Facilitating Accessibility in STEM at Two-Year Colleges

该项目旨在为国家利益服务，为科学和数学教师提供实用技能，以便在两年制大学教授残疾学生。与四年制院校相比，两年制大学的学生中有更大比例的人有残疾记录。为了提高STEM的包容性和多样性，重要的是残疾学生以与全体人口相当的成功率取得成功。虽然为每个学生提供了合理的住宿条件，但更细微的技术将增强学生体验，提供更多成功机会，并为教师提供指导。这次培训会议将为两年制大学的科学和数学教师带来专业知识，让他们掌握具体、实用和立即可实施的技能，以更好地与神经分歧学生以及视觉、听觉或行动不便的学生互动。会议参与者将学习技术，建立一个相互支持的实践社区，并成为各自机构和地区组内的教师联络人。该项目的总体目标是召开一次会议，为两年制的大学教师提供支持，以支持残疾学生。参加会议的人将包括数学、物理和化学方面的两年制大学教师。会议将提供工作坊，帮助教师提高视力障碍学生的图形能力，并确保行动不便学生的实验室安全。参与者将通过学生领导的科学博物馆之旅和小组讨论获得有关无障碍挑战的第一手知识。学科和跨学科讨论将支持建立交流渠道，集思广益地讨论包容性教学的具体战略，同时为参与者提供机会，在其本国机构发展和促进类似的讲习班。会议将由三个为期两年的大学专业组织的领导人组织，在明尼苏达州明尼阿波利斯召开，预计将有24人出席。传播将采用多种方式，包括在各次会议、专业纪律学会上作介绍，并将广泛分发一本有益做法手册。NSF关于在两年制高等教育机构推进本科STEM教育的创新和影响的项目描述支持在两年制大学推进STEM教育倡议的项目。该项目描述促进了两年制大学本科STEM教育的创新和循证实践。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。

This project aims to serve the national interest by providing science and math faculty with practical skills to teach students with disabilities at two-year colleges. A greater proportion of the student population at two-year colleges have documented disabilities compared with four-year institutions. To improve inclusivity and diversity in STEM, it is important that students with disabilities achieve success at rates comparable to the whole population. While reasonable accommodations are provided for each student, more nuanced techniques will enhance the student experience, provide more opportunities for success, and give guidance to faculty. This training conference will bring expertise to science and math faculty at two-year colleges, engaging them in specific, practical, and immediately implementable skills to better engage with neurodivergent students, and students with visual, auditory, or mobility disabilities. Conference participants will learn techniques, initiate a community of practice to support each other, and become faculty liaisons within their own institutions and regional groups.The overall goal of this project is to convene a conference that prepares two-year college faculty to support students with disabilities. Participants in the conference will include two-year college faculty in math, physics, and chemistry. The conference will offer workshops to help faculty enhance student graphical literacy among students with visual disabilities, and to ensure laboratory safety for students with mobility disabilities. Participants will gain first-hand knowledge of accessibility challenges through a student-led science museum tour and a panel discussion. Disciplinary and cross disciplinary discussions will support the creation of communication channels to brainstorm specific strategies for inclusive teaching while providing opportunities for participants to develop and facilitate similar workshops in their home institutions. The conference will be organized by the leaders of three two-year college professional organizations and convened in Minneapolis, Minnesota with expected attendance of 24 participants. Dissemination will involve multiple modalities, including presentations at conferences, professional disciplinary societies and a handbook of helpful practices will be widely distributed. The NSF program description on Advancing Innovation and Impact in Undergraduate STEM Education at Two-year Institutions of Higher Education supports projects that advance STEM education initiatives at two-year colleges. The program description promotes innovative and evidence-based practices in undergraduate STEM education at two-year colleges.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.