Enhancing Engagement in STEM Classrooms via the Project Based Inquiry Learning (5E) Model

Suma Rajashankar, Ph.D.Department of Electrical EngineeringNorthern Illinois University

National STEM Crisis

U.S. behindbehind in student indicators. Foreign nationals aheadahead in jobs and

degrees. UrbanUrban students are falling behind. Many plans exist to address this. New national STEM Initiative

addresses programs and teachers.

Source: PISA, 2000, 2003 Courtesy of Cisco Systems

Ranking of G8 countries: 10th grade math & problem solving

30th

25th

20th

15th

10th

5th

1st

2000 2000 2000 20032003 2003 2003

OECDRanking

1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th

MathScienceReading

Problem Solving

24th

18th

24th

14th

18th

15th 15th

STEM Pipeline

Mission Statement - Association for American Universities (AAU)

Reforming the Undergraduate STEM Education

The AAU Initiative

The goal of the AAU Undergraduate STEM Education Initiative is to help influence change in the culture of STEM departments at AAU universities so that they will use evidence-based, student-centered, active, sustainable pedagogy in their classes, particularly at the freshman and sophomore levels.

Workforce needs → Competitiveness

Desire for a scientifically-literate population

New scholarship on what works in the classroom: evidence-based teaching methods

Several AAU institutions are already at the forefront of improving STEM undergraduate education

AAU ReportRationale

STEM completion rates not good

Research universities don’t produce as many STEM majors as other colleges and universities

Evidence-based teaching methods are not widely adopted. Why?

Teaching (and learning) are not effectively evaluated and rewarded

AAU ReportProblems present…

AAU ReportDegree Completion Report

Graduate Student Training

Recruitment/Retention of Women and URM

Course Content/

Curriculum

Pedagogy

Faculty Development

Future Faculty Development (graduate student training)

Institutional/State/Federal Policy

Course content/curriculum

K-12 Teacher Development

Workforce Development

Recruitment/retention of underrepresented student populations in STEM (including women and minorities)

AAU ReportAreas of STEM Reform

National Report from The National Academies !!

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

National Academy of Sciences

National Academy of Engineering

Institute of Medicine National Research Council

SOLUTION: Increasing retention of STEM majors from 40% to 50% would generate three-quarters of the 1 million additional STEM degrees over the next decade. “Many student who abandon STEM majors perform well in their introductory courses and would make valuable additions to the STEM workforce.”

SCENARIO: Fewer than 40% of students who enter college intending to major in a STEM field complete a STEM degree.

FUTURE NEEDS: 1 million more STEM professionals in the next decade than the U.S. will produce at the current rate if the country is to retain its historical preeminence in science and technology.“To meet this goal, the United States will need to increase the number of students who receive undergraduate STEM degrees by about 34% annually over current rates.”

CURRENTLY: ~ 300,000 bachelor and associate degrees in STEM fields annually in the U.S.

National Report from The National Academies !!

National Report from The National Academies !!Solution? - RETENTION!!

Retaining more students in STEM majors is the lowest-cost, fastest policy option to providing the STEM professionals

This will not require expanding the number or size of introductory courses, which are constrained by space and resources at many colleges and universities.

RETENTION has Problems… Reasons for students leaving STEM (Push-Pull issue):

Discouraged/loss of confidence due to low grades in early years

Morale is undermined by competitive STEM culture Curriculum overload, fast pace overwhelming Poor teaching by STEM faculty Inadequate advising or help with academic programs Loss of interest in STEM, i.e., turned of by “SCIENCE”Reference: “Talk about Leaving: Why undergraduates leave the STEM disciplines? – Seymour and Hewitt, 1997

RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION AT THE UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL IN STEM DISCIPLINES IS AN

ISSUE !!April 2013, report by NSF shows:Recruitment and retention in the first two years in STEM disciplines, specially in Physics is a problem.Many undergraduates come to college not well prepared in physics and mathematics, a problem that is partially linked to K-12 STEM teacher preparation.The freshmen physics curriculum has remained static, is often not very exciting.

