Increasing persistence in undergraduate science majors: a model for institutional support of underrepresented students.

The 6-yr degree-completion rate of undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors at U.S. colleges and universities is less than 40%. Persistence among women and underrepresented minorities (URMs), including African-American, Latino/a, Native American, and Pacific Islander students, is even more troubling, as these students leave STEM majors at significantly higher rates than their non-URM peers. This study utilizes a matched comparison group design to examine the academic achievement and persistence of students enrolled in the Program for Excellence in Education and Research in the Sciences (PEERS), an academic support program at the University of California, Los Angeles, for first- and second-year science majors from underrepresented backgrounds. Results indicate that PEERS students, on average, earned higher grades in most "gatekeeper" chemistry and math courses, had a higher cumulative grade point average, completed more science courses, and persisted in a science major at significantly higher rates than the comparison group. With its holistic approach focused on academics, counseling, creating a supportive community, and exposure to research, the PEERS program serves as an excellent model for universities interested in and committed to improving persistence of underrepresented science majors and closing the achievement gap

Digital Literacy and Career Capital: How College Experiences are Preparing Students for the Transition to Work

Many students on college campuses today are members of the first generation to grow up surrounded by computers, the internet, and other information and communication technologies (ICT). When they graduate, they will enter a job market where employees in diverse fields are expected to leverage ICT to support their academic and professional work. Research offers only limited information about college students’ digital literacy as it relates to career planning, what college activities and communities of practice encourage the development of digital literacy among students, and the extent to which early experiences with computers and ICT influence college experiences and career aspirations. The purpose of this study was to learn more about the experiences and individuals that influence students' development of digital literacy and attitudes toward professional career transitions, with a particular focus on the experiences of lower-income students. Digital literacy, as defined by Martin (2008), is the ability to use digital tools to find, sort, analyze, and synthesize information and resources, to effectively communicate with others, and to construct new knowledge, in the context of specific life situations that facilitate reflection and social action. Guided by theories of situated learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991) and differential practices (Sims, 2014), along with boundaryless careers and career capital (Arthur & Rousseau, 1996; Arthur, Inkson & Pringle, 1999), the study employed an explanatory sequential mixed method design (Creswell, 2014) with both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis to gain insight from graduating seniors at a selective public research university. Results indicated that lower-income students, those eligible for federal Pell Grants, reported greater gains in digital competencies as compared to higher-income peers, and that hands-on learning experiences such as undergraduate research appointments and internships were positively related to students’ feelings of preparation for the job market and technology demands of work in their chosen career field. Even though most students gained valuable career capital through these experiences, some struggled to draw connections between specific digital competencies and their career goals, and to articulate how these activities had prepared them for the transition to work. Additionally, data from the interviews revealed that very few students had discussed issues of critical information literacy, commercial interests driving the internet, and other related topics in their academic courses or with peers and colleagues. The study concludes with implications for theory and practice, as well as recommendations for future research to deepen our understanding of the kinds of digital skills and competencies that students develop through engagement in various activities and communities of practice in college, and how colleges and universities might better serve all individuals in using digital literacy to advance their academic and professional goals

Increasing persistence in undergraduate science majors: a model for institutional support of underrepresented students.

The 6-yr degree-completion rate of undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors at U.S. colleges and universities is less than 40%. Persistence among women and underrepresented minorities (URMs), including African-American, Latino/a, Native American, and Pacific Islander students, is even more troubling, as these students leave STEM majors at significantly higher rates than their non-URM peers. This study utilizes a matched comparison group design to examine the academic achievement and persistence of students enrolled in the Program for Excellence in Education and Research in the Sciences (PEERS), an academic support program at the University of California, Los Angeles, for first- and second-year science majors from underrepresented backgrounds. Results indicate that PEERS students, on average, earned higher grades in most "gatekeeper" chemistry and math courses, had a higher cumulative grade point average, completed more science courses, and persisted in a science major at significantly higher rates than the comparison group. With its holistic approach focused on academics, counseling, creating a supportive community, and exposure to research, the PEERS program serves as an excellent model for universities interested in and committed to improving persistence of underrepresented science majors and closing the achievement gap

Synthesizing Research Narratives to Reveal the Big Picture: a CREATE(S) Intervention Modified for Journal Club Improves Undergraduate Science Literacy.

