What’s the Value? Measuring Value in Complex Social Learning Environments with Pre-service Mathematics Teachers

At the national level, undergraduate mathematics teacher preparation programs are shifting to develop teachers who not only understand current research-informed instructional practices but also have firsthand experiences learning, teaching, and collaborating in student-centered environments (CBMS, 2016). Understanding the degree to which these experiences impact pre-service teachers’ learning is challenging to measure. This paper describes the efforts of a Track 1 National Science Foundation (NSF) Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship grant to recruit and provide wider professional experiences to develop high-quality secondary mathematics teacher candidates and how the research team utilizes a value framework (Wenger, Traynor, & de Laat, 2014) to study programmatic impact. The guiding questions for this research are: To what extent do pre-service mathematics teachers value participation in extended programs to support their work as mathematicians and future teachers? and How can researchers and practitioners measure value as a construct? This paper examines: (a) how we leverage the value framework in a variety of ways, (b) preliminary findings on what Noyce participants value and the experiences that led to their learning, and (c) implications for future work in pre-service mathematics teacher preparation programs

Investigating individual and collective value within a network of communities of practice

This report examines the value-add of mathematics faculty participating in regional communities of practice (CoPs) embedded within a larger Math CoP network. The CoPs and the network are aimed at fostering the use of teaching with inquiry practices in undergraduate mathematics courses. We examine value found at the individual participant level as well as at the CoP level within the larger network. We present themes identified using Wenger, Traynor and de Laat’s (2011) value framework to illustrate how individuals and CoPs find value within the network. In this paper we provide an initial look at how the network can support both regional communities and individual members in finding value and sustaining interaction within the CoP. Supporting the achievement of secondary and post-secondary students in mathematics is an ongoing area of concern, particularly due to its impact on recruiting and retaining students in STEM fields (Fayer et al., 2017; Rose & Betts, 2001). One effort to address this is a focus by mathematics faculty on the use of evidence-based teaching practices, such as active learning, to support undergraduate student success. Despite evidence that lecture style instruction is not effective for many students, particularly those from underrepresented populations, it is still frequently used by many undergraduate STEM faculty (Jaworski & Gellert, 2011; Laursen et al., 2019; Stains et al., 2018). Faculty who attempt to employ evidence-based, effective teaching practices often find themselves doing so in isolation, which can make sustained implementation difficult (Banta, 2003). For the purpose of this paper, we use the term “teaching with inquiry” to encapsulate many forms of evidence-based teaching strategies that include: active learning, inquiry-based learning (IBL), project-based learning, problem-based learning, student-centered teaching, ambitious teaching, and team-based learning. Communities of practice (CoPs) provide one avenue of support for like-minded mathematics faculty as they pursue effective teaching and professional development. CoPs focused on teaching with inquiry are positioned to provide support systems by connecting faculty members with common goals and a vision for teaching

Passage Recall: Schema Change and Cognitive Flexibility

Investigated the effects of subsequent related information and individual differences in cognitive flexibility on prose recall. 70 undergraduates read a passage and then were given either consistent or contradictory incidental information. Errors in cued recall, reflecting the nature of the subsequent information, were more frequently produced after a 3-wk delay than after 2 days. These results were consistent with R. J. Spiro\u27s (1975) findings with free recall. In addition, 3-wk Ss were more confident about correct recall than errors, indicating that errors resulted, in part, from retrieval processes. The negative relationship of spontaneous flexibility and the positive relationship of adaptive flexibility to constructive error are interpreted in terms of storage and retrieval effects in memory

Determination of an Interaction Network between an Extracellular Bacterial Pathogen and the Human Host

