Expanding STEM Participation by Expanding Active Learning: How one community college is using collaborations to test active learning professional development for faculty and early career introduction to students.

Keywords: community colleges, two-year colleges, STEM education, professional development, undergraduates
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Monday
Session Start / End Time: 2/28/2022 05:20 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/28/2022 06:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 34

Abstract

At Front Range Community College, a series of NSF and NIH grants has built collaborations with four-year colleges and an NSF facility to increase professional development opportunities for faculty, improve transfer for students, test active learning in the classroom, provide early work and research experience to students, and develop curriculum to introduce students to careers in the geosciences. One of these projects, PRIMERS, is testing the adaptability of a STEM focused active learning training at different types of higher education institutions, including Front Range Community College. Early results show strong engagement and acceptance by faculty and the institution, with strong prospects for long-term viability of the program beyond the grant period. Results on teaching and learning are pending, but the program has been used to redesign courses with problematic pass rates. A second project, Geo-Launchpad, has collaborated with the NSF GAGE facility, in cooperation with the USGS, to provide students with structured internships, develop a careers & research course, and provide two-year faculty with structured training and opportunities to mentor students. Early introduction of careers and work within geoscience related fields has helped to increased student awareness, improved student confidence, successful transfers, graduate school participation, and employment for many of the participants.