Review of the National Science Foundation’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and

Mathematics Talent Expansion Program:

Building the Next Generation of Scientists and Engineers

October 2013

MIT Washington Office

MIT Washington Office | October 2013

Table of Contents

Executive Summary ii

Part 1 - Introduction: STEP in Context 1Part 2 - What has STEP accomplished? 3

Early YearsSTEP Today

Part 3 - What has been learned from STEP? 8Part 4 - Connection to Online “Blended” Learning Model of Education 11Part 5 - Concluding Remarks 15

Works Cited 16

Appendix A. Recommendations from President’s Council of 18Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) to Produce One Million Additional College STEM Graduates

Appendix B. STEP Central Strategies 19Appendix C. NSF Strategic Plan 2011-2016 20

List of Tables

Table 1. States with Highest Number of STEP Awards 4Table 2. Active Awards Dollar Amounts By State 4Table 3. Distribution of Active and Expired STEP Award Amounts 5Table 4. Associate’s and Bachelor’s STEM Degrees Awarded in the 9

United States (2000-2010)Table 5. Relative Impacts of Common Strategies to Enhance 9

STEM education

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Executive Summary for “Review of the National Science Foundation’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP): Building the Next Generation of Scientists and Engineers”

In 2001, the Technology Talent Act was introduced in Congress on the basis that “about half of all United States post-World War II economic growth is a direct result of technological innovation, and science, engineering, and technology play a central role in the creation of new goods and services, new jobs, and new capital.” The legislation explains that economic growth significantly stems from a technically skilled workforce, the demand for which is projected by the US Department of Education to grow over the next decade. This is a healthy sign for the economy, but the US cannot take full advantage of that growth because its supply of scientists and engineers is limited. Retention and recruitment of students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are two factors in need of improvement if the US is to strengthen schools’ STEM programs limited by an inadequate pipeline.

To address this problem, the Technology Talent Act mandated the creation of a new program within the National Science Foundation (NSF) to increase the number of students receiving associate or baccalaureate STEM degrees; what began as a $25 million proposal became the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP). STEP addresses STEM students’ low retention by supporting competitively awarded grants for research and programs for institutional strategies and efforts to improve degree attainment and the transfer of students between 2-year institutions and 4-year programs. Data show that US students in 2010 earned nearly 60,000 more STEM degrees than those in 2000, but more progress is needed to increase the share of degrees earned by certain student populations under-represented in STEM fields, such as women and minorities. In 2013, STEP launched its Graduate 10K+ initiative, which focuses on contributing to increasing the annual number of new B.S. degrees awarded in engineering and computer science by 10,000 by 2020 with support from Intel and GE. Meanwhile, the White House has proposed consolidating higher education STEM education programs across agencies with a program lead by the NSF, as indicated in its FY2014 budget. Within the Division of Undergraduate Education at the NSF, STEP is one of three programs in identified for integration in the President’s FY 2014 budget request.

Reports from two external reviews on STEP in the past decade, in addition to recent publications on STEM undergraduate education from a variety of sectors, highlight a number of important lessons for improving the state of STEM education in the US, including:

First- and second-year undergraduate students are most at-risk for dropping out of STEM fields of study. Also, groups that have traditionally been underrepresented in STEM fields of study must be engaged in any new initiative to improve the country’s technically skilled workforce.

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Cross–institution partnerships involving industry, 2-year colleges, and 4-year institutions benefit each stakeholder.

Bridge programs, hands-on research, internships, learning communities, and dedicated counseling are all strategies frequently recommended and proven effective by various sources.

Multidimensional approaches that utilize three or more educational strategies are best able to more effectively increase the number of STEM graduates than programs using individual strategies.

The White House is nearing its 2020 deadline for the country to not only educate one million new scientists and engineers, but also to train 100,000 new STEM K-12 teachers who will inspire those students. STEM programs will likely continue to rely on the strategies identified and tested by STEP, but may need to adapt to new trends in STEM education, such as the development of massive open online courses (MOOCs). Connecting STEP’s history of findings with novel online “blended” learning models that combine online and face-to-face education could provide valuable insight into optimizing such trends. STEP’s ability to perform these roles will also be affected by the proposed consolidation and integration of STEM programs within federal agencies.

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Part 1 - Introduction: STEP in Context

According to the Department of Education (ED), only 16 percent of American high school seniors are proficient in mathematics and interested in a STEM career. Poor motivation in the classroom, however, coincides with a nationwide issue with retention in the STEM fields. In 2012, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) reported that fewer than 40 percent of college freshmen intending to major in a STEM field graduate with a STEM degree.1 Between 2010 and 2020, the Department of Education (ED) projects a significant increase in the number of STEM jobs, such as Mathematics (+16%), Computer Systems Analysis (+22%), Systems Software Development (+32%), Medical Science (+36%), and Biomedical Engineering (+62%). The growth expected in these fields eclipses the projected 14% jump in all US occupations.2 The PCAST report emphasizes that a modest improvement in STEM retention at the undergraduate level would resolve much of the US STEM workforce requirements.

In a 2000 paper issued by the National Bureau of Economic Research (see Works Cited, below), economist Paul Romer emphasized that the size and capability of the talent base engaged in scientific and technical research and development was a critical economic growth factor. He outlined four goals to trigger the necessary growth in supply of scientists and engineers: targeting a specific increase in the number of students who receive undergraduate degrees in the natural sciences and engineering; encouraging more innovation in graduate training programs; preserving the strength of the PhD education system; and balancing government spending on subsidies for supply and demand of scientists and engineers. These goals are still relevant today; the White House recently set a target of one million STEM graduates, 100,000 new STEM teachers, and two million unemployed Americans retrained with high-tech skills by 20203 (see Appendix A for White House recommendations). Romer then identified three types of programs that could make STEM goals a reality: training grants, national exams measuring undergraduate achievement in natural science and engineering, and expanded fellowships for students who continue their STEM studies in graduate school. The NSF is the principal federal funder of efforts like these, especially grants and fellowships, to promote excellence in STEM education. NSF’s Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) addresses national priorities in educational innovation and research at two- and four-year colleges and universities.

