The

 Inters*ces  of  the  Academy:  

What  STEM,  HIPs,  FAGS  and  other  of  our  most  prized  
acronyms  have  in  common

The  University  of  Wisconsin  System  

President’s  Summit  on  Excellence  in  Teaching  and  Learning  
MAY  1,  2010  
Susan  Elrod,  PhD
Execu&ve  Director,  Project  Kaleidoscope  (PKAL)  
Associa&on  of  American  Colleges  and  Universi&es  (AAC&U)    
hCp://www.aacu.org/pkal            elrod@aacu.org

Friday, February 4, 2011

 Scenes  from  the  2010  Summit

Friday, February 4, 2011

 Spend  a  minute  reflecGng  on  your  experience  at  the  summit.  

Word  Cloud  of  2010  UW  Summit  Program

Friday, February 4, 2011

 PROJECT KALEIDOSCOPE (PKAL)
Since  1989,  a  leading  na*onal  advocate  for  building  and  sustaining  strong  
undergraduate  programs  in  STEM  (science,  technology,  engineering  and  
mathema*cs);  In  2010,  formed  a  new  partnership  with  AAC&U  (Associa*on  of  
American  Colleges  and  Universi*es)
Mul*disciplinary  network  of  ~  2000  faculty  members  and  leaders  (mostly  
STEM)  at  over  750  colleges  and  universi*es  in  the  U.S.  

hIp://www.aacu.org/pkal
Copyright  2011  by  Susan  Elrod.  All  rights  Reserved  

Friday, February 4, 2011

 A  kaleidoscope  creates  a  mul*tude  of  
pa?erns  in  response  to  change,  so  our  
agenda  encompasses  a  mul*plicity  of  
approaches  that  can  be  adapted  to  specific  
circumstances  and  ins*tu*onal  
environments.  

Copyright  2011  by  Susan  Elrod.  All  rights  Reserved  

Friday, February 4, 2011

 PKAL’S   G UIDING   V ISION   . ..  
...  Science  and  mathema*cs  educa*on  works  wherever  it  takes  
place  within  an  ac*ve  community  of  learners,  where  students  work  
collabora*vely  in  groups  of  manageable  size,  and  where  faculty  are  
deeply  commiLed  to  teaching,  devoted  to  student  success,  and  
convinced  that  all  students  can  learn.  

It  works  where  learning  is  ac:ve,  hands-­‐on,  inves:ga:ve,  and  

experien:al,  and  where  the  curriculum  is  rich  in  laboratory  
experiences,  steeped  in  the  methods  of  scien*fic  research  as  it  is  
prac*ced  by  professional  scien*sts.  
This  approach  works  for  women,  for  minori*es,  for  all  students.  

-­‐-­‐  Dan  Sullivan,  1991,  PKAL  Volume  I:  Building  Natural  Science  Communi@es  

Friday, February 4, 2011

 PEDAGOGIES OF ENGAGEMENT IN STEM

Coopera*ve  Learning  involves  students  working  in  groups  to  

accomplish  learning  goals.
Interac*ve  Lectures  engage  students  with  course  material  
through  short  individual,  pair,  or  small-­‐group  ac*vi*es;  may  
use  “clickers”  (personal  response  systems)  or  other  
forma*ve  assessments.  
Case-­‐Based  &  Problem-­‐Based  Learning  involves  students  in  
addressing  real  world  problems.
Just-­‐in-­‐Time  Teaching  (JiTT)  students  read  assigned  material  
outside  of  class,  respond  to  short  ques*ons  online,  
par*cipate  in  discussion  and  collabora*ve  exercises  in  class.
Peer-­‐Led  Team  Learning  (PLTL)  teams  of  6-­‐8  students  are  
guided  by  a  peer  leader  in  Learning,  problem-­‐solving..
Process-­‐Oriented  Guided  Inquiry  Learning  (POGIL)  students  
are  ac*vely  engaged  by  working  in  self-­‐managed  teams  on  
guided  inquiry  ac*vi*es.
SCALE-­‐UP  is  a  Student-­‐Centered  Ac*ve  Learning  
Environment  for  Undergraduate  Programs. INTERACTIVE
ENGAGING
 Pedagogies  of  Engagement:  hIp://serc.carleton.edu/sp/pkal/index.html  
Friday, February 4, 2011
 LIGHT, NO LIGHT, WATER NO LIGHT,
WATER WATER

