Interdisciplinary Coaching As a Nexus for transforming how institutions support undergraduates in STEM (iCAN)

迫切需要从代表性不足的人群中增加进入STEM劳动力的STEM专业人数。在全国范围内，打算主修STEM领域的本科生中，只有不到40%的人获得了STEM学位。传统的制度改革努力侧重于教师行为和支持的系统层面变化。不幸的是，目前的制度改革并没有对STEM专业的流失率产生立竿见影的大范围影响。该项目将研究在职教师如何利用移动技术指导STEM专业有执行功能障碍的本科生（例如，计划、解决问题和心理灵活性等更高层次的认知能力），使他们能够成功完成STEM入门课程。“跨学科指导作为改变机构如何支持STEM （iCAN）本科生的纽带”是一个探索性项目，将在两年多的时间里进行。iCAN是一种混合支持模式，依靠团队指导和移动技术（如平板电脑和智能手机）来帮助本科生获得对科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）成功至关重要的执行功能能力。该项目团队将系统地研究如何将佛蒙特州一所小型农村学院Landmark的一种成功模式移植到美国第二大大学中佛罗里达大学，以提高本科生的STEM学习和坚持。该项目使研究生教师和本科STEM专业的学生都受益。它还为实习教师提供了关于如何更好地为学生在本科阶段的STEM专业取得成功做好准备的见解。如果这个项目被证明如预期的那样有效，它将增强所有本科生的STEM学习、毅力和进入STEM劳动力市场的机会，特别是那些有执行功能缺陷的学生。

A significant need exists to increase the number of STEM majors from underrepresented populations who are entering the STEM workforce. Nationally, fewer than 40% of undergraduates who intend to major in a STEM field complete a STEM degree. Traditional institutional reform efforts focus on system-level changes in instructor behaviors and supports. Unfortunately, current institutional reform efforts have not had an immediate wide-scale impact on the attrition rate of STEM majors. This project will examine how practicing in-service teachers can use mobile technologies to coach undergraduates in STEM majors who have executive functioning difficulties (e.g., higher order cognitive abilities such as planning, problem resolution, and mental flexibility) so that they can successfully complete introductory STEM coursework.The "Interdisciplinary Coaching As a Nexus for Transforming how Institutions Support Undergraduates in STEM (iCAN)" is an exploratory project that will occur over two years. iCAN is a hybrid model of supports that relies on team coaching and mobile technologies (e.g., tablets & smartphones) to help undergraduates achieve executive function abilities that are critical to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) success. The project team will systematically investigate how a successful model for enhancing undergraduate STEM learning and persistence at Landmark, a small rural college in Vermont, can be migrated to the University of Central Florida, which is the second largest university in the United States. The project benefits both the graduate student teachers and undergraduate STEM majors. It also provides practicing teachers with insights regarding how to better prepare students to be successful in STEM majors at the undergraduate level. If this program proves as effective as expected, it will enhance STEM learning, persistence, and entry into the STEM workforce for all undergraduate students, particularly those with executive function deficits.