Interventions to Improve Academic Performance of Biology Majors at Bloomfield College

在改善本科STEM教育：西班牙裔服务机构（HSI计划）的支持下，这一轨道1：试点PPP旨在提高布卢姆菲尔德学院一年级生物学学生的学习成绩，促进他们的保留，并最终提高他们的毕业率，这反过来又将有助于发展多元化，具有全球竞争力的STEM劳动力。在布卢姆菲尔德学院，大约30%的生物学专业学生自认为是西班牙裔。只有一半的第一年生物学专业继续完成第二年，只有三分之一的毕业生获得生物学学位。此外，西班牙裔学生的4年和6年毕业率约为其他族裔的一半。因此，该项目将制定和实施干预措施，以支持一年级学生在他们的大学生涯中的两个特定点：从高中到大学的过渡期间和大学的第一年。具体来说，即将到来的一年级学生将参加为期一周的密集生物学暑期充实计划（Bio-SEP），同伴辅导和辅导计划，并在大学的第一年参加基于课程的本科生研究经验（CURES）。该项目将使我们能够评估特定干预措施对生物学专业一年级学生的学习成绩和保留率的影响，这些学生具有已知的阻止毕业的风险因素：作为第一代大学生，来自低收入家庭，属于少数群体。该项目有两个具体目标：1）缓解从高中到大学的过渡，并为即将到来的生物学一年级学生做好准备，以应对大学工作的严格要求，2）支持学生的学业表现和融入学院，同时鼓励他们发展自我效能和他们作为生物学家的身份。Bio-SEP将为即将入学的一年级学生提供第一学期生物学课程内容的快速启动，教授他们基本的大学学习和社交技能，并将他们介绍给教职员工，在校学生，同伴教练和生物学校友。一名教师将协调和领导训练有素的同伴教练，通过同伴教练和辅导计划提供学术和社会支持。此外，学生将参加跨学科的CURE作为第一年生物学和化学入门课程的实验室模块。CURE是有据可查的，以帮助学生建立信心，他们有能力执行基本的科学程序，并增加他们的归属感，更广泛的科学界。该计划的成果将通过监测等级，保留率和GPA的所有生物学学生谁是受拟议的干预措施的影响不断进行评估。学生对科学的发展态度将使用全国基准的课程前和课程后调查进行评估。评估这些干预措施的影响将为我们提供有关如何加强本科生物学教育和如何在我们学院建设能力的新知识。最终，它将使我们能够准备我们的生物学学生竞争，并有助于更多样化和有能力的干劳动力。HSI计划旨在加强本科STEM教育，并建立HSI的能力。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NSF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 Track1: Pilot PPP aims to improve the academic performance of first-year biology students at Bloomfield College, promote their retention, and ultimately, their graduation rates, which will in turn contribute to the development of a diverse, globally competitive STEM workforce. Approximately 30% of students enrolled as Biology majors at Bloomfield College self-identify as Hispanic. Only half of all first-year biology majors go on to complete a second year and only one-third graduate with a degree in biology. Furthermore, the 4- and 6-year graduation rates for Hispanic students are approximately half of that of other ethnicities. Therefore, this project will develop and implement interventions to support first-year students at two specific points in their college careers: during the transition from high school to college and during the first year of college. Specifically, incoming first-year students will participate in a week-long intensive Biology Summer Enrichment Program (Bio-SEP), a Peer Coaching and Tutoring Program, and participate in Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) during their first year at the college. The project will allow us to assess the impact of specific interventions on the academic performance and retention of first-year biology majors who have risk factors known to prevent graduation: being a first-generation college student, coming from a low-income family, and belonging to a minority group.The project has two specific objectives: 1) to ease the transition from high school to college and prepare incoming Biology first-year students for the rigors of college work and 2) to support students’ academic performance and integration into the college while encouraging them to develop self-efficacy and their identity as biologists. Bio-SEP will give incoming first-year students a jumpstart on the content of the first-semester biology curriculum, teach them essential college study and social skills, and introduce them to faculty, staff, current students, peer coaches, and biology alumni. A faculty member will coordinate and lead trained peer coaches to deliver academic and social support via the Peer Coaching and Tutoring Program. In addition, students will participate in interdisciplinary CUREs delivered as laboratory modules in first-year introductory biology and chemistry courses. CUREs are well documented to help students develop confidence in their ability to perform basic scientific procedures, and increase their sense of belonging to the wider scientific community. The program outcomes will be evaluated continuously by monitoring grades, retention rates, and GPAs of all biology students who are impacted by the proposed interventions. Students’ developing attitudes towards science will be evaluated using nationally benchmarked pre-and post-course surveys. Assessing the impact of these interventions will provide us with new knowledge about how to enhance undergraduate biology education and how to build capacity at our College. Ultimately, it will enable us to prepare our biology students to compete in, and contribute to a more diverse and capable STEM workforce. 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.