1 2 33
Three  idenDcal  plates  of  radish  seeds  are  incubated  under  three  different  
condiDons,  with  results  as  shown.    How  will  the  dry  weights  of  the  three  
plates  compare  at  the  end  of  the  experiment?
 A)    1  <  2  <  3        
 B)    1  <  3  <  2      
 C)    1  =  3  <  2    
 D)    3  <  1  <  2    
 E)    1  =  2  =  3  

EBERT-­‐MAY,  ET  AL.  2003,  BIOSCIENCE

Friday, February 4, 2011

 LIGHT, NO LIGHT, WATER NO LIGHT,
WATER WATER

1 1.46 G 2 1.63 G 33 1.20 G

Three  idenDcal  plates  of  radish  seeds  are  incubated  under  three  different  
condiDons,  with  results  as  shown.    How  will  the  dry  weights  of  the  three  
plates  compare  at  the  end  of  the  experiment?
 A)    1  <  2  <  3        
 B)    1  <  3  <  2      
 C)    1  =  3  <  2    
 D)    3  <  1  <  2    
 E)    1  =  2  =  3  

Friday, February 4, 2011

 AN EXAMPLE
INTERACTIVE CLASS STRUCTURE

Miller  et  al.  (2008)  Science  322:1329

Friday, February 4, 2011

 PKAL’S CURRENT PROJECTS
THE  FUTURE:  
INTERDISCIPLINARY   Integrating Environmental Studies into the Liberal Arts Experience

LEARNING
DePauw University, Greencastle, IN
Carol Steele and Jim Benedix

Abstract Hot Tip!

The original goal of this project was to infuse environ- Developing a new ID program and want to start attracting
mental studies into our institution as a whole, and in par- students? Build a website before the program is done to
ticular into our liberal arts curriculum. The project has highlight what is already available on campus that relates
started slowly, in large part due to the initiation of what to the planned program.
could be a complete restructuring of our academic pro-
gram. In the fall of 2008 our new president charged the
faculty with the task of reconsidering intellectual life, with
the goal of making whatever changes deemed necessary
to enhance the experience of students and faculty and
increasing the quality of the institution as a small, liberal
arts university. While this is currently slowing the devel-
opment of what we hope will be a broad environmental
studies program, it may also provide an opportunity
because the restructuring we are likely to experience in
the next couple of years may allow us to weave our new
program into the curriculum as it is being reshaped. We
are considering a three-pronged model in which the uni-
versity-wide program would have two academic/curricular
areas, environmental science (natural sciences) and
environmental studies (social sciences and humanities),
and a policy/administrative area focusing on campus
sustainability. All three of these have been developing on
their own, and so one of the tasks at hand is to construct
an organizational system that will formalize them, con-
nect them, and allow a high level of interaction between
them. Barriers
- Ongoing reconsideration of academic program and
intellectual life at the University has stalled the
development of new programs.

COMMUNITY:  
- Current financial situation will continue to limit what can

En S
e tal
be done.

vi tu
nc n
ie me
- Potential clash of departmental interests with plans for

r o di
new program; difficult to get some departments to buy in.

nm es
S c r on

en
vi

ta
En
Survey of 300+ DePauw Students

l
- 93% say that they are concerned about environmental
issues.
- 29% of respondents say that they are interested in a
career dealing with environmental issues.

