Impact on Completion

The LIFE Faculty Mini-Grant Projects will focus resources on STEM gateway courses hat traditionally have low student success rates.  The project will provide rich learning opportunities for freshmen/sophomore students to increase retention, persistence and graduation rates. Research confirms embedding high impact practices (IIPs), such as course embedded research and service learning, stimulates student engagement and academic /career success.

Potential Lessons to be Learned

Faculty will learn how utilizing high-impact teaching instruction/curriculum has a deeper impact on low-income/minority student’s learning than traditional approaches, and how successfully engaging student interest in STEM topics early in their academic career will impact their ability to succeed in their major and their future career.

Area of Need on Clayton State University Campus. Well-documented research has reported the pressing need for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) graduates in the State of Georgia to ensure the future success of its workforce. Clayton State University (CSU) understands that it is imperative that the University System of Georgia (USG) respond proactively to the need for education in STEM and STEM-related fields. CSU understands the need to improve STEM instruction to support student learning, increase retention and graduation rates, add to the use of best practice high-impact teaching methods. In this, CSU intends to enhance data collection and analysis to assist USG to better understand how to successfully enhance retention, persistence and graduation rates of all students in the preparation and attainment of STEM degrees.

CSU offers six STEM bachelor’s degree programs in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Information Technology (BIT& BSIT), and Mathematics and serves a large percentage of low-income (66% of CSU students received need-based financial aid in 2014/2015) and minority students (71%). Each program has “traditionally difficult” STEM gateway courses that have higher than average failure and withdrawal rates which inevitably impact retention and persistence of STEM majors. Among first-time, full-time freshmen, 20%, on average, enroll in a STEM major. In reviewing drop, failure and withdrawal (DFW) rates, several STEM gateway courses have near or above 30% DFW rates, which discourage students from majoring in STEM. The percent of students who initially declare a STEM major and are retained in STEM or retained in any major (STEM or non-STEM) after their first year averages 50% and 68%, respectively. The 50% of STEM majors who are retained in their original STEM major after the first year continues to decrease dramatically prior to graduation. The average 6-year graduation rates for first-time, full-time majors in their original STEM major for freshmen cohorts is 22.0%, which is well below the average 6-year graduation rate of 29.6% for all majors (including STEM) and 35.6% for non-STEM majors. Retention is based on data from the 2007 through 2013 first-time, full-time freshmen cohorts. The 6 year graduation rate is based on data from the 2007 – 2009 cohorts due to timeframe. Baseline retention, graduation and DFW rates are included in Appendix #1.

Unlike students in the humanities majors, the challenge to the success of STEM students is the need to pass the science and mathematics courses that serve as gateways to STEM degrees with a high degree of proficiency. Many faculty approach instruction in these courses traditionally (Ex. PowerPoint lecture, cookbook type labs, and faculty centered approaches). Faculty members indicate that students rarely appear engaged or excited about the content in these courses. Active participation is typically low, and students lack the ability to make relevant applications of the course content, think critically, communicate effectively and solve complex problems. While some faculty perceive this problem as a lack of preparation for college on the student’s part, in reality the traditional teaching approach is not an applicable instructional method for effectively engaging the interest or preparing all students to develop strong critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills.

CSU, like numerous higher education institutions, offers undergraduate research opportunities that are typically reserved to single research methods or research practicum courses that are mostly undertaken by junior/senior level students who have already completed those traditionally difficult courses. The vast majority of students who engage in a mentored research or service learning project do demonstrate increased success in their academic program after they complete the project and are more successful at obtaining jobs or acceptance to graduate and professional programs in their field. Over the past 2 years only 25% of graduates have participated in these experiences. The current challenge is recruiting more students into mentored research and service learning opportunities early in their academic career. It would seem that engaging freshman/sophomore students, early in their academic career, in discovery-based learning, research and service learning in required gateway courses will have a deeper impact on the academic success of undergraduate STEM majors and increase the numbers of students who are retained and persist to the senior year. Additionally, it is well known that these experiences will increase students’ ability to make relevant connections to real-life phenomenon, think critically, communicate effectively and solve complex problems. These skills are essential for students preparing to pursue graduate studies or enter the workforce (Hart Research Associates, 2013).

