HSI Implementation and Evaluation Project: Establishing a Peer-Led Team Learning Program at the College of Science and Engineering

在改善本科STEM教育：西班牙裔服务机构（HSI计划）的支持下，该项目旨在通过减少退学/不及格/退学（DFW）率和通过实施同伴领导的团队学习（PLTL）提高学生的成绩，提高学生在普通化学I、普通生物学I和微积分I方面的表现。考虑到西班牙裔学生（38.9%）和非洲裔学生（24.2%）的入学比例很大，该项目将进一步了解西班牙裔和非洲裔美国学生的同伴领导的团队学习效果。该项目还试图探索作为同伴领导者的经历如何影响同伴领导者的归属感、保留率和平均绩点。一旦建立，同行领导的团队学习计划可以在大学的其他STEM课程中采用，以提高毕业率，学位后就业，以及接受STEM研究生和专业课程。该项目将以三个目标为指导：1)开发三门STEM门户课程（普通化学I、普通生物学I和微积分I）的PLTL计划；2)在学年的秋季和春季实施PLTL计划；3)评估PLTL项目对普通生物学I、化学I和微积分I学科的DFW率、这些学科的保留率和毕业率的影响，并进一步关注PLTL如何影响同行领导者的保留率和毕业率。该项目将使用正式的、基于证据的方法来设计特定学科的讲习班材料。化学材料将采用预测-观察-解释的方法开发，微积分和生物材料将采用多阶段、解决问题的方法开发。该计划的实施旨在将学生留在STEM领域，从而增加获得学位的数量，并使更多不同的学生进入劳动力市场并接受STEM研究生教育。该项目将进一步了解PLTL在HSI中的疗效。HSI计划旨在加强HSI的本科STEM教育和能力建设。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。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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 project is aimed at improving student performance in General Chemistry I, General Biology I, and Calculus I by decreasing drop/fail/withdraw (DFW) rates and improving student grades through the implementation of Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL). The project will further the understanding of Peer-Led Team Learning efficacy among Hispanic and African American students, given the large proportion of Hispanic (38.9%) and African American students (24.2%) enrolled. The project also seeks to explore how the experience of serving as a Peer-Leader will impact sense of belonging, retention, and grade point average among Peer-Leaders. Once established, the Peer-Led Team Learning Program can be adopted in additional STEM courses at the university to increase graduation rates, post-degree employment, and acceptance into STEM graduate and professional programs.The project will be guided by three goals: 1) Development of a PLTL program in three gateway STEM courses (General Chemistry I, General Biology I and Calculus I); 2) implementation of a PLTL program in the Fall and Spring of the academic year; and 3) Evaluation of the impact of the PLTL program on DFW rates in General Biology I, Chemistry I and Calculus I, retention and graduation rates in these disciplines, with an additional focus of how PLTL impacts the retention and graduation rates of the Peer Leaders. The project will use formal, evidence-based approaches for the design of discipline-specific workshop materials. Chemistry materials will be developed using the Predict-Observe-Explain approach and calculus and biology materials will be developed using multi-stage, problem-solving approaches. The implementation of this program aims to retain students in STEM fields, leading to an increased number of degrees earned and more diverse students entering the workforce and pursuing postgraduate STEM education. The project will further the understanding of PLTL’s efficacy at an HSI. 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 on 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.