REGIONAL  NETWORKS
- 56% say that they are not satisfied with the environ-
mental education they receive in their DePauw classes.
- 76% respond that they would like more classes about
the environment to be offered.
Sustainability
Intitiative

Accomplishments
- Presidents‘ Climate Commitment signed and Campus
Sustainability Initiative created (includes a project which
will measure DePauw’s carbon footprint) .
- Survey of DePauw students completed which gauges
interest in environmental studies, along with a study of
environmental programs at comparison schools and of DePauw Environmental Policy
current environmental courses at DePauw.
- Environmental science/studies website developed. Project Receives Award
- Continued development of the co-curricular DePauw The Hoosier Environmental Council (HEC) named the
Environmental Policy Project to include courses as well DePauw Environmental Policy Project (DEPP) their
as summer internships. “Environmental Organization of the Year,” saying that the
- Aquatic Ecosystem specialist becomes newest Biology group “confounded the expectation of what can be
faculty member, strengthening the environmental faculty. accomplished on a college campus.”

LEADERSHIP  DEVELOPMENT:  
SUMMER  INSTITUTES  AND  
WEEKEND  WORKSHOPS
Conferences,  PublicaGons,  Resources  and  More!

Friday, February 4, 2011

 Apply  for  PKAL’s  Upper  Midwest  Regional  Leadership  Workshop  for  early  
career  STEM  faculty  at  St.  John's  University,  June  11-­‐13.  Applica*ons  due  May  7  
h?p://www.pkal.org  -­‐  Upcoming  Events  

Submit  a  session  proposal  or  poster  to  the  Engaged  STEM  Learning:  From  
Pervasive  to  Promising  Prac?ces  Conference:  March  24-­‐26,  2010  -­‐  Miami,  
Florida  

ALend  Facing  the  Divides:  Diversity,  Learning,  and  Pathways  to  Inclusive  
Excellence  Conference:  October  21-­‐23,  2010  -­‐  Houston,  Texas

ALend  Crea?vity,  Inquiry,  and  Discovery:  Undergraduate  Research  In  and  

Across  the  Disciplines  Conference:  November  11-­‐13,  2010  -­‐  Durham,  North  
Carolina

More  on  AAC&U  and  PKAL  mee*ngs  at:  hLp://www.aacu.org/mee*ngs  

Upcoming  Project  Kaleidoscope  &  AAC&U  Events

Friday, February 4, 2011

 WHAT WE KNOW

 Learning  builds  on  exis*ng  knowledge

 Learning  requires  ac*ve  cogni*ve  
challenges  
 Learning  is  a  construc*ve  process
 Learning  occurs  in  context;  is  relevant  
to  the  learner    
 Learning  is  reflec*ve  (metacogni*on)
 Learning  is  social
National Research Council. Bransford, J. D., Brown, A.
L., & Cocking, R. R. eds (2000). How People Learn:
Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded
Edition. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
Copyright  2011  by  Susan  Elrod.  All  rights  Reserved  

Friday, February 4, 2011

 HOW   L EARNING   H APPENS:  
A   S CIENTIST’S   V IEW
Observation
of natural world
Concrete
experience
Active Reflective Generate
Experiment Testing observation hypothesis

Abstract
hypothesis

Make predictions

Learning is a discovery process for the learner.

We  must  abandon  the  implicit  assumpGon  that  all  brains  are  the  same  and  so  passing  
along  what  is  clear  to  us  (experts)  will  be  clear  to  the  novice  student,  and  if  it  fails,  it  is  an  
indicaGon  that  the  students  are  simply  incapable.  We  must  instead  come  to  recognize  
that  mastery  of  a  subject  is  much  more  a  process  of  restructuring  the  brain  than  simply  
of  transferring  knowledge.  -­‐-­‐  Carl  Weiman  (The  Curse  of  Knowledge  (2007)  The  Back  Page,  APS  News,  16  #10)
Copyright  2011  by  Susan  Elrod.  All  rights  Reserved  