How Project Addresses this Need. The 2015-2016 Learning Innovations that Foster Engagement (LIFE) Faculty Mini-Grant Project will support approximately 10-12 faculty members in transforming the curriculum of one or more STEM gateway courses by embedding discovery-based research or service learning projects within it/them. LIFE Mini-Grants will be awarded via a Request for Proposal (RFP) process coordinated by a faculty team, the LIFE Committee, with representatives from all of the STEM disciplines.

Funding for each proposed LIFE Faculty Mini-Grant Project is limited to $3,000 with an expected budget range of $500 to $3,000 for each project. Projects that include “traditionally difficult” courses will receive funding priority. For each funded LIFE Faculty Mini-Grant Project recipient will receive an additional $1,000 overload pay from Clayton State’s existing Engaged Learning Innovations (ELI) Program to support their commitment after completion all of the project program requirements.

The LIFE Faculty Mini-Grant Project replicates Georgia Gwinnett College’s (GGC) URE STEM Mini Grant Program (funded by the USG STEM Initiative) and merges/scales Clayton State’s ELI Program.  Both will be utilized in a new context.

Project’s Potential Impact on Student Success and College Completion and Lessons Learned. Educational literature suggests that the use of “high-impact” practices (HIPs), such as undergraduate research and service learning, lead to increased student academic success, retention and engagement. Evidence also proposes that HIPs have a more profound positive impact on underrepresented minority students (Eagan et al. 2013; Hurtado, Cabrera, Lin, Arellano and Espinosa 2009; Kuh 2008; Laursen et al. 2010). Further research shows that students’ perception of their deepest learning gains is enhanced by HIP experiences that involve service learning and faculty mentored research (Finley and McNair, 2013). Given that the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology have recommended that higher education institutions should advocate and provide support for STEM curricula that includes discovery-based research and service learning, it seems inherently clear that STEM educators should strive to embed research and service learning opportunities across their curricula. Additionally, it is well known that these learning experiences will increase students’ ability to make relevant connections to real-life phenomenon, think critically, communicate effectively and solve complex problems. These skills are essential for students preparing to pursue graduate studies or enter the workforce (Hart Research Associates, 2013).

The proposed LIFE Faculty Mini-Grant Project demonstrates the potential to be Transformative. Given the data presented in educational literature concerning the impact of course-embedded research and service learning projects have on student engagement and academic success, LIFE Faculty Mini-Grant Projects has tremendous potential to transform gateway STEM courses at CSU. An example of this transformation was recently demonstrated at CSU when a course-embedded research model in the Principles of Biology II Laboratory course was piloted. Data indicate increased academic success among students (21% increase in grades of A, B, or C; course GPA increased by 0.6 quality points) using the piloted versus a traditional model. The instructor, who taught the lab using both learning models in the course, observed a dramatic improvement in the student’s ability to effectively communicate scientific information in the lab reports. Since the average class size at CSU is 35 students and approximately 12 awards will be provided (some of which will be implemented in more than one course section) LIFE Faculty Mini-Grant Projects have the potential to reach over 500 students in the first year. This will dramatically increase the percentage of STEM majors who engage in these HIPs early in their academic career which will enable us to learn how this model impacts STEM student’s ability to be successful in their major and their future career.

The LIFE Faculty Mini-Grant Project demonstrates the potential to be Sustainable. LIFE Faculty Mini-Grant Projects will provide start-up funds necessary to outfit research projects with the non-consumable supplies. CSU commits to sustain the projects after startup. For example, each department has an operating budget or course fee budget to cover the consumable materials or additional supplies necessary for sustainability. All faculty awarded a LIFE Mini-Grant can apply for an ELI grant to support their time/ effort to adopt and modify the existing projects. Since the non-consumable materials would have already been purchased for the initial LIFE Project, start-up funds should not be required to sustain the projects. CSU is confident that curriculum transformations will be sustained long term.  

The LIFE Faculty Mini-Grant Project demonstrates the potential to be Scalable. LIFE replicates/scales the GGC Mini-Grant program which has provided evidence for modeling success to another USG institution with similar demographics. CSU will scale/merge its current ELI program, which is financially limited to supporting the time /effort required for faculty to innovate; but, does not provide start-up funds for innovative teaching projects that require infrastructure. ELI will continue to support faculty adoption of LIFE Mini-Grant Projects this year and long term. Since faculty are required to disseminate the project outcome successes at internal and/or external academic teaching conferences and an accessible database outlining the features and benefits of these mini-grant projects will be created, it is expected that other STEM faculty will learn how these innovative projects have a deeper impact on low-income/minority student’s learning than traditional approaches and will further replicate these learning models in their own courses.

