Explore the Products

The following materials were created by participants from the October 2020 STEM Futures Workshop. The collection includes a variety of products that illustrate future directions in STEM education: program descriptions, faculty development workshop designs, and more. Each product includes an associated sub-element (e.g. activities, course descriptions, handbooks) to help clarify the direction and substance of the larger product.


Results 1 - 10 of 26 matches

A Program Portfolio in Environmental Science as a Way to Integrate Humanistic, Meta-, and Foundational Knowledge and Develop Professional Identity by University of Phoenix
Jacquelyn Kelly, University of Phoenix-Arizona; Susan Hadley, PhD; Dr. Eve Krahe, University of Phoenix-Arizona; Mary Elizabeth Smith, University of Phoenix-Arizona
The program portfolio is a student project that spans across the core coursework in the undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science (BS/EVS). Deliverables from multiple core courses contribute toward portfolio creation. The completed portfolio is assessed in the final portfolio course of the program. Students will be able to use their portfolios to demonstrate career-readiness to potential employers and as a personal model and process for professional growth.

Product Type: Courses, Course Components & Curricular Alignments

An Interactive Fiction Game for Information Literacy in STEM Courses
Dana Atwood-Blaine, University of Northern Iowa; David Grant, University of Northern Iowa; Anne Marie Gruber, University of Northern Iowa
This is a digital interactive fiction game for undergraduate STEM students to "choose their own adventure" and engage in, practice, and learn information literacy skills. Within a science-fiction scenario with characters crafted to reflect diversity in science, students will evaluate and act upon provided information types and sources to understand a mysterious set of events that unfold on their arrival at an outpost on Saturn's moon, Titan. Gameplay and post-play reflective activities will require critical thinking, problem-solving, and dealing with ambiguity in order to unravel different potential endings about the existence of an extraterrestrial life form. Thus, effective gameplay will require players to draw upon foundational, meta, and humanistic knowledge domains.

Product Type: Courses, Course Components & Curricular Alignments

Scientific Solutions for Society (SS4S) Certificate Program
Adriana Bankston, Co-Director, Policy Taskforce, Future of Research & Chief Outreach Officer, Journal of Science Policy and Governance (JSPG); Peggy Biga, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Chris Bolden, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston; Teresa Eastburn, University of Colorado Boulder; S, University of California-Irvine
Scientific Solutions for Society (SS4S) is a graduate & professional certificate program aimed at training participants to solve key societal problems of today and the future using science and innovation. The program will focus on effective science communication, the impact and processes of establishing policies, and the principles of sustainability and real time assessment of innovations for society at local & global level. Participants will gain essential skills to be applied in solving real world problems and develop leadership skills by serving as trainers for subsequent course offerings.

Product Type: Concentrations & Certificates

Accelerated Engineering Certificate at Holyoke Community College
Melissa Paciulli, Holyoke Community College; Adrienne Smith, Holyoke Community College; Gordon Snyder, Holyoke Community College; Ileana Vasu, Smith College
The Holyoke Community College (HCC) Team developed a unique approach to assist STEM students with accelerated learning in the Community College setting, which will position first year students for internships and research opportunities faster, to increase persistence and completion of a certificate. This program is focused on the recruitment of historically marginalized students and supports our Colleges Strategic Plan, to support the needs of our Hispanic student Community. Holyoke Community College is currently a HSI withroughly 26% Hispanic students. By supporting our student's development of technical skills, coupled with essential skills, students will be able to work in industry at an