A major gap in understanding infectious diseases is the lack of information about molecular interaction networks between pathogens and the human host. Haemophilus ducreyi causes the genital ulcer disease chancroid in adults and is a leading cause of cutaneous ulcers in children in the tropics. We developed a model in which human volunteers are infected on the upper arm with H. ducreyi until they develop pustules. To define the H. ducreyi and human interactome, we determined bacterial and host transcriptomic and host metabolomic changes in pustules. We found that in vivo H. ducreyi transcripts were distinct from those in the inocula, as were host transcripts in pustule and wounded control sites. Many of the upregulated H. ducreyi genes were found to be involved in ascorbic acid and anaerobic metabolism and inorganic ion/nutrient transport. The top 20 significantly expressed human pathways showed that all were involved in immune responses. We generated a bipartite network for interactions between host and bacterial gene transcription; multiple positively correlated networks contained H. ducreyi genes involved in anaerobic metabolism and host genes involved with the immune response. Metabolomic studies showed that pustule and wounded samples had different metabolite compositions; the top ion pathway involved ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, which correlated with the H. ducreyi transcriptional response and upregulation of host genes involved in ascorbic acid recycling. These data show that an interactome exists between H. ducreyi and the human host and suggest that H. ducreyi exploits the metabolic niche created by the host immune response.IMPORTANCE Dual RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) offers the promise of determining an interactome at a transcriptional level between a bacterium and the host but has yet to be done on any bacterial infection in human tissue. We performed dual RNA-seq and metabolomics analyses on wounded and infected sites following experimental infection of the arm with H. ducreyi Our results suggest that H. ducreyi survives in an abscess by utilizing l-ascorbate as an alternative carbon source, possibly taking advantage of host ascorbic acid recycling, and that H. ducreyi also adapts by upregulating genes involved in anaerobic metabolism and inorganic ion and nutrient transport. To our knowledge, this is the first description of an interaction network between a bacterium and the human host at a site of infection

Supporting Teaching and Learning Reform in College Mathematics: Finding Value in Communities of Practice

Improving college STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) student learning outcomes is an ongoing area of focus in Institutions of Higher Education (IHE). This reform includes challenging, changing, and adapting both teaching practices and the learning environment. Communities of practice (CoPs) can support faculty in making these shifts; however, creating large-scale instructional changes in STEM education requires a more careful look at the existing systems and structures in place. In this paper, we investigate a network of regional CoPs composed mainly of mathematics faculty from IHE focused on teaching with inquiry methods. Understanding what faculty need and value to support their instructional changes is important as CoPs and other mechanisms are put in place to increase student success. In this qualitative study, we use the value framework developed by Wenger et al. (2011) to dissect the variety of ways faculty engage and find value in their CoP participation. Faculty participants expressed that CoP participation created unique layers of value in helping them to identify resources to support teaching with inquiry especially during a pandemic, shift their beliefs about teaching, and engage with a network of peers about mathematics and teaching. Findings from this study, conducted during the COVID-19 global pandemic, provide preliminary insights for STEM stakeholders interested in large-scale, ongoing instructional reform to improve student learning outcomes and for networks interested in collectively supporting CoPs with ongoing rather than finite goals

Developing a network of regional inquiry-based learning (IBL) communities: Preliminary findings & key learnings on a grassroots initiative

Finding and creating communities of like-minded colleagues is easier said than done. Instructional and philosophical change, around the practice of inquiry, is complex and therefore, having access to quality resources, expertise and a supportive network can make a big difference. Especially during a global pandemic and sociopolitical unrest, leveraging existing and emerging networks of faculty working jointly on ideas and developing solutions can be advantageous. During this session, participants will hear about the inaugural year of a federally funded network of regional inquiry-based learning communities. Topics covered will include the network\u27s mission and goals, key infrastructure and implementation elements, and preliminary Fndings pertaining to participants\u27 engagement in their regional inquiry-based learning community and the broader network (adapted from a value framework developed by Wenger, Traynor, & DeLaat, 2014). Additionally, we will share insights on how regional communities address important issues in mathematics teaching and learning in terms of access, inclusivity, idea exchange, and innovation during times of change (www.iblcommunities.org)

Finding the Fastest Way to Her Heart: Linking Clinical and Policy Pathways

The Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women’s Health and Gender Biology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, integrates research, clinical practice, and policy analysis with practical application to emerging women’s health issues. Recently, an interdisciplinary team of practitioners examined pathways to improving women’s heart health. Beginning with the evidence that a heart-healthy diet leads to improved health outcomes for women with cardiovascular disease, the Connors Center team charted a course of intellectual exploration that culminated in a broader community dialogue on how to improve access to healthy and affordable food. Through clinical experiences, research activities, and an ongoing interchange of ideas, the team learned that the fastest way to a woman’s heart health is through the community. This case study examines the learning process that took the team from a single-focused clinical approach to a multi-tiered community effort to improve food access in an urban community