Project’s Goals, Objectives and Deliverables. CSU’s goal is to improve student performance in STEM gateway courses by embedding high impact, authentic active research and/or service learning so that they are more likely to persist through their academic programs to completion.

The following short-term objectives are expected to be demonstrated and evaluated (refer to evaluation section) by June 2016 for the LIFE Faculty Mini-Grant Project:

• Increase student engagement in STEM courses participating in the LIFE Mini-Grant Project.
• Increase STEM student participation in research or service learning projects. By May 2016 we anticipate 480-600 students to be engaged in at least one LIFE Mini-Grant Project.
• Decrease DFW rates in 10-20 STEM gateway sections (10-12 projects will be awarded and some projects will cover multiple sections of courses) participating in the Mini-Grant Project by May 2016.
• Increase in the number of STEM faculty using innovative teaching and high impact learning models by 30% by May 2016.
• Increase in the number of STEM students seeking to be engaged in independent research projects by 20% upon completion of a LIFE Mini-Grant Project course (May 2016).

CSU will be unable to meet the long-term objectives within the first 12 months of funding since these involve gains expected after the project is sustained for additional years; however, the following long-term objectives are expected to be demonstrated by June 2018:

• Increase student persistence and graduation rates in STEM programs at CSU by 30%.
• More than 75% of CSU STEM faculty will use high impact learning models and innovative teaching methods in one or more STEM courses.
• Engaged students in every STEM major in at least one research or service learning project by graduation.

Deliverable Results. The faculty who implement a LIFE Mini-Grant Project will: 1) Expose freshmen and sophomore students to course embedded research and service learning, 2) Increase the use of course embedded research and service learning in a number of STEM gateway courses, 3) Disseminate the project results to the CSU campus community at the Annual Academic Conference, the USG community at Georgia Scholarship of STEM Teaching and Learning Conference, and the broader STEM community via various teaching/learning conferences and publications; and, 4) Create a database of the features and benefits of project activities that can be accessed and adopted by other STEM faculty.

Project timelines, tasks, milestones, resources. Months 1-3: Upon notification and receipt of CCG Innovation Grant funding the LIFE Mini-Grant Project Committee will convene to edit and finalize the LIFE Mini-Grant Project RFP. The RFP will be sent directly to all STEM faculty by August 1, 2015. The LIFE Committee will be comprised of a faculty member from each STEM discipline, the Assistant VP of Planning and Assessment, and chaired by the project lead of the CCG Innovation Grant. Between August and September the LIFE Committee will develop the surveys required to evaluate the objectives described in project’s objectives and evaluation sections. IRB approval for LIFE Mini-Grant Project assessment plan will also be received during this time. Months 4-6. The LIFE Committee will review, select and send notification of award letters to faculty by Oct. 9, 2015. The Committee Chair will use Qualtrix software to deliver the pre-surveys discussed in the evaluation section, prior to the initiation of the project. Between October and December 2015, awarded faculty will further develop and fine-tune their project plans (purchasing supplies/materials, planning lessons, developing effective assessment plans). The University’s Office of Assessment will consult with each LIFE Project faculty leader to assist in the development of assessment plans to ensure effective assessment of the project outcomes. Each LIFE Project will be implemented between November 2015 and April 2016. Months 9-12. Faculty will be expected to disseminate their LIFE project results by June 30. Different options for dissemination will be offered, i.e., Georgia Scholarship of STEM Teaching and Learning Conference in Statesboro, Clayton State’s Annual Academic Conference in May 2016 or another STEM teaching/learning conference. Between May-June 2016, the LIFE Committee Chair will deliver post-surveys and collect evaluation data as discussed in the evaluation section. By June 10, 2016, the leader of each LIFE project will submit a written report to the LIFE Committee on their project’s goals, objectives, and assessment data for review. Faculty members who complete a LIFE Mini-Grant Project, submit a final report and disseminate project results in an academic forum will receive a $1,000 award (overload pay) from ELI in June. During June and July the LIFE Committee Chair will create and make available a project database accessible to all STEM faculty.

