Successful Engagement of Faculty: Promoting Widespread Use of Active Learning in Mathematics

该项目旨在为国家利益服务，在一所招生人数众多的社区大学开发和研究一项全面的教师发展计划，该计划将致力于改变教师在大学早期数学课程中的教学方式。在项目的整个生命周期中，至少有90名教师将与经验丰富的同伴导师合作，将积极的学习技巧融入到他们的课堂中。参与者还将考虑主动学习和其他公平的、以学生为中心的实践如何为更广泛的学生群体提供支持。项目研究和评估将提供有关有效教学实践的新知识，以支持学生的成功，并将检查项目指导，协作课程重新设计以及通过暑期学院和学年会议进行的全年参与如何促进广泛的，教师主导的教学变革。有关教师心态和实践的数据将与学生成果衡量标准保持一致，以确定可能被全国其他机构采用的做法。该项目的主要目标是加深社区大学数学教师对主动学习的理解；支持教师使用协作和同伴指导计划，以创造一个鼓励冒险、实验和应变的环境；并为本科数学教育界贡献新的有用的知识。瓦伦西亚社区学院是联邦政府指定的西班牙裔服务机构（HSI），每年提供大约1000个早期本科数学课程。该机构的庞大规模和多样化的学生群体为研究该项目的两个核心研究问题提供了一个独特的机会：(1)数学教师发展计划，包括暑期学院，协作，基于队列的课程重新设计和指导计划，在多大程度上影响教师的成长心态，并减轻在大型两年制西班牙裔服务机构实施主动学习的感知障碍？(2)在这种情况下，教师关于公平的知识、经验和态度对主动学习的实施有什么影响？主要数据来源包括多个有效的调查、课堂观察、访谈、课堂活动日志和学生学业成绩。教师主动学习实践的采用将在参与者对学生成长为学习者的能力的信念的背景下进行评估，考虑到过去的培训、多年的课堂经验、课程模式（例如，在线或面对面）以及作为项目导师的潜在角色。本项目由美国国家科学基金会HSI和IUSE:EHR项目支持。HSI计划旨在加强本科STEM教育，扩大STEM参与，并在HSI进行能力建设。NSF IUSE: EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。通过参与学生学习轨道，该计划支持有前途的实践和工具的创建，探索和实施。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。

This project aims to serve the national interest by developing and studying a comprehensive faculty development program at a large enrollment community college that will work to transform how faculty approach teaching and learning in early college mathematics courses. Over the life of the project, at least 90 faculty will work in cohorts and with experienced peer mentors to integrate active learning techniques into their classes. Participants will also consider how active learning and other equitable, student-centered practices might provide support for a broader population of students. Project research and evaluation will contribute new knowledge about effective teaching practices that support student success and will examine how aspects of the project mentoring, collaborative course redesign, and year-round engagement through summer institutes and academic-year meetings contribute to widespread, faculty-led instructional change. Data on faculty mindset and practices will be aligned with student outcome measures in order to identify practices that might be adopted by other institutions nationwide. The main goals of the project are to deepen community college mathematics faculty’s understanding of active learning; to support faculty using collaboration and a peer-mentoring program to create an environment encouraging risk-taking, experimentation, and resilience; and to contribute new and useful knowledge to the undergraduate mathematics education community. Valencia Community College is a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) that offers approximately 1,000 sections of early undergraduate mathematics each year. The institution’s large size and diverse student body provides a unique opportunity to study the project’s two central research questions: (1) To what extent does a mathematics faculty development program, consisting of a summer institute, collaborative, cohort-based course redesign, and a mentoring program influence faculty growth mindset and mitigate perceived barriers to implementation of active learning at a large, two-year Hispanic Serving Institution?; and (2) What impact do faculty knowledge, experiences and attitudes about equity have on the implementation of active learning in this setting? Major data sources include multiple validated surveys, classroom observations, interviews, classroom activity logs and student academic outcomes. Faculty adoption of active learning practices will be assessed in the context of participants’ beliefs about students’ capacity to grow as learners, taking into account past training, years of classroom experience, course modality (e.g., online or face-to-face) and potential role as a project mentor. This project is supported by the NSF HSI and IUSE:EHR programs. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education, broaden participation in STEM, and build capacity at HSIs. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.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.