Friday, February 4, 2011

 EPISODES  OF  
LEARNING
MATURE  THINKER  
WHO  IS
“CRITICALLY
Dme AUTONOMOUS”  OR  
“SELF-­‐AUTHORING”  
INTERVENTION
S  OF  TEACHING
Kegan  and  Lahey  (2009)

THE  CYCLE  OF  LEARNING  AND  ADULT  DEVELOPMENT

Copyright  2011  by  Susan  Elrod.  All  rights  Reserved  

Friday, February 4, 2011

 THREE   Q UESTIONS

What  do  they   How  will  we  

&  should  they     (&  they)  know?  
know?

How  shall  we  

teach  (how  will  
they  learn)?
Copyright  2011  by  Susan  Elrod.  All  rights  Reserved  

Friday, February 4, 2011

 COMPETENCIES
INTERDISCIPLINARY GLOBAL
ISSUES

REAL  WORLD  CONTEXT

SCIENTIFIC  LITERACY
ENGAGEMENT
S&E  DEGREES  UP
h"p://www.hhmi.org/grants/sffp.html h"p://www.nap.edu
h"p://visionandchange.org/ h"p://www.nsf.gov/sta3s3cs/seind10/

SOME  RECENT  REPORTS  IN  STEM  

Friday, February 4, 2011

 In  2009,  34.1%  of  URM  
(underrepresented  racial  minority)  
students  and  34.3%  of  White  and  Asian  
American  students  indicated  on  the  2009  
CIRP  Freshman  Survey  that  they  planned  
to  pursue  a  STEM  major.

However,  there  are  sGll  dispariGes  in  

compleGon  rates  among  the  groups  for  
STEM  majors;  students  interested  in  
STEM  majors  across  all  groups  have  
lower  compleGon  rates  than  non-­‐STEM  
counterparts.  

hIp://www.heri.ucla.edu/nih/HERI_ResearchBrief_OL_2010_STEM.pdf

Higher  EducaGon  Research  InsGtute  (HERI)    STEM  Study

Friday, February 4, 2011

 So,  why  aren’t  all  our  
STEM  classrooms  
transformed?  

Learning  gains  in  interacDve-­‐engaging  physics  courses  (Hake,  1998)

Friday, February 4, 2011

 Carl Wieman, et al., (2010) Transforming
Science Education at Large Research
Universities, Change, March/April 2010

It  takes  a  village,  which  includes  leadership  

beyond  the  department.  Five  core  strategies  
common  to  transforming  insDtuDons:  
1)  senior  administraDve  support,  
2)  collaboraDve  leadership,  3)  flexible  vision,  
4)  staff  development,  and  5)  visible  acDon.  
(Eckel  and  Kezar  (2003)  Taking  the  Reins:  InsGtuGonal  
TransformaGon  in  Higher  EducaGon)

* Achieving the necessary commitment and

coordination across more than two or three faculty
teaching the same course at the same time has been
difficult.

Friday, February 4, 2011

 GLOBAL  HEALTH
CLIMATE  CHANGE

ENERGY GENETICS  &  DIVERSITY

FOOD  SECURITY

These  kinds  of  problems  necessitate  graduates  from  different  disciplinary  

backgrounds  who  are  scientifically  literate  -­‐  adept  consumers  of  scientific  
information  -­‐  as  well  as  socially  responsible,  culturally  responsive  and  globally  
aware.    
Science  Magazine  Covers  -­‐  BIG  GLOBAL  ISSUES  

Friday, February 4, 2011

 Integra3ve
 Learning  
Knowledge  of   Intellectual  and  
Human  Cultures   PracDcal  Skills  
Physical  &  
Natural  World

