Effectuating Evidence-based Transformative Pedagogical Approaches in STEM Foundational Courses at AAMU

通过这个更广泛的项目规划项目，阿拉巴马农业和机械大学(AAMU)的一个教职员工团队正在为教职员工和学生提供在STEM课程中使用循证教学实践的职业发展机会。认识到在Gateway课程(自然减员最多的课程)中实施有效的教学法是至关重要的，项目组正专注于收集关于循证实践目前在这些课程中被使用的程度的基线数据，并培训教员将需要学生积极参与、概念理解、批判性思维和解决问题的课堂和实验室活动纳入课程的头两年。此外，包括四名PI在内的八名STEM教员正在设计课程，其中循证实践是学生学习的核心。模范学生正在接受培训，以便使用基于证据的对等学习策略来领导补充教学(SI)课程。这个项目的更广泛影响是双重的。首先，通过评估和评估产生的数据预计将支持STEM教育的系统性变革必须包括广泛的利益相关者(行政人员、教职员工和学生)的理论基础。形成性评价将审查循证做法实施的准确性和项目主要组成部分的质量。总结性评价将侧重于确定循证做法在科技和经济管理领域的总体推广情况。其次，这项工作成果的传播预计将为类似规模和/或学生人口统计的学院或大学(AAMU是一所历史上的黑人大学)提供一个机构实施循证做法的模式。在这个项目的过程中，正在开发几个交付成果，包括(A)新的门户课程材料(课堂和实验室)，(B)SI-领导者培训材料，以及(C)针对教职员工和SI领导者的评估和评估材料。

Through this WIDER Program planning project a team of faculty and administrators at Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (AAMU) is establishing professional development opportunities in the use of evidence-based instructional practices in STEM courses for both faculty and students. Recognizing that it is essential to implement effective pedagogy in gateway courses (where most attrition occurs), the project team is focusing on collecting baseline data about the extent to which evidence-based practices are currently being used in these courses and training faculty members to incorporate classroom and laboratory activities that require active student engagement, conceptual understanding, critical thinking, and problem-solving into the first two years of the curriculum. Moreover, eight STEM faculty "catalysts," including the four PIs, are designing courses in which evidence-based practices are central to student leaning. Model students are being trained to lead Supplementary Instruction (SI) courses using evidence-based peer-to-peer learning strategies. The broader impact of this project is twofold. First, data generated through assessment and evaluation is expected to support the theoretical rationale that systematic change in STEM education must include a wide spectrum of stakeholders (administrators, faculty, staff, and students). Formative evaluation will examine the fidelity of implementation of evidence-based practices and the quality of the projects major components. Summative evaluation will focus on determining the overall diffusion of evidence-based practices throughout the STEM fields. Secondly, dissemination of the results of this work is expected to provide a model for institutional implementation of evidence-based practices at colleges or universities of similar size and/or student body demographics (AAMU is a Historically Black University). Several deliverables are being developed over the course of this project including (a) new gateway course materials (classroom and laboratory), (b) SI-leader training materials, and (c) evaluation and assessment materials for faculty and SI leaders.