Logic Model: Learning Innovations that Foster Engagement (LIFE) Faculty Mini-Grant Project

The grant request is $25,000 to cover 10-12 LIFE Faculty Mini-Grant Projects that will support the start-up costs of course embedded research or service learning proposals in STEM gateway courses.

Funding for each proposed LIFE Faculty Mini-Grant is limited to $3,000 with an expected budget range of $500 to $3,000 for each project. Suggestions from Judy Awong-Taylor, the project director of the GGC Mini-Grant program, and previous experience integrating course embedded research and service learning, as internal pilot programs, provide some context for the projected budget amount of each project.

Specific examples scenarios of funding: As previously mentioned, faculty integrated course embedded authentic research in the Principles of Biology II Laboratory course and the cost of non-consumable supplies for this project was roughly $2,700. Another faculty member incorporated service learning into an Ecology Laboratory course, where students collected data for the Georgia Adopt-a-Stream Program, a Georgia Department of Natural Resources sponsored Environmental Protection Program. The cost of non-consumable materials was roughly $700. Both pilot programs required consumable and non-consumable supplies and materials. CSU department operating and course fee budgets covered the non-consumable and consumable materials and the supplies for these two pilot programs.

To scale course transformation to 10-12 LIFE Faculty Mini-Grant Project requests, CSU department operating supply and course-fee budgets are not capable of covering the cost of all required non-consumable and consumable materials to start the initiation of these projects. Without the CCG Innovation Grant funding it would take several years to implement this large scale transformation at CSU. If funded, LIFE Faculty Mini-Grant Project grant awards would provide the necessary support for start-up so the non-consumable supplies/materials can be purchased. And, course-fee or operating supply budgets will cover the consumable supplies/materials during the funding year and beyond to ensure sustainability of the projects. To prevent requests for superfluous items, requests for equipment or instruments that are currently owned will not be funded unless that item is restricted for use in another application/course or unless we currently do not own enough replicates of that item to support the project.

Matching funds provided by Clayton State University. Clayton State’s ELI budget will cover the cost of the stipends (overload pay) provided to LIFE Faculty Mini-Grant recipients after completing their projects. The purpose of the stipends are to motivate faculty participation and compensate the time and effort involved in developing the innovative teaching models. Clayton State will also cover the cost of consumable supplies of all LIFE Faculty Mini-Grant Projects that are funded. Each LIFE Faculty Mini-Grant Project proposals must be approved by each applicable Department Chair and Dean.

Faculty must disseminate Project results at the campus-wide Annual Academic Conference, funded by CSU. Travel expenses for faculty to present their projects results at the Georgia Scholarship of STEM Teaching and Learning Conference at Georgia Southern University will also be paid by CSU.

Project Evaluation. The short-term objectives will be measured and reported by June, 2016. CSU will also continue to monitor these objectives and long-term objectives to support whether or not the project results in further growth as we continue to sustain the model in our courses long-term.

Short-term objectives for the LIFE Faculty Mini-Grant Project will be evaluated as described.

Long-term objectives for the LIFE Faculty Mini-Grant Project will be evaluated as described below.  

Table 1. Retention and graduation of first-time, full-time freshman STEM and non-STEM majors.

Table 2: DFW rates in gateway STEM courses.

*Not offered in Fall 2012

References:

Eagan, M. Kevin, Jr., Sylvia Hurado, Mitchell J. Chang, Gina A. Garcia, Felisha A. Herrera, and Juan C. Garlbay, 2013. “Making a difference in Science Education: the impact of undergraduate research programs.” American Educational Research Journal 50: 463-713.

Hart Research Associates, 2013. It Takes More Than a Major: Employer Priorities for College Learning and Student Success. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities.

Hurtado, Sylvia, Nolan I. Cabrera, Monica H. Lin, Lucy Arellano, and Lorelle I. Espinosa. 2009. “Diversifying Science: Underrepresented Student Experiences in Structured Research Programs.” Research in Higher Education: 50(2): 189-214.

Kuh, George D., 2008. High-Impact Educational Practices: What they are, who has access to them, and why they matter. Washington, D.C.: AAC&U.

Laursen, Sandra, Anne-Barrie Hunter, Elaine Seymour, Heather Thiry, and Ginger Melton. 2010. Undergraduate research in the sciences: engaging students in Real science.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 

Finley, Ashley and Tia McNair. 2013. Assessing Underserved Students’ Engagement in High-Impact Practices. Washington, D.C.: AAC&U.