Romer’s report was key to the design of the authorizing legislation and DUE’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP), which has supported a decade of implementation projects and research in STEM learning in the context of overall education reform that includes K-12 as well as undergraduate degree attainment in STEM.

1 PCAST, “Engage To Excel: Producing One Million Additional College Graduates with Degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics,” February 20122 Department of Education statistics available from http://www.ed.gov/stem3 PCAST, “Engage To Excel: Producing One Million Additional College Graduates with Degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics,” February 2012

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A congressionally authorized program born from the 2001 Technology Talent Act,4 STEP seeks to increase the number of students (US citizens or permanent residents) receiving associate or baccalaureate degrees in established or emerging STEM fields. The program accepts two types of proposals. Type 1 proposals plan for full implementation efforts dedicated to recruitment and retention of STEM students at academic institutions. Type 2 proposals support educational research projects on undergraduate degree attainment in STEM. Nearly 300 projects in about 40 states have received STEP funding since the program’s start; today 15-20 Type 1 and 1-3 Type 2 proposals are funded each year.

A bipartisan group of Senators, (Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Kit Bond (R-MO), Bill Frist (R-TN) and Pete Domenici (R-NM)) initially introduced the founding legislation for STEP, the Technology Talent Act of 2001, to the 107th Congress on October 15, 2001. With 16 eventual cosponsors, the bipartisan legislation was passed as part of the 2002 NSF Reauthorization and was intended to increase the technically trained workforce in the United States in light of a critical need to drive economic growth through innovation, declining numbers of US STEM graduates, and increasing competition from international STEM students. The legislation grants the NSF Director the authority to award funds on a competitive basis for the strongest higher education programs that would increase the number of STEM graduates in the U.S., without specifying an exact numerical target.

The document mandated that in 2007 the NSF would report on the progress of STEP. A section of the America Competes Act of 2007 extended the program, adding provisions for national STEP centers to support instructor training, educational materials development and outreach programs for middle and high school students.5 In Spring 2010 NSF announced a STEP Centers competition that “allows a group of faculty representing a cross section of institutions of higher education to identify a national challenge or opportunity in undergraduate education in STEM and to propose a comprehensive and coordinated set of activities that will be carried out to address that challenge or opportunity within a national context. Two STEP Centers were supported: STEP Center: EHR-ENG STEP Innovation Center (Stanford University) and the STEP Center: InTeGrate: Interdisciplinary Teaching of Geoscience for a Sustainable Future (Carleton College).

4 Technology Talent Act, S.1549, 107th Cong., 1st Session, first introduced on Oct. 15, 2001 by Senators Lieberman, Mikulski, Bond, Frist and Domenici. Text at: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c107:1:./temp/~mdbsR1uwZH:: ; became law in The National Science Foundation Reauthorization Act of 2002, HR 4664, 107th Cong., 2nd Session, Section 8(7) Text (enrolled bill) at: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c107:6:./temp/~c107BGaAVp:e20144: 5 See House Report 110-289 on HR 2272, Section 7025 (The 21st Century Competitiveness Act on final passage was named The America Competes Act). Report text available from http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/cpquery/?&sid=cp110oBJSt&r_n=hr289.110 &dbname=cp110&&sel=TOC_597253& and bill text available from http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c110:5:./temp/~c110XwKeRu:e381404:

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In May 2013, STEP announced awards in STEP Graduate 10K+, a new proposal track to research first and second year retention rates in engineering or computer science, subject areas that the NSF noted a particularly strong correlation between retention and graduation. In FY13, nine institutions were awarded a total of $10 million, made possible by with contributions from the Intel and GE Foundations.

That same month, the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Committee on STEM Education (CoSTEM) released a five-year strategic plan to “increase the total investment in STEM education programs by 6 percent over the 2012 appropriated level while consolidating and reducing the number of programs spread across 14 federal agencies from 226 to 110.”6 This plan guides coordination of STEM education programs from across numerous agencies with the Department of Education convening planning around K-12 education, the NSF convening undergraduate and graduate planning activities, and the Smithsonian Institute convening informal STEM education planning activities. These planning meetings are under way, as well as conversations around broadening participation.

The CoSTEM report is distinct from the President’s FY2014 budget request. Among many suggestions for streamlined STEM education, the FY 2014 budget proposal consolidates NSF’s STEP, Widening Implementation and Demonstration of Evidenced-based Reforms (WIDER), and Transforming Undergraduate Education in STEM (TUES) into the $97 million Catalyzing Advances in Undergraduate STEM (CAUSE) program. Congress has not yet reviewed this Administration proposal, although the STEP program remains separately authorized and would be continued within the proposed CAUSE umbrella.

Given its history, its focus on postsecondary STEM education, and its relevance at a time when the nation needs it most, STEP is a valuable case study that highlights the challenges faced by students and educators in STEM fields. Not only can these lessons be applied to standard degree programs, but also to the next generation of education tools, including massive online open courses (MOOCs). Education programs such as STEP may be consolidated under a different name, but lessons from STEP could prove to have particular value in the effort to meet the national goal of growing the STEM talent base.

Part 2 - What has STEP accomplished?

Early Years

STEP focuses its mission on five general strategies: education research/policy, retention strategies, recruitment strategies, institutional issues, and student populations. These are listed in Appendix B.

Evaluations of STEP as a whole have limited public availability, but much can be learned from two separate Committee of Visitors (COV) reviews of STEP in 2006 and 2009. COV

6 National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). “Federal Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education 5-Year Strategic Plan.” (May 2013).

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reviews of programs and offices that conduct or support NSF research occur at regular intervals of approximately three years. These important reviews, which involve panel discussions and specific analysis, are conducted by external experts in order to provide NSF with feedback on the quality, integrity, and pertinence of program operations. NSF typically issues comments in response to COV suggestions; both COV suggestions and NSF remarks are then published on the NSF website. 7

The 2006 COV reviewed 20 awards out of a total of 77 active STEP awards at the time; the 2009 COV reviewed 17 out of a total 68 active awards. The COV chooses which awards to review based on the final digit in the proposal number in order to take a random selection of ongoing STEP projects.