Communicating science effectively is an essential part of the development of science literacy. Research has shown that introducing primary scientific literature through journal clubs can improve student learning outcomes, including increased scientific knowledge. However, without scaffolding, students can miss more complex aspects of science literacy, including how to analyze and present scientific data. In this study, we apply a modified CREATE(S) process (Concept map the introduction, Read methods and results, Elucidate hypotheses, Analyze data, Think of the next Experiment, and Synthesis map) to improve students science literacy skills, specifically their understanding of the process of science and their ability to use narrative synthesis to communicate science. We tested this hypothesis using a retrospective quasi-experimental study design in upper-division undergraduate courses. We compared learning outcomes for CREATES intervention students to those for students who took the same courses before CREATES was introduced. Rubric-guided, direct evidence assessments were used to measure student gains in learning outcomes. Analyses revealed that CREATES intervention students versus the comparison group demonstrated improved ability to interpret and communicate primary literature, especially in the methods, hypotheses, and narrative synthesis learning outcome categories. Through a mixed-methods analysis of a reflection assignment completed by the CREATES intervention group, students reported the synthesis map as the most frequently used step in the process and highly valuable to their learning. Taken together, the study demonstrates how this modified CREATES process can foster scientific literacy development and how it could be applied in science, technology, engineering, and math journal clubs

A Unique and Scalable Model for Increasing Research Engagement, STEM Persistence, and Entry into Doctoral Programs.

Low persistence in science majors and limited participation in high-impact research experiences contribute to the nationwide underrepresentation of minorities in the science workforce, particularly jobs requiring a graduate degree. The Program for Excellence in Education and Research in the Sciences (PEERS) is an academic support program at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) that supports first- and second-year science majors from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds to maximize student success and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) persistence. Here, we evaluate the success of PEERS through data from the UCLA registrar, student surveys, and longitudinal tracking of student outcomes. Results show that PEERS students have significantly higher participation rates in undergraduate research, despite PEERS having no formal research component. Importantly, PEERS students were seven times as likely to enroll in PhD programs, and twice as likely to enroll in MD programs compared with propensity-matched controls. Combined results show that increased success of PEERS students in their first 2 years as science majors resulted in improved outcomes later in their undergraduate studies and had tangible impacts on subsequent educational trajectories that will increase participation of underrepresented groups in high-skill STEM careers

Synthesizing Research Narratives to Reveal the Big Picture: a CREATE(S) Intervention Modified for Journal Club Improves Undergraduate Science Literacy

ABSTRACT Communicating science effectively is an essential part of the development of science literacy. Research has shown that introducing primary scientific literature through journal clubs can improve student learning outcomes, including increased scientific knowledge. However, without scaffolding, students can miss more complex aspects of science literacy, including how to analyze and present scientific data. In this study, we apply a modified CREATE(S) process (Concept map the introduction, Read methods and results, Elucidate hypotheses, Analyze data, Think of the next Experiment, and Synthesis map) to improve students’ science literacy skills, specifically their understanding of the process of science and their ability to use narrative synthesis to communicate science. We tested this hypothesis using a retrospective quasi-experimental study design in upper-division undergraduate courses. We compared learning outcomes for CREATES intervention students to those for students who took the same courses before CREATES was introduced. Rubric-guided, direct evidence assessments were used to measure student gains in learning outcomes. Analyses revealed that CREATES intervention students versus the comparison group demonstrated improved ability to interpret and communicate primary literature, especially in the methods, hypotheses, and narrative synthesis learning outcome categories. Through a mixed-methods analysis of a reflection assignment completed by the CREATES intervention group, students reported the synthesis map as the most frequently used step in the process and highly valuable to their learning. Taken together, the study demonstrates how this modified CREATES process can foster scientific literacy development and how it could be applied in science, technology, engineering, and math journal clubs

Virtually unlimited classrooms: Pedagogical practices in massive open online courses

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have become a prominent feature of the higher education discourse in recent years. Yet, little is known about the effectiveness of these online courses in engaging participants in the learning process. This study explores the range of pedagogical tools used in 24 MOOCs, including the epistemological and social dimensions of instruction, to consider the extent to which these courses provide students with high-quality, collaborative learning experiences. Findings suggest that the range of pedagogical practices currently used in MOOCs tends toward an objectivist-individual approach, with some efforts to incorporate more constructivist and group-oriented approaches. By examining MOOCs through the lens of engaged teaching and learning, this study raises concerns about the degree to which MOOCs are actually revolutionizing higher education by using technology to improve quality, and challenges educators to strive for more creative and empowering forms of open online learning. © 2014 Elsevier Inc