Promising Practices in Undergaduate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education: Summary of Two Workshops

摘要

This volume summarizes the two NRC workshops on promising practices in undergraduate STEM education. Chapters 2 and 3 summarize the first workshop: Chapter 2 focuses on the link between learning goals and evidence, and Chapter 3 presents a range of promising practices at the individual, faculty, and institutional levels. Subsequent chapters address the topics that were taken up in the second workshop, which involved deeper explorations of selected promising practices in STEM undergraduate education. Chapters 4-6 address a range of classroom-based promising practices: scenario-, problem-, and case-based teaching and learning (Chapter 4); assessments (Chapter 5), and improving student learning environments (Chapter 6). Chapter 7 focuses on professional development for future faculty, new faculty, and veteran faculty. The volume concludes with a broader examination of the barriers and opportunities associated with systemic change (Chapter 8). It is important to be specific about the nature of this report, which documents the information presented in the workshop presentations and discussions. Its purpose is to lay out the key ideas that emerged from the two workshops and that should be viewed as an initial step in examining the research. The report is confined to the material presented by the workshop speakers and participants. Neither the workshop nor this summary is intended as a comprehensive review of what is known about the topic, although it is a general reflection of the field. The presentations and discussions were limited by the time available.