The 2009 COV noted a broad geographic distribution of PIs of STEP projects, although the Type 2 projects reviewed by the committee were disproportionately based in the south and southwest. Only four of these kinds of projects were reviewed in 2009, so the data supporting this comment are not statistically significant. Texas and California are the states that have received the most STEP awards (Table 1), representing a combined $35 million of the program’s $163 million in total active awards (Table 2).

Despite the breadth of STEP implementation and research projects, there is relative consistency among awards on a per capita basis.

Table 1. States with Highest Number of STEP Awards8

State

Total Number of Active and Expired

STEP Awards

Number of Active STEP

Awards

Active STEP Awards Per Million Capita based on 2010 US Census

Bureau DataCalifornia 26 14 0.4

Texas 23 15 1.7

New York 18 5 0.3

Illinois 13 7 0.5

Michigan 13 7 0.7

Virginia 12 5 0.6

Washington 11 7 1.0

Arizona 10 7 1.2

Florida 9 6 0.3

Maryland 8 4 0.7

Ohio 8 6 0.5ALL AWARDS 270 147

7 More information on COV evaluations at the NSF is available from http://www.nsf.gov/od/iia/ activities/cov/8 Data as of July 2013 from NSF Awards Search: Element Code 1796, NSF Organization: DUE

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Table 2. Active Awards Dollar Amounts By State9

State Total dollar amount of active awards

Active Award Dollars Per Capita based on 2010 US Census Bureau Data

California $18,648,434 $0.50Texas $16,660,086 $0.66Illinois $10,245,782 $0.79Ohio $9,548,113 $0.82Michigan $8,570,619 $0.86Washington $5,590,608 $0.83Florida $4,812,584 $0.25Wisconsin $4,671,455 $0.82Arizona $2,999,995 $0.46ALL ACTIVE AWARDS $163,220,973TOTAL EXPIRED & ACTIVE AWARDS

$291,837,305

Both the 2006 and 2009 COVs reported that the awards were appropriate in size and duration. Nearly half of all STEP awards provided over one million dollars in funding, as exhibited in Table 3, but the 2006 COV added that ambitious, institution-wide projects hosted by the country’s largest universities requiring more than $2 million in funding would encourage multidisciplinary efforts on a national scale. The NSF responded that this would be an appropriate option to consider should STEP funding increase “significantly.” Before 2007, there were three active STEP awards valued at $2 million. By FY13, there were 18 active awards valued at or over $2 million.

Table 3. Distribution of Active and Expired STEP Award Amounts10

Active Active & ExpiredLess than or equal $50,000 1 8Between $50,001 - $100,000 6 11Between $100,001 - $500,000 32 64Between $500,001 - $1,000,000 33 63More than $1,000,000 75 124Total Number of Awards 147 270

The 2006 COV noted a lack of balance in the institutional types represented by STEP. Of the 20 reviewed projects, nine were from research 1 institutions, eight were from 4-year colleges and universities, and three were from 2-year colleges. The COV recommended increased awardee representation from the 4-year and 2-year institutions. The NSF responded that the distribution of reviewed awards did not reflect the overall STEP portfolio at the time, but admitted that doctoral institutions dominated the portfolio. The

9 Ibid.10 Ibid.

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limited rate in transfers from 2-year schools to 4-year STEM degree programs was cited as evidence of a need for partnerships between 2-year and non-2-year institutions.11

STEP Today

In FY13, NSF especially encouraged Type 1 (STEM recruitment and retention) projects committed to producing significant improvements in first and second year retention rates in engineering or computer science, under a special proposal track of STEP known as Graduate 10K+. With support from Intel and the GE Foundations, Graduate 10K+ aims to increase the annual number of new B.S. graduates in engineering and computer science by 10,000.

Some Graduate 10K+ programs rethink the traditional four-year degree model. For example, the University of Washington and Washington State encourage student engagement in a continuous and intensive manner over five years to increase retention of students in engineering. By introducing students to STEM careers during their undergraduate years, the five-year projects within Graduate 10K+ utilize a “redshirt” strategy similar to that of college athletes transitioning to a new competitive setting. For students coming from under-resourced high schools, the “redshirt” strategy levels the playing field. Hartnell College and California State Monterey Bay, on the other hand, have partnered to create a three year computer science degree to decrease the time to degree for low income students. Graduate 10K+ addresses several priorities for the STEP mission:

Partnership, especially with the private sector: Intel, GE, and a private donor on the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board have committed $10 million in total for this new program. This addresses a 2009 COV recommendation to build more “college-industry alliances early in the college experience.”

Subject areas chosen to meet top industry needs: Graduate 10K+ supports projects that boost the US engineering and computer science workforce; the 2009 COV also recommended programs that targeted specific STEM subject areas, but named cybersecurity and energy as the two sectors in most need of a technically skilled workforce.

Outreach to underrepresented groups in STEM education: both STEP COVs identified this as a top priority to improve STEM retention rates of undergraduates

11 Given this finding it should be noted that data in NSF, Science and Engineering Indicators (2012), Chapt. 2, “Institutions Providing S&E Education, Community Colleges,” http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind12/c2/c2s1.htm shows a significant percentage of S&E doctorate and 4-year degree holders attended community colleges, and that a disproportionately large number of students from underrepresented groups who received a 4 year (or higher) degree did some of their undergraduate work at a 2-year institution. By these measure transfers are more significant than the COV finding suggests. There is also a view that transfers may be overemphasized because 2-year degrees and increasingly certifications are important for advancing in the workforce. See generally, Georgetown Center for Education and the Workforce, Certificates, Gateway to Employment and College Degrees (June 5 2012), available at http://cew.georgetown.edu/certificates/

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The nine FY13 institution Graduate 10K+ awardees and their projects are:

1) California State University Monterey BayPartner institution: Hartnell CollegeAcademic Integrity Management (AIM)Sathya Narayanan: Principal Investigator, CSUMBJoseph Welch: Co-PI, Hartnell College

