Collaborative Project: RISE - Research-based Interdisciplinary STEM Education

北西雅图社区学院（NSCC）和中央华盛顿大学的合作者正在开发一种将跨学科和基于研究的课程制度化的模式。 该项目的目标是（a）提供进步和创新的STEM课程，显着提高了不同的学生群体的上层课程和科学职业的准备，（B）建立一个太平洋西北合作的基础，专注于卓越的STEM教育在社区大学一级，和（c）作出重大贡献的知识体系，我们如何理解学生的想法，学习，并在研究和跨学科背景下解决问题，在他们的大学经验早期。 “思维是有价值的”框架，其中发展学科内和跨学科的思维倾向被视为学术成功的关键，是嵌入在课程改革rvisioned。 合作者将利用本科研究和跨学科的经验作为工具，培养有意义的思考机会，在大学的第一年和第二年的经验。 形成性和总结性评估将解决三个问题：（a）项目是否提供了参与跨学科和基于研究的STEM课程的学生和教师新的“思维习惯”的证据？(b)跨学科和以研究为基础的课程是否提高了教学实践和学生的学习成果？以及（c）该项目是否已推广到其他社区学院和大学？ 教师/管理员评审小组，学生课堂评估，学生/教师/工作人员访谈和机构演示的组合将用于记录，分析和更新项目结果。 新材料和成果的传播将通过与实践教师的直接伙伴关系、用于分发课程的网络存在以及在整个项目期间的国家会议上的演讲，对广泛的教育工作者产生影响。

Collaborators at North Seattle Community College (NSCC) and Central Washington University seek are developing a model for institutionalizing an interdisciplinary and research-based curriculum. The project goals are to (a) provide progressive and innovative STEM curriculum that significantly improves preparation of diverse student populations for upper level courses and careers in science, (b) establish the foundation for a Pacific Northwest Collaboration focused on excellence in STEM education at the community college level, and (c) make a significant contribution to the body of knowledge regarding our understanding of how students think, learn, and problem solve in a research and interdisciplinary context early in their college experience. The "thinking is valued" framework, in which developing thinking dispositions within and across disciplines is seen as the key to academic success, is embedded in the curricular changes rnvisioned. The collaborators will use undergraduate research and interdisciplinary experiences as vehicles to cultivate meaningful thinking opportunities in the first and second years of the college experience. Formative and summative evaluation will address three questions (a) Does the project provide evidence of new "habits of thinking" from students and faculty who participate in the interdisciplinary and research-based STEM curricula? (b) Does interdisciplinary and research-based curriculum enhance teaching practices and student learning outcomes? and (c) Is the project reaching other community colleges and universities? A combination of faculty/administrator review panels, student classroom assessment, student/faculty/staff interviews, and institutional presentations will be used to document, analyze, and update project findings. Dissemination of new materials and results will impact a wide range of educators through direct partnerships with practicing faculty, a web presence that serves to distribute curriculum, and presentations at national meetings throughout the duration of the project.