RETENTION has Problems…(Contd.)

JobRequirement:

20th Century 21st Century

1 – 2 Jobs 10 – 15 Jobs

Critical Thinking Across

DisciplinesIntegration of 21st

Century Skills intoSubject Matter

Mastery

Mastery ofOne Field

SubjectMatter

Mastery

Number ofJobs:

Teaching Model:

SubjectMatter

Mastery

Integration of 21st

Century Skills intoSubject Matter

Mastery

Assessment Model:

Courtesy of Dorrington Group

Need for 21st Century skills, Why?

20th & 21st Century skills framework!!

20th Century Education Model

21st Century Learning Model

Ref: www.spokanestem.org

STEM tied to acquisition of 21st Century skills!

Ref: www.spokanestem.org

Relation between Engagement & Retention!

Engagement

RETENTION

Student’s “Engagement” in Engineering – University of Ulster, UK Report

Typical class contact (hours):

18 – First Year

18 – Second Year

15 – Final Year

How many hours do students spend on their studies outside timetabled classes?

Student’s “Engagement” in Engineering – University of Ulster, UK Report (Contd.)

Student’s “Engagement” in Engineering – University of Ulster, UK Report (Contd…)

Survey of easy to learn situations/activities!!

1. Real-life assignments,

engineering activities

Material is more interesting when we see its relevance. Lecturers should relate lecture material using real-life examples/anecdotes.

Assignments and exercises should

be related to ‘real’ engineering.

Company visits - to see what engineering is about- what jobs engineers do.

Science and maths is easier to understand when we see where it is used in everyday situations.

Student’s Survey Responses – University of Ulster, UK Report (Contd…)

2. Lecturer attributes

Like to feel that our lecturers care about us and make an effort to be helpful.

Good if he/she can relate classroom

material to real-life engineering problems.

Humorous

Classes are more interesting if the lecturer uses a variety of media, e.g. videos, software, demonstrations.

Approachable, available outside class and provides good feedback on our assignments.

We like a lecturer that encourages interaction and allows us to ask questions.

Student’s Survey Responses – University of Ulster, UK Report (Contd…)

3. Team-working

Enjoyable – provided we have clear outline of what’s expected.

Good if all team members contribute equally.

We see the benefit of ‘team-work’ for industry.

Put good students together in groups.

We don’t like group work in final year.

We like ‘shared experience’ of working together in small group tutorial. Makes you feel part of a team.

Student’s Survey Responses – University of Ulster, UK Report (Contd…)

Authentic Learning is an approach to teaching in which the students work on realistic problems participate in activities that solve real life problemscreate products that have real life meaning. The learning environments are multidisciplinary, similar to a real world application ( managing a city, building a house, flying an airplane, setting a budget, solving a crime).

Learning StylesWhat is Authentic Learning?

Characteristics of Authentic Learning Learning is real-world oriented Learning is often interdisciplinary. The classroom is learner centered and allows for a variety of

learning styles. Students have ownership of their learning. Instruction uses hand-on approaches Learning is active and student driven. Teachers act as coaches or learning facilitators. Learning uses real-time data, which students investigate and

from which they draw conclusions. Team working important aspect. Students produce a product that is directed toward a real

audience.

Comparison of the two forms of Authentic Learning

Project-based learning (PBL)

• Essential Question• 21st Century skills

not primary focus• Presentation an

option• Multidisciplinary• Field Trips are

optional• 5E instructional

strategy optional

Project-based Inquiry learning (PBIL)

• Core problem embedded in scenario

• 21st Century skills primary focus

• Oral and written presentations required

• Multidisciplinary with a focus on STEM connections

• 5E Instructional Strategy required

• Field Trips are required

5E’s Instructional Model

EngageExploreExplainExtendEvaluate The 5E model was originally proposed by the BSCS

(Biological Science Curriculum Study)

5E Learning ModelFlow of Core-problem

5E Learning Model- Planning tool for Instructors

Proposed by Roger Bybee and colleagues at Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS)

This model has been used to develop many BSCS curricular materials and textbooks for biology teaching and learning as well as for aspiring k-12 teachers.