2) Cornell UniversityCornell University Engineering Success (CUES) ProgramAlan Zehnder: Principal Investigator

3) Merrimack College (see description below)Foundations for STEM SuccessGary Spring: Principal Investigator

4) Southern Illinois University EdwardsvilleStudent Teams Engaging Peers for Undergraduate Progress (STEP-UP)S. Cem Karacal: Principal Investigator

5) Syracuse University (see description below)Enhancing the Climate for Persistence and Success in Engineering (ECliPSE)Julie Hasenwinkel: Principal Investigator

6) University of Portland (see description below)Increasing Retention in Engineering and Computer Science with a Focus on At-Risk First-year and Sophomore StudentsSharon A. Jones: Principal Investigator

7) University of Texas at AustinImproving Retention in Engineering by Incorporating Applications Into Freshman CalculusDavid Allen: Principal Investigator

8) University of Texas-Pan AmericanAn Ecosystem for Success in Engineering and Computer Science in Rio South TexasJavier A. Kypuros: Principal Investigator

9) University of Washington and Washington State UniversityCollaborating InstitutionsThe Washington STate Academic RedShirt (STARS) in Engineering ProgramEve Riskin: Principal Investigator, UWRobert Olsen: Co-Principal Investigator; WSU

As their titles indicate, these Graduate 10K+ projects examine a number of strategies to improve STEM education: peer-to-peer instruction; focus on at-risk first-year and sophomore students; incorporating hands-on applications; building an ecosystem of success; and collaboration between institutions.

Taking a closer look at three Graduate 10K+ projects reveals a number of key focus areas for STEM programs.

Merrimack College’s School of Science and Engineering received $500,000 to address and examine three challenges that hinder student retention in STEM fields: the need for self-efficacy; the need for a sense of community; and the need for enthusiasm about the student’s chosen field. Strategies used by the North Andover, MA, institution to inspire its STEM students include (i) a summer intensive preparation program to increase the placement rate of freshmen into Calculus I; (ii) a first-year mathematics supplement added to the gateway Introduction to Engineering and Computer Science course; (iii) enhanced peer and faculty mentoring; and (iv) affinity housing. The Foundations for STEM Success project focuses on students, particularly first-generation students, interested in Merrimack’s engineering (electrical, civil, and mechanical) and computer science (CS) departments.12

12 See http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1317285&HistoricalAwards=false

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Syracuse University was awarded over $800,000 for its ECLiPSE project, which proposes to build a welcoming climate for students by promoting strong faculty-student interactions and employing best practices in engineering education. Syracuse plans to use a synergistic series of activities including: a well-supported faculty development program in best practices in engineering education; the complete re-design of the first semester gateway engineering course with help from Bucknell University faculty; implementation of innovative pedagogy in target 1st and 2nd year classes; guidance for faculty in their advising practice and establishment of a framework for continuous quality improvement in academic advising; and extension of previously tested first year academic support and community building programs into the second year. According to the project abstract, an added benefit of this program is that the individual faculty members are gaining lifelong teaching and advising skills that will then be used to instruct students at Syracuse or elsewhere.13

The University of Portland obtained $450,000 to fund efforts to help first-time, first-year college students who are not calculus ready and first-time sophomore students who are up to two courses behind their peers. The university identified students below this gap in cohort status to be "at risk" of leaving their courses of study, even though they may be in good academic standing. Strategies for STEM retention proposed by this project include dedicated counseling throughout the academic year regarding attaining and keeping cohort status, an academic Summer Bridge program for non-calculus ready first-year students, and ongoing retention tracking for various sub-populations within the institution. A dedicated STEP counselor advises students throughout the academic year through weekly individual and group program meetings, helps students make key summer course selections, if needed to regain cohort status, and provides access to tutoring and workshop services to avoid withdrawals from STEM fields of study.14

Part 3 - What has been learned from STEP?

A complete list of STEP Central Strategies can be found in Appendix B, but the strategies for increasing STEP degrees determined by the STEP COVs to be most effectively utilized by the NSF are:

Summer programs with intensive math and science training Exposure to university faculty members who do research in mathematics and the

sciences Participant-conducted scientific research under the guidance of faculty members or

graduate students, who are serving as mentors Education or counseling services designed to improve the financial and economic

literacy of students Programs that target students at risk for falling off STEM tracks: students in their

first two years of undergraduate education, students who are limited English

13 Ibid.14 Ibid.

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proficient, students from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education, students with disabilities, students who are homeless children and youths, students who are in foster care or are aging out of foster care system or other disconnected students.

Both the 2006 and 2009 COVs commended STEP’s inclusion of underrepresented minorities and encouraged the program to continue that support and to study comprehensive programs extending beyond the first two years and programs that enhance the transfer from 2-year programs to 4-year programs.

Table 4 presents a history of STEM degrees awarded in the United States since STEP’s inception. The number of bachelor’s STEM degrees has steadily grown whereas that of associate’s degrees showed variability in the past decade. Although it seems programs like STEP are helping the country address its priority of more scientists and engineers, more work is needed to engage certain student populations that are traditionally underrepresented in the STEM workforce, such as women.