Personal  and  Social  

Responsibility  

hIp://www.aacu.org/leap/index.cfm

AAC&U’S  LEAP  Outcomes:  Liberal  Educa:on  for  America’s  Promise

Friday, February 4, 2011

 Moves  meaningfully  between  
academic  and  real-­‐world  knowledge

Synthesizes  facts  from  more  

than  one  field  into  a  coherent  whole

Adapts  concepts  gained  in  

one  situaDon  to  new  situaDon

Envisions  a  future  self  by  building  on  

experience  across  mulDple  and  diverse  contexts  

AAC&U’S  VALUE  RUBRIC  ON  INTEGRATIVE  LEARNING

hLp://www.aacu.org/value/rubrics/index_p.cfm?CFID=26004336&CFTOKEN=10612472

Friday, February 4, 2011

 SCIENTIFIC   L ITERACY
THINK  about  scientific  literacy  as  an  interdisciplinary  (or  integrative)  
learning  goal.  
✦ What  is  it?  What  does  your  discipline  have  to  offer  to  the  learning  of  it?  
How  would  you  approach  the  teaching  of  it?  (a  few  minutes)
SHARE  your  thoughts  with  a  few  colleagues  at  your  table  (5  minutes)

Friday, February 4, 2011

 TRADING   Z ONES   . ..

Research:  Galison  (1997)  -­‐  Physics  &  Engineering  =  New  Radar;  

Molecular  Biology,  Nanotechnology,  Environmental  Science...

Educa3on:  Mills  &  Huber  (2005)  -­‐  Teaching  &  Learning;  Project  
Kaleidoscope;  this  Summit;  UW  Convergence  around  LEAP;  
every  classroom?  

Friday, February 4, 2011

 One  Minute  Wrap  Up:  
1)  Think  back  to  scien*fic  literacy  dialog:    what  
disciplinary  language  was  being  nego*ated  (if  any),  
what  issues  (if  any)  were  being  traded?  

2)  What  is  something  you  will  take  away  from  this  

Summit  and  apply  when  you  get  back  to  your  campus?  

ONE  MINUTE  WRAP  UP  

Copyright  2011  by  Susan  Elrod.  All  rights  Reserved  

Friday, February 4, 2011

 RESOURCES  

Allen  and  Tanner  (2009)  Transforma@ons:  Approaches  to  College  Teaching.  New  York:  W.H.  
Freeman  &  Co.
Bransford,  J.  et  al.,  (eds)  (2000)  How  People  Learn.  Washington,  DC:  Na*onal  Academy  Press.    
Ebert-­‐May,  D.  et  al.,  (2003)  Disciplinary  Research  Strategies  for  Assessment  of  Learning.  
BioScience  53  (12):  1221-­‐1228.  
Hake,  R.R.  (1998)  Interac@ve-­‐engagement  versus  tradi@onal  methods:  A  six-­‐thousand-­‐student  
survey  of  mechanics  test  data  for  introductory  physics  courses.  Am  J  Phys  66(1):  64-­‐74.  
Handelsman,  Miller  and  Pfund  (2007)  Scien@fic  Teaching.  New  York:  W.H.  Freeman  &  Co.  
Kegan,  R.  and  L.  Lahey  (2009)  Immunity  to  Change.  Cambridge,  MA:  Harvard  Business  Press.  
Mills,  D.  and  M.  T.  Huber  (2005)  Anthropology  and  the  Educa@onal  ‘Trading  Zone.’  
Arts  &  Humani*es  in  Higher  Educa*on  4(1):  9-­‐32.  
Pedagogies  of  Engagement:  hLp://serc.carleton.edu/sp/pkal/index.html
Project  Kaleidoscope:  hLp://www.aacu.org/pkal  
Wieman,  C.  et  al.,  Transforming  Science  Educa@on  at  Large  Research  Universi@es,  Change,  
March/April  2010
Zull,  J.  (2002)  The  Art  of  Changing  the  Brain.  Sterling,  VA:  Stylus  Publishing.  
Copyright  2011  by  Susan  Elrod.  All  rights  Reserved  

Friday, February 4, 2011