This model is based on both: Conceptual change model of learning Constructivist view of learning.

Strategies for using the 5E Model to align teaching with learning!!

Instructor dilemmas:“I have heard about all these innovative teaching strategies being used in biology, but I just don’t know where to start to change from only lecturing”“I feel like I have all sorts of teaching tools that I have learned about, but I cannot figure out when to use which ones”

Potential 5E Strategy: Design class sessions to have at least two components of the 5E model, even if you can’t hit all five in a given class meeting.

Reference: Kimberly Tanner, CBE Life Science Education, 2010 9(3), p159-164

Strategies for using the 5E Model to align teaching with learning (Contd.)!!

Instructor dilemmas:“I don’t have time to connect the biology I teach to real life. I have too much to cover to do that and its not needed – majors are already inherently interested in the biology I am teaching”“What I'm about to tell students is not something they're going to have any prior experience with, so it doesn't make sense to ask students to think about what they know before I start lecturing.”

Potential 5E Strategy: Start your class session with something that engages students and/or elicits their prior knowledge.

Reference: Kimberly Tanner, CBE Life Science Education, 2010 9(3), p159-164

Strategies for using the 5E Model in Engineering!!

This 5E model is a wonderful tool that could be integrated within any existing course delivery in engineering at the freshman and the sophomore levels.

The 5Es provide the framework for utilizing everyday engineering examples to progress around the learning cycle. In this process, students are engaged by demonstration of an everyday example.

Reference: E.A. Patterson et.al., European Journal of Engineering Education, 36(3), 2011, p 211-224

VIBRATING RULERFor Junior DynamicsTopic: Free and Forced VibrationActivity:

Clamp one end on the bench and flick the free end of the ruler so that it vibrates. Slide it onto the bench so that the pitch of the noise changes the frequency will go up.

Show the students how to equate kinetic and strainenergy to find the natural frequency.

Ask students to repeat the analysis for a whip aerial with a ball on the tip.

Everyday Examples in Engineering E3

5E Model embedded!!

Engage Engineering !!www.engageengineering.org

What is ENGAGE?www.engageengineering.org

Extension Services Project funded by the National Science Foundation

The overarching goal of ENGAGE is to increase the capacity of engineering schools to retain undergraduate students by facilitating the implementation of three research-based strategies to improve student day-to-day classroom and educational experience.

The ENGAGE project team and participating Engineering Schools work together to improve student day-to-day classroom and educational experience, and to increase engineering schools' capacity to retain undergraduate students.

As a result of the project, engineering schools are expected to:

Integrate Everyday Examples in Engineering (E3s) into selected ENGAGE targeted courses

Identify students with weak spatial skills and effectively support student spatial visualization skill development

Effectively build and support faculty knowledge and skill to better engage and interact with students inside and outside of the classroom

Establish processes to sustain project efforts

What is ENGAGE? (Contd.)

70 schools are currently participating in this program

ENGAGE Schools!!

Mini-grant Opportunities in ENGAGE !!

Conclusion In order to increase the recruitment and retention of

students in the STEM disciplines, 21st century skills must be incorporated.

Retention in STEM disciplines will increase if students are “Engaged”

To enhance Engagement, 5E Instructional strategy needs to be implemented

5E Learning model is centered around active learning which eventually leads to greater engagement in the STEM discipline resulting in higher retention rates.

All lesson plans for Everyday Examples in Engineering (E3) from ENGAGE program are prepared using the principle of the 5E’s

All E3 lesson plans, solutions and topics are listed by course area in: www.engageengineering.org

Questions?

THANK YOU !!