Table 4. Associate’s and Bachelor’s STEM Degrees Awarded in the United States (2000-2010)15

Year

Number of STEM Associate’s

Degrees Awarded in the

United States

Percent of STEM Associate’s Degrees Earned by

Underrepresented Student Populations

Number of STEM

Bachelor’s Degrees

Awarded in the United States

Percent of STEM Bachelor’s Degrees Earned by

Underrepresented Student Populations

Women Minorities Women Minorities

2000 71,394 26.6 % 27.2 % 225,859 37.3 % 32.1 %2001 77,348 27.4 % 28.3 % 227,203 37.2 % 33.2 %2002 80,925 26.6 % 28.6 % 235,217 37.5 % 33.6 %2003 94,008 26.8 % 30.5 % 249,448 37.2 % 34.8 %2004 88,152 25.3 % 32.0 % 253,654 36.9 % 35.6 %2005 77,539 24.1 % 31.2 % 255,261 36.5 % 35.6 %2006 69,623 23.7 % 31.1 % 257,520 36.8 % 35.2 %2007 66,905 22.6 % 30.7 % 260,443 36.4 % 34.7 %2008 69,345 22.0 % 31.5 % 263,673 36.6 % 35.1 %2009 73,108 22.1 % 31.6 % 268,968 36.7 % 35.4 %

2010Data not available Data not

availableData not available

281,400 36.7 % Data not available

15 “STEM” fields of study represent degrees in natural sciences, engineering technology, engineering, and mathematics. “Minorities” represent Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaskan Native races/ethnicities. Associate’s degree data from NSF Science and Engineering Indicators 2012 Appendix table 2-16, available from http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind12/c2/c2s2.htm#s2. Bachelor’s degree data from NSF statistics, available from http://nsf.gov/statistics/nsf13327/content.cfm?pub_id=4266&id=2.

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A 2013 report by the Business-Higher Education Forum ranked various STEM education strategies (“interventions”) by relative impact level, which was calculated based on intervention population, effect size, and scale. The report noted that the STEM education goals outlined by the White House would require new models of engagement with industry and universities and investments for at-risk students in freshman and sophomore years. With a focus on undergraduate STEM education, BHEF chose to study six effective interventions identified by the White House in its Engage to Excel report (see Appendix A for White House recommendations), and conducted a literature review to determine coefficients for impact calculations. Table 5 summarizes the results.

Table 5. Relative Impacts of Common Strategies to Enhance STEM education16

STEM education strategy, as defined in BHEF report Relative Impact (Baseline = 1)

Bridge Programs: a cohort-style series of courses, activities, and learning experiences intended to help students make a smooth transition from high school to college, typically taking place the summer prior to the freshman year

1.08

Course Re-Design: redesigning introductory courses from standard instructor-centered, lecture/homework/exam format to a student-centered format that uses interactive engagement, project-based learning, and other approaches to achieve better learning outcomes

1.17

Research Internships: an inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline on or off-campus of the home institution

1.24

Cognitive Tutors: educational software containing an artificial intelligence component where the software tracks students’ progress and challenges toward learning, tailoring feedback to their individual needs

1.32

Learning Communities: a demarcated group of students taking two or more classes and/or other learning experiences together, where the courses and experiences are often organized around a common theme and may require students to be involved in out‐of‐class activities; some learning communities include a residential component

1.36

Scholarship for Service: financial aid to students pursuing a relevant degree; upon graduation, the award recipient has a post-degree service requirement commensurate with the length of the received award

1.39

Multidimensional Programs use at least three of these six strategies

1.67

Note that strategies from the Engage to Excel report overlap with the STEP Retention Strategies (see Appendix B), highlighting a consistency within STEM education efforts across the federal government. Interestingly, the Technology Talent Act of 2001, the congressional mandate that created STEP, also suggested a number of these strategies as examples of appropriate use of funds, including bridge programs, undergraduate research, outreach to underrepresented student populations, and multidisciplinary approaches to undergraduate STEM education. Efforts to improve retention and motivation of US STEM students depend on effective execution of such strategies.

16 Table available from page 12 of the BHEF report

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It is also important to note that few strategies will have significant impacts on their own, which is why BHEF studied multidimensional programs that incorporate multiple strategies to improve STEM education. The 2009 COV review of STEP argued that single strategies are less likely to improve retention results than multiple complementary strategies. Multidimensional programs can be tailored according to the variety among STEM disciplines and among institutions. As the 2009 COV stated, “all STEP projects are inherently interdisciplinary, because the goal of the program is to increase the number of students across the range of STEM disciplines.” Considering a larger scope, one strategy may exhibit success in one institution with limited impact in another. When designing STEM programs, institutions must consider the audience at hand and what specific strategies will work best.

Part 4 - Connection to Online “Blended” Learning Model of Education

In the past few years, online education in the form of massive open online courses (MOOCs) has evolved, creating the potential for improved access to higher education for individuals who would not normally be able to afford tuitions or improved access to life-long learning.17 Apple’s iTunesU provides video and audio lectures for free; Coursera and Udacity, which were founded by Stanford faculty, and MIT and Harvard’s edX, host interactive online classes in a wide range of subjects including law, history, science, engineering, business, social sciences, computer science, public health, and artificial intelligence. These courses are taught by leading faculty at colleges and universities nationwide. As of July 2013, enrollment numbers reported over four million students for Coursera18 and over one million for edX.19 These numbers do not reflect the number of students who completed the courses for which they registered – a much smaller but still quite significant number - but do give insight into the scale of interest in MOOCs, which greatly surpasses the size of a typical college campus.

As noted before, hands-on application of course lessons is a key strategy for motivating students in STEM fields. In light of the rapid development of MOOCs, STEM education could follow a path towards “blended” learning models, where online content is paired with real-world practice. The 2009 COV report noted that STEP research by Type 2 grants (educational research projects on undergraduate degree attainment) on the use of technology to engage students at both the high school-feeder level and at the university level was minimal at the time. The official NSF response to this comment was that STEP’s Type 2 track was “not intended to answer basic research questions about the best ways to implement the use of technology in particular situations,” which lie within the scope of

17 For a detailed discussion of the education possibilities of MOOCs see, William B. Bonvillian and Susan R. Singer, The Online Challenge to Higher Education, Issues in Science and Technology (Summer 2013). Available from http://www.issues.org/29.4/william.html

18 George Anders, Coursera hits 4 million students -- and triples its funding (July 10, 2013). Forbes, Available from http://www.forbes.com/sites/georgeanders/2013/07/10/coursera-hits-4-million-students-and-triples-its-funding/

19 Madeline R. Conway, EdX enrollment reaches seven digits (June 20, 2013). The Harvard Crimson, Available from http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2013/6/20/edx-million-students-benchmark/#

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other NSF programs. In other words, a STEP grant would more effectively meet the program’s objective by analyzing student achievement that involved the use of technology rather than examining the implementation of technology itself.