Reducing Sexual Risk among Racial/ethnic-minority Ninth Grade Students: Using Intervention Mapping to Modify an Evidenced-based Curriculum

Background: Racial/ethnic-minority 9th graders are at increased risk for teen pregnancy, HIV, and STIs compared to their White peers. Yet, few effective sexual health education programs exist for this population. Purpose: To apply IM Adapt—a systematic theory- and evidence-based approach to program adaptation—to modify an effective middle school sexual health education curriculum, It’s Your Game…Keep It Real! (IYG), for racial/ethnic-minority 9th graders. Methods: Following the six steps of IM Adapt, we conducted a needs assessment to describe the health problems and risk behaviors of the new population; reviewed existing evidence-based programs; assessed the fit of IYG for the new population regarding behavioral outcomes, determinants, change methods, delivery, and implementation; modified materials and activities; planned for implementation and evaluation. Results: Needs assessment findings indicated that IYG targeted relevant health and risk behaviors for racial/ethnic-minority 9th graders but required additional focus on contraceptive use, dating violence prevention, active consent, and access to healthcare services. Behavioral outcomes and matrices of change objectives for IYG were modified accordingly. Theoretical methods and practical applications were identified to address these behavioral outcomes, and new activities developed. Youth provided input on activity modifications. School personnel guided modifications to IYG’s scope and sequence, and delivery. The adapted program, Your Game, Your Life, comprised fifteen 30-minute lessons targeting determinants of sexual behavior and healthy dating relationships. Pilot-test data from 9th graders in two urban high schools indicate promising results. Conclusion: IM Adapt provides a systematic theory- and evidence-based approach for adapting existing evidence-based sexual health education curricula for a new population whilst retaining essential elements that made the original program effective. Youth and school personnel input ensured that the adapted program was age-appropriate, culturally sensitive, and responsive to the needs of the new population. IM Adapt contributes to the limited literature on systematic approaches to program adaptation

Low State, Phase-Resolved IR Spectroscopy of VV Puppis

We present phase-resolved low resolution $JHK$ and higher resolution $K$-band spectroscopy of the polar VV Pup. All observations were obtained when VV Pup was in a low accretion state having a K magnitude near 15. The low resolution observations reveal cyclotron emission in the $J$ band during some phases, consistent with an origin near the active 30.5 MG pole on the white dwarf. The secondary in VV Pup appears to be a normal M7V star and we find that the $H$ and $K$ band fluxes are entirely due to this star at all orbital phases during the low accretion state. We use our higher resolution Keck spectroscopy to produce the first $K$-band radial velocity curve for VV Pup. Our orbital solution yields $K_2$=414$\pm27$ km sec$^{-1}$ and leads to mass estimates of M$_1$=0.73$\pm$0.05 M$_{\odot}$ and M$_2$=0.10$\pm$0.02 M$_{\odot}$. We find that the mass accretion rates during the normal low states of the polars VV Pup, EF Eri, and EQ Cet are near 10$^{-13}$ M$_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$. The fact that \.M is not zero in low state polars indicates active secondary stars in these binary systems, including the sub-stellar donor star present in EF Eri.Comment: Accepted in Astronomical Journal 5 figure

Finding their Voice: Support Mechanisms to Engage and Empower Future Mathematics Teachers

The NebraskaMATH Omaha Noyce Partnership Scholarship awards scholarships funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to undergraduate students interested in mathematics education at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). Scholars, who are dual mathematics and secondary education majors, are engaged and supported by Noyce faculty to not only excel in their college coursework and career preparation, but also to serve the university and community through teaching assistantships and STEM community outreach. The main goal of this program is to strengthen and expand the pipeline for preparing high-quality teachers of mathematics to better meet the responsibilities and demands of local school districts, particularly those serving students with high-need. Cross-campus collaborations between the departments of teacher education and mathematics co-constructed the Noyce infrastructure to emphasize and share the development of future, high-quality secondary mathematics teachers (Mathematics Teacher Education Partnership, 2014). This paper describes our program’s unique design and implementation features aimed to empower, engage, and extend the talents of our undergraduate students. We share lessons learned and recommendations from faculty and participants regarding decisions and facets of the program considered to be most influential in STEM teacher and leadership development