Transcript Learning Communities in STEM at HU,JSU,TC and XULA

Learning Communities for
STEM Academic Achievement
at HU, JSU, TC and XULA
Terrolyn P. Carter
Orlando L. Taylor
Howard University
September 21, 2005 – Indiana University
Why LCSAA?
• Poor representation of African Americans in STEM fields
at both undergraduate and graduate levels
• According U.S. Dept. of Education, Fall 2000 data show
there were approximately 1.7 million African Americans
in higher education
• Approximately 225,000 are enrolled at HBCUs
• African Americans are still SCARCE in STEM fields at
majority and minority institutions
• Overall, nationally, STEM academic achievement levels
are low, HBCUs have been successful in producing high
achieving African American students in STEM fields
What Are Learning Communities
•
As described by the National Learning
Communities Project, learning communities are
“classes that are linked or clustered during an
academic term, often around an interdisciplinary
theme…”
•
“Learning communities may involve two or more
classes linked thematically or by content which a
cohort of students takes together. In this instance,
the faculty plan the program collaboratively.”
National Learning Communities Project website:
http://learningcommons.evergreen.edu
LCSAA Project Objectives
1.
To increase academic achievement of African
American students in the fields of science, technology,
engineering and mathematics (STEM)
2.
To implement, adapt, and evaluate the success of
teaching and learning strategies
3.
To increase graduate school enrollment and meritbased financial aid
4.
To enhance interdisciplinary on-campus and crosscampus discussions on teaching/learning among
faculty and future faculty in STEM
LCSAA Program Components
• Connect HBCUs to the national “scholarship of teaching
and learning” community
• Interdisciplinary across STEM fields
• Inter-institutional virtual faculty learning communities
• Improvement of future faculty capacity to enhance
teaching/learning in STEM
• Connection of HBCU STEM faculty to the Carnegie
Academy on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
• Dissemination of innovations to the national higher
education community
Learning Communities for STEM Academic Achievement
LCSAA Project Participants
• Howard and JSU: 5 STEM Faculty and 3
STEM Doctoral Students
• Talladega and XULA: 5 STEM faculty
• Students in Selected STEM Classes at
Sophomore or Junior Level
LCSAA Participants
LCSAA Planned Activities
•Expansion of learning communities to additional
faculty on each campus.
•On-campus meetings of individual campus participants
•Monthly virtual meetings of Fellows via on-line
•Development of teaching and learning strategies by
learning community
•Ongoing assessment of student learning in LC courses
LCSAA Planned Activities
•Web-based resources and support for learning
communities
•Annual convenings of Fellows to discuss progress,
issues, etc.
•Evaluation of program activities (formative and
summative)
•Dissemination of program results to national higher
education community
LCSAA Preliminary
Evaluation Plan
• Individualized and Tailored evaluation plans for
each campus
Some measures include:
• Improved student conceptual understanding
• Increased student interest in STEM fields
• Increased student GPAs
• Increased graduation rates
• Increased graduate school enrollments
• Graduate school aspirations
• Successful use of teaching and learning strategies on
partner campuses
• Successful transfer to other HBCUs
Project Staff
Administrative Staff
• Orlando L. Taylor, Principal
Investigator
• Terrolyn P. Carter, Project
Coordinator
STEM Campus Coordinators
• Howard University
Dr. Tori Rhoulac
• Jerry Gaff, Consultant
• Jackson State University:
Dr. Doris RobinsonGardner
• Akesha M. Horton,
Technology Coordinator
• Talladega College:
Dr. Leonard Cole
• Anne Pruitt-Logan,
Evaluator
• Xavier University of LA:
Dr. Kenneth Boutte