Today, a variety of STEP projects today rely on online courses to carry out that mission. UT Austin’s $300,000 Graduate 10K+ program, Improving Retention in Engineering by Incorporating Applications into Freshman Calculus, engages students using such a “blended” model, according to its abstract:

At full scale-up of the program, a total of 1000 engineering students are enrolled in the transformed recitation sections of freshman calculus classes. Course modules are being developed through collaborative efforts between engineering and mathematics faculty, while a Fellow in Engineering Education, mathematics teaching assistants, and engineering learning assistants implement the transformed recitations. The recitation sections, which engage students in solving design-based engineering problems by applying the concepts being taught in the calculus course, are using a combination of self-paced, online instructional materials and active, instructor- and peer-facilitated, team-based activities. Students view online background information about engineering challenges and work basic problems prior to class, then solve additional problems and discuss design implications in their recitation sections. The design-based engineering problems also are being incorporated into subsequent fundamental engineering courses including Statics, Dynamics, and Transport Phenomena. 20

The most successful learning strategies identified from the STEP experience could influence the design of successful MOOCs and blended learning programs. At the same time, online education is an opportunity for STEP to fulfill the previously outlined strategies for improving STEM education while acting on the NSF’s agency-wide mission.

As noted in Appendix C, the NSF 2011-2016 Strategic Plan recognizes the increasingly valuable role of technology in education systems,

“Technologies are already deeply entwined with people’s lives, especially the lives of young learners.  Fully embracing such technologies as learning tools in the nation’s classrooms and laboratories, and living rooms and libraries, is part of innovating for society. Science itself is being transformed through networked computing and communications technologies. Networked computing and communications technologies that support learning, teaching, and education are already opening up access for all learners, in all age groups, in all settings. … Learning can occur anytime, anywhere, and for anyone.”

The following program approaches incorporate strategies examined by STEP into the development of online learning models.

Access to higher education resources for underrepresented groups in STEM education

With millions of students relying on MOOCs as educational resources, learning is no longer limited to a physical classroom. According to the NSF, one of its objectives is to foster

20 Excerpt from http://stepcentral.net/projects/264#sthash.Pi248OfG.dpuf

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integration of research and education through the programs, projects, and activities it supports at academic and research institutions. STEP aims to broaden opportunities and expand participation of the student populations identified by the NSF to be underrepresented in STEM fields (including women, minorities, and underprepared students). As the Strategic Plan states, “Learning can occur anytime, anywhere, and for anyone.” In the era of online learning, these stakeholders only need a computer or handheld device with access to the internet to participate in courses, breaking both physical and cultural barriers to STEM education.

There are dozens of STEP projects dedicated to underrepresented student populations; for example, the University of Connecticut (UConn) STRONG-CT: Science and Technology Reaching Out to New Generations project “targets first generation college students and historically underrepresented student populations to increase their enrollment, retention and graduation in Life Sciences.”21 UConn found that its students responded well to a combination of STEM enrichment courses and academic support at three community colleges. These enrichment courses included laboratory-based modules and field-based research, reinforcing the need for hands-on applications in any learning environment, online or otherwise. After just one year, STRONG-CT students’ mean overall and science GPAs were greater than those of invited students who declined to participate in STRONG-CT and equal to those of a control group of declared science majors.22 STRONG-CT students entered college with significantly lower SAT scores than the two other student groups. Nearly 70% of STRONG-CT students who left the program did so in order to transfer to pursue a STEM degree at a 4-year institution, but some STEM fields at UConn have a retention rate less than 50%. STRONG-CT suggested that institutions should restructure the rigid nature of STEM curriculum. Flexibility in curriculum is just one example of a benefit that online courses offer to these underrepresented student populations at two- and four-year institutions.

Student motivation via self-paced learning

The NSF does not solely invest in “institutions.” Individuals may concurrently assume responsibilities as researchers, educators, and students; all can engage in joint efforts that infuse education with the excitement of discovery and enrich research through the variety of learning perspectives. An actively engaged student is more likely to show enthusiasm in his or her courses. In contrast to typical lecture-style courses, online courses are coordinated at the discretion and availability of the individual student. This personalized approach to learning puts the student in control of the pace of the course and that engagement could address declining motivation of students in STEM fields.

Improved collaboration between institutions

21 Project abstract available from http://stepcentral.net/projects/2522 Research highlights published on STRONG-CT May 2012 STEP poster available from http://www.strongct.uconn.edu/

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Online education is an opportunity for leading universities to work together to provide well-rounded education offerings to students of all levels and backgrounds. But students are not the only ones who benefit from online courses. As of August 2013, Coursera has partnered with 74 international universities; edX has partnered with 28. Developing Effective Engineering Pathways, a STEP project at the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC), uses a Virtual Faculty Lounge for online discussions and a series of interactive projects and activities to engage faculty at two Silicon Valley community colleges and UCSC. MIT is collaborating with a branch of the California state university system and with Massachusetts community colleges on new blended learning models. These are only a few of a growing number of examples. Although this strategy does not directly involve STEM students, the STEM community as a whole is strengthened by faculty-to-faculty relationships across institutions. It is important to engage students at community colleges who plan to complete credits toward transfer to a baccalaureate degree program in STEM fields to meet the country’s STEM workforce demand.

Enhanced student-instructor interaction

Texas A&M’s STEP project, Retention Through Remediation Enhancing Calculus I Success, offers a personalized precalculus program for entering students who are not qualified for calculus based on math placement exam (MPE) scores. Students meet with peers (“cohorts”) three times a week and learn via online courses and tutorial interactions. According to Texas A&M, participant feedback is “very largely positive” towards this program, identifying online tutoring as the most helpful aspect of the program. Between 2010 and 2011, the enrollment jumped from 75 to 200 students, with an average increase in MPE scores of 5-6 points out of a total 33 possible points.23 In this example, one-on-one interactions with cohorts were facilitated via an online environment. Thus, shifting students to an instructor role via online education tools is another strategy to engage STEM students in their learning, which was mentioned previously as a potential solution to improve student retention in STEM fields.

23 Results available from http://stepcentral.net/posters/609/

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Part 5 - Concluding Remarks

While the prospects for STEM careers are promising, the US lacks the technically skilled workforce necessary to encourage economic growth. As growth economist Paul Romer identified in 1990, the size of a nation’s or region’s “human capital engaged in research” amounts to a dynamic factor in its growth rate, and his subsequent “prospector theory” found that expanding this talent base was a critical economic growth factor. The problem of STEM talent roots from a network of issues, including the fact that too many students are turning away from STEM subjects in their early undergraduate years. STEM education has endured a history of efforts to redesign the way students are engaged in the classroom, whether on a school campus or now in an online environment. Ideas presented by Romer in 2000 contributed to a congressional mandate to increase the number of STEM graduates; NSF’s STEP has provided hundreds of millions of dollars for hundreds of STEM education grants ever since.

The outlook for STEP and other federally funded STEM education programs is somewhat uncertain as the White House finalizes a five-year strategic plan to consolidate federal STEM education programs. Still, the 2011-2016 NSF Strategic Plan (See Appendix C) maintains the foundation’s commitment to building the next generation of scientists and engineers, outlining various action items that reinforce more than a decade of research findings from STEP:

Building human capacity to address societal needs requires attention to the preparation and continued learning of tomorrow’s STEM workforce as well as attention to STEM literacy for the public at large.  NSF is committed to reaching across society to ensure that the rich diversity of the nation’s cultures is well represented in the STEM workforce and that individuals engaged in STEM fields are trained to participate fully in the global research enterprise. These efforts will expand our capacity for synergy—simultaneously bringing the country’s range of intellectual power and cultural perspective to bear on the most challenging problems. 

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Works Cited

The Business-Higher Education Forum, The U.S. STEM Undergraduate Model. Washington, DC: (BHEF), 2013. Available from http://www.bhef.com/sites/bhef.drupalgardens.com/files/ 201306/report_2013_stem_undergrad_model.pdf

William B. Bonvillian and Susan R. Singer, The Online Challenge to Higher Education, Issues in Science and Technology (Summer 2013). Available from http://www.issues.org/29.4/william.html

Executive Office of the President National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). Federal Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education 5-Year Strategic Plan, May 2013. Available from http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/stem_ stratplan_2013.pdf

Legislation: S. 1549--107th Congress, 1st Session, Technology Talent Act of 2001. (2001). Available from

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/107/s1549. Became law in The National Science Foundation Reauthorization Act of 2002, HR 4664, 107th Cong., 2nd Session, Section 8(7). Text (enrolled bill) available from at: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c107:6:./temp/~c107BGaAVp:e20144:

HR 2272, -- House Report 110-289 on HR 2272, Section 7025 (The 21st Century Competitiveness Act on final passage was named The America Competes Act; Section 7025 amends the original tech talent legislation). Report text available from http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/cpquery/?&sid=cp110oBJSt&r_n=hr289.110 &dbname=cp110&&sel=TOC_597253& and bill text available from http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c110:5:./temp/~c110XwKeRu:e381404:

National Science Foundation Committee of Visitors Reports FY2006 Report (January 2006), available from

http://www.nsf.gov/od/iia/activities/cov/ehr/2006/STEPcov.pdf NSF 2006 response, available from

http://www.nsf.gov/od/iia/activities/cov/ehr/2006/STEPresponse.pdf FY2009 Report (December 2009), available from

http://www.nsf.gov/od/iia/activities/cov/ehr/2009/STEP/STEP_COVReport_Final.pdf NSF 2009 response, available from

http://www.nsf.gov/od/iia/activities/cov/ehr/2009/STEP/STEPCOVResponseFinalRevised_8-16-11.pdf

National Science Foundation. “NSF Joins Forces with Intel and GE to Move the Needle in Producing U.S. Engineers and Computer Scientists.” May 8, 2013. Available from http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=127902

National Science Foundation, Science and Engineering Indicators (2012), Chapt. 2, “Institutions Providing S&E Education, Community Colleges”. Available from http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind12/c2/c2s1.htm

National Science Foundation Program Description of STEP: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2011/nsf11550/nsf11550.htm

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President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). “Engage To Excel: Producing One Million Additional College Graduates with Degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.” (February 2012). Available fromhttp://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/pcast-engage-to-excel-final_feb.pdf

Romer, Paul M. Should the Government Subsidize Supply or Demand in the Market for Scientists and Engineers?, National Bureau of Economic Research, June 2000. Working Paper (7723). Available from http://www.nber.org/papers/w7723.

Paul Romer, Endogenous Technological Change, Journal of Political Economy, vol. 98, (1990), 72-102. Available from http://artsci.wustl.edu/~econ502/Romer.pdf

Publications, news, and announcements related to STEP are available from http://www.stepcentral.net

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APPENDIX A. Recommendations from President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) to Produce One Million Additional College STEM Graduates

Table 5 on p. 38 of Engage to Excel report, available from http://www.whitehouse.gov/

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APPENDIX B. STEP Central Strategies

The following are strategies outlined by STEP for improving student retention in the STEM fields, according to http://stepcentral.net/resources/

Education Research/Policy

o Educational Policy o Educational Research o Research on Degree Attainment o Student Development

Retention Strategies

o Advising Strategies o Assessment of Student Learning o Career Counseling o Improving Undergraduate Learning and

Teachingo Introductory Courses o Learning Communities o Math Preparation o Peer Mentoring or Tutoring o Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) o Retention Strategies o Service Learning o Supplemental Instruction o Undergraduate Internships o Undergraduate Research

Recruitment Strategies

o Bridge Programs o Marketing Strategies o Outreach Programs o Recruitment Strategies

Institutional Issues

o Articulation Agreements o Campus Partnerships o Community College Issues o Cross Campus Linkages o Dissemination o Faculty Development o Industrial Partnerships o Institutional Change o Institutionalization o Minority-serving Institutions o Sustainability o Transfer Issues

Student Populations

o Minority Students o Underprepared Students o Underrepresented Students o Women Students

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APPENDIX C. NSF Strategic Plan 2011-2016 The following are three action items specific to STEM education identified in NSF’s Strategic Plan for 2011 to 2016, available from http://www.nsf.gov/news/strategicplan/nsfstrategicplan_2011_2016.pdf

NSF associated each action item with one of three agency-wide strategic goals: transform the frontiers (“T”), innovate for society (“I”), and perform as a model organization (“P”). Each action item is accompanied by one or more targets, with near-term, mid-term, and long-term actions and assessment strategies necessary to achieve those targets outlined.

T-2: Prepare and engage a diverse STEM workforce motivated to participate at the frontiers.

Transforming the frontiers requires scientists and engineers who are trained and motivated to tackle the difficult challenges of working in uncharted territory. Throughout our history, NSF has been the agency charged with ensuring the nation’s capacity to generate the workforce needed to meet these challenges. NSF’s primary approach to addressing this performance goal is the integration of research and education. Thus, the development of talented young people includes connection to the frontiers of knowledge and direct experience in the conduct of research in the U.S. and in other countries. The Foundation promotes inquiry-based instructional practices and ongoing research on the process of learning and the practice of education to improve the nation’s capacity to draw in and retain students in STEM fields, including students from underrepresented groups and institutions. All of these research-oriented programs seek to ensure a healthy balance of new investigators, broad participation from throughout the S&E community, and support for students and postdoctoral researchers involved in research projects. The outcome of these efforts will be an expanded, more inclusive STEM workforce engaged in transforming the frontiers.

TARGET: NSF STEM workforce development programs, models, or strategies have rigorous evidence about the impact on diversity and innovation in the workforce

NEAR-TERM ACTIONS • Develop data infrastructure to track career trajectories of students, postdoctoral researchers, principal investigators (PIs), and Co-PIs • Share learning and expand effective practices among NSF programs focused on broadening participation

MID-TERM ACTIONS • Pilot mechanisms for tracking career trajectories of students and postdoctoral researchers in programs providing direct student support and programs aimed at broadening participation and design longitudinal studies• Identify best practices for broadening participation at NSF-supported institutions

LONG-TERM/ASSESSMENT• Implement mechanisms for tracking career trajectories of students and postdoctoral researchers supported through NSF awards • Implement longitudinal studies using effective assessment tools and tracking information• Use findings on institutional practices for broadening participation to inform program management

I-2: Build the capacity of the nation’s citizenry for addressing societal challenges through science and engineering.

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Building human capacity to address societal needs requires attention to the preparation and continued learning of tomorrow’s STEM workforce as well as attention to STEM literacy for the public at large.  NSF is committed to reaching across society to ensure that the rich diversity of the nation’s cultures is well represented in the STEM workforce and that individuals engaged in STEM fields are trained to participate fully in the global research enterprise. These efforts will expand our capacity for synergy—simultaneously bringing the country’s range of intellectual power and cultural perspective to bear on the most challenging problems.  A growing body of research in learning and STEM education serves as the basis for guiding NSF programs and creating the links among schools, community colleges, colleges and universities, workplaces, and informal education mechanisms that are critical to workforce preparation and STEM literacy. The scientific literacy of society is central to the progress of science and is a necessary backdrop for innovation. Given the complex and technical challenges that society faces, ranging in scope from personal to global, it is vital that resources and opportunities for continued access to cutting-edge science are broadly available.

TARGET 1: NSF’s scientific literacy and public engagement programs are supported by rigorous evidence about learning outcomes

NEAR-TERM ACTIONS• Develop an NSF-wide assessment framework for activities addressing public understanding and communication of science and engineering

MID-TERM ACTIONS • Establish new focus in NSF programs for life-long learning • Develop data collection protocols for NSF-wide assessment framework

LONG-TERM/ASSESSMENT• Conduct assessment to determine if NSF-funded projects are producing evidence-based models that demonstrate impact on learning and interest in science with a wide range of audiences

TARGET 2: NSF’s K-12 STEM education investments are designed and tested for scale-up

NEAR-TERM ACTIONS• Develop standards of evidence needed to position education innovations for scale-up

MID-TERM ACTIONS • Generate data on implementation of programs developing curricula and resources that enhance multiple disciplinary perspectives on addressing national challenges

LONG-TERM/ASSESSMENT• Conduct an assessment to determine if there is a body of evidence to support scale-up and wider implementation of NSF-funded projects

I-3:  Support the development of innovative learning systems.

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Technologies are already deeply entwined with people’s lives, especially the lives of young learners.  Fully embracing such technologies as learning tools in the nation’s classrooms and laboratories, and living rooms and libraries, is part of innovating for society. Science itself is being transformed through networked computing and communications technologies. Networked computing and communications technologies that support learning, teaching, and education are already opening up access for all learners, in all age groups, in all settings. Innovative learning systems can bring authentic scientific data immediately to learners, which enable learners to experience science through modeling, simulation, sensor networks, digital telescopes and remote instruments. Technology has the potential to transform science learning as effectively as it has transformed science itself. Learning can occur anytime, anywhere, and for anyone.

TARGET 1: NSF invests in innovative learning tools and structures that use emerging technologies and are tested for effectiveness and scalability

NEAR-TERM ACTIONS • Expand initiatives across NSF to develop research-based innovative learning systems

MID-TERM ACTIONS • Investigate anytime, anywhere, model learning systems and tools

LONG-TERM/ASSESSMENT • Assess impacts of early models on learning

TARGET 2: New partnerships among scientists, engineers, and educators (both theorists and practitioners) take innovations from development to practice

NEAR-TERM ACTIONS• Promote partnerships among computer scientists, other STEM disciplinary scientists, learning scientists, and education practitioners to catalyze new technologies for learning

MID-TERM ACTIONS • Establish multidisciplinary teams to support K-12 teacher education including projects exploring how to maximize teacher expertise in exploiting new tools

LONG-TERM/ASSESSMENT • Assess whether cyberlearning is recognized and supported as a field of investigation • Assess effectiveness of and adoption of cyberlearning approaches

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