An Examination of Factors that Support Sustainable Cultural and Curricular Change in STEM Teaching and Learning

Using a mixed-methods design, this body of work from the SUMMIT-P consortium explores possible effective conditions for the sustainable reform of STEM teaching and learning at the collegiate level. A model of catalysts for successful and sustainable change is proposed, based on five years of data collection and observations. These catalysts include institutional support, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of faculty involved, measures of student success, institution size, prior faculty experience, faculty buy-in, and institutional culture. The discussion ends with a delve into the potential broader impacts of this work. For example, this model may help institutions better understand how to implement curricular change more effectively

Evaluating a Large-Scale Multi-Institution Project: Challenges Faced and Lessons Learned

SUMMIT-P consists of nine participating institutions working toward common goals but from unique perspectives. Evaluating such a large-scale project with diverse stakeholders has presented challenges. For one, evaluation on this scale necessitates a team effort rather than a single evaluator. Communication is key among the evaluators as well as among the project players at large. Participation and reliable, timely feedback from participants are perhaps the most important issues while also posing some of our greatest challenges. We present strategies we developed to counteract these challenges. In particular, we discuss the development of an assessment tracking system used to not only monitor responses but to also promote an increase in on-time responses. We conclude with a discussion of some lessons learned about evaluating large-scale, multi-site projects to share with other evaluators and PIs alike

Using Site Visits to Strengthen Collaboration

The SUMMIT-P project is a multi-institutional endeavor to leverage interdisciplinary collaboration in order to improve the teaching of undergraduate mathematics courses in the first two years of college. One goal of this work is to establish collaborative communities among the institutions involved. As part of the project, institutions visit one another on site visits that are structured according to a common protocol. The site visits have been valuable to the project. Participating institutions report the exchange of actionable ideas and feedback; members of the grant leadership team have used the site visits to direct the overall project, and evaluators have refined questions and identified trends that will help their assessment of the project. At a deeper level, the site visits have created a strong sense of community among those involved in every aspect of the SUMMIT-P project