STEM Education Innovation Programs
Submit a Program Description » The goal of this database is to serve as a searchable collection of effective practices and programs that support improving undergraduate STEM education. Use the text search and the boxes at the right to narrow the collection based on particular aspects that you are interested in.
You can add your own program to the database by completing the database submission form.
Activity Types
Target Audience
- College/University Staff 1 match
- First Generation College Students 1 match
- First-year College Students 2 matches
- Institution Administration 2 matches
- Non-tenure Track Faculty 3 matches
- Teaching/Learning Assistants 2 matches
- Tenured/Tenure-track Faculty 4 matches
- Transfer Students 1 match
- Undergraduate Majors 1 match
- Undergraduate Non-Majors 1 match
- Underrepresented Minority Students 2 matches
Point of Intervention
Results 1 - 4 of 4 matches
Creative Scientific Inquiry Experiences
Ellene Tratras Contis, Eastern Michigan University
The Creative Scientific Inquiry Experience (CSIE) is a STEM-related program funded by the U.S. Department of Education that connects students with faculty and with community projects through an integrated science curriculum. We specialize in creating learning experiences for students in STEM fields through innovative courses and student events. Our courses are 1-2 credit hours, and faculty work with community partners to develop coursework that allows students to work on real-world problems.
Program Components: Outreach:Inter-Institutional Collaboration, Student Recruiting, Presentations/Talks, Professional Development:Student Assessment, Institutional Systems:Incentive/Reward Systems, Professional Development:Curriculum Development, Pedagogical Training, Advising and Mentoring, Diversity/Inclusion, Outreach:Marketing Campaign, Institutional Systems:Interdepartmental Collaboration, Supporting Students:Clubs/Social Activities, Outreach:Informal Education, Supporting Students:Mentoring Program, Student Engagement, Bootcamp, Tutoring
Target Audience: Institution Administration, Tenured/Tenure-track Faculty, Underrepresented Minority Students, Undergraduate Non-Majors, First-year College Students, Undergraduate Majors, First Generation College Students
Point of Intervention: Institution
Institution Type: Doctorate-granting Universities:Moderate Research Activity
STEM Professional Academy to Reinvigorate the Culture of Teaching (SPARCT)
Laura Frost, Florida Gulf Coast University
A multidisciplinary STEM faculty professional development program called STEM Professional Academy to Reinvigorate the Culture of Teaching (SPARCT) is completing its second year at Florida Gulf Coast University. SPARCT includes a 36-hour summer STEM academy and a commitment to a faculty learning community during the subsequent academic year. We chronicled faculty development progress through video interviews with participants, student retention, interest, and confidence in SPARCT participant classes, and faculty feedback on programming.
Program Components: Professional Development:Advising and Mentoring, Pedagogical Training, Curriculum Development, Outreach:Inter-Institutional Collaboration
Target Audience: Non-tenure Track Faculty, Tenured/Tenure-track Faculty
Point of Intervention: Institution
Institution Type: Master's Colleges and Universities
Systemic Transformation of Education through Evidence-based Reform (STEER)
Gerry Meisels, University of South Florida
STEER seeks to create a culture that reflects a strong balance between teaching and research, and values both. STEER promotes the adoption of evidence-based teaching practices in all science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses, especially in the large-enrollment gateway courses. To facilitate systemic change, the University of South Florida (USF) and Hillsborough Community College (HCC) are partnering to offer professional development for faculty and strengthening coordinated student advising, because the number of STEM community college students transferring to USF exceeds the number who began their studies at USF. STEER's comprehensive approach also addresses other factors that may influence students' academic experiences, such as graduate teaching assistant (GTA) training, student advising, course alignment, institutional policies related to teaching, and physical infrastructure such as classroom configuration. This effort is supported in part by the National Science Foundation, grant number DUE1525574.
Program Components: Outreach:Inter-Institutional Collaboration, Policy Change, Professional Development:Cultural Competency, Institutional Systems:Incentive/Reward Systems, Professional Development:Curriculum Development, Pedagogical Training, Advising and Mentoring, Diversity/Inclusion, Outreach:Presentations/Talks, Institutional Systems:Evaluating Promotion and Tenure, Supporting Students:Mentoring Program, Student Engagement, Institutional Systems:Evaluating Teaching, Physical Infrastructure, Interdepartmental Collaboration, Strategic Planning
Target Audience: Tenured/Tenure-track Faculty, Non-tenure Track Faculty, College/University Staff, Underrepresented Minority Students, Institution Administration, First-year College Students, Teaching/Learning Assistants, Transfer Students
Point of Intervention: Multiple Institutions
Institution Type: Doctorate-granting Universities:Highest Research Activity
Active Learning Pedagogy Support: Disciplinary faculty learning communities supported by Learning Assistants
Charles De Leone, California State University-San Marcos
The Active Learning Pedagogy Support (ALPS) program supports faculty development, course transformation, and cross-campus coordination by creating discipline-based faculty learning communities and supporting them with Learning Assistants. Initiated at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) and Palomar Community College (Palomar), the project has supported ALPS cohorts in mathematics and chemistry. The ALPS program was developed as part of the NSF-funded STEM Talent Expansion Program (STEP) project "Increasing STEM Talent through Regional Partnerships, Recruiting, and Retention," DUE-1068477.
Program Components: Professional Development:Curriculum Development, Pedagogical Training, Institutional Systems:Incentive/Reward Systems, Supporting Students:Academic Support, Outreach:Inter-Institutional Collaboration
Target Audience: Non-tenure Track Faculty, Tenured/Tenure-track Faculty, Teaching/Learning Assistants
Point of Intervention: Major/Department
Institution Type: Master's Colleges and Universities