安全和计算机支持。预计这些经验将提高本科生对计算机信息系统的兴趣、毅力和成功，以及更广泛的STEM。为了确保他们为工作经验做好充分准备并从工作经验中获得最大收益，学生将接受沟通、团队合作和项目管理等就业技能培训。在他们的工作经历中，学生将得到教师、行业专业人士和同行的指导。为了加强教师服务所有学生的能力，包括西班牙裔学生，该项目将为教师提供专注于公平心态的专业发展。提供指导工作经验的框架将在凤凰城学院开发和试点，然后扩展到该地区的其他四个两年制高等专科学校。该项目还打算将这一框架扩展到其他科技、经济和经济领域。通过这项工作，该项目旨在开发一种可复制的模式，说明两年制院校如何发展工作经验，以促进更多的学生毕业和进入STEM职业道路。该项目试图研究整合跨部门伙伴关系以提供工作经验的课程如何能够加强STEM的学习和保留。利用混合方法和扎根理论，该项目将扩大关于以下方面的知识：(1)支持以工作为中心的体验式教学的跨部门伙伴关系的影响；(2)保持和更好地利用跨部门伙伴关系的系统方法；(3)其他两年期高等教育机构和其他STEM领域可采用以工作为中心的学习经验模式的程度。该项目的预期成果包括：建立促进跨部门伙伴关系的可持续机制；增加学生留校率和劳动力准备；以及STEM学生，特别是西班牙裔学生在两年制高等教育机构取得的可衡量的成功。重要的发现和研究成果将在HSI STEM中心的会议上、在支持HSI的专业学会的会议上以及在学术出版物上公布。HSI计划旨在加强本科生STEM教育和HSI的能力建设。HSI计划支持的项目也将产生关于如何实现这些目标的新知识。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program, this Track 1 project seeks to provide students with mentored work experiences in computer information systems. Students will have access to on-campus work experiences and externships in businesses and industries. Examples of potential student projects include mobile application development, cybersecurity, and computer support. It is expected that these experiences will increase undergraduate student interest, persistence, and success in computer information systems, as well as in STEM more broadly. To ensure that they are well-prepared for and gain the most from their work experiences, students will receive training on employability skills such as communication, teamwork, and project management. During their work experiences, students will be mentored by faculty, industry professionals, and peers. To strengthen the capacity of faculty to serve all students, including Hispanic students, the project will provide faculty with professional development focused on equity mindset. The framework to provide mentored work experiences will be developed and piloted at Phoenix College, then expanded to four other two-year HSIs in the region. The project also intends to expand this framework to other STEM fields. Through this work, the project aims to develop a replicable model for how two-year institutions can develop work experiences that foster increased student graduation and entry into STEM career pathways.This project seeks to examine how a curriculum that integrates cross-sector partnerships to provide work experiences can enhance STEM learning and retention. Using mixed methods and grounded theory, this project will expand knowledge about: (1) the impact of cross-sector partnerships that support work-focused experiential teaching and learning; (2) systematic ways to maintain and better use cross-sector partnerships; and (3) the degree to which a model of work-focused learning experiences can be adopted at other two-year HSIs and by other STEM fields. Expected results of the project include: development of sustainable mechanisms to foster cross-sector partnerships; increased student retention and workforce readiness; and measurable successes for STEM students, particularly Hispanic students, at two-year HSIs. Significant findings and research results will be presented at meetings of the HSI STEM Hub, at conferences at professional societies that support HSIs, and in academic publications. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education and build capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also generate new knowledge about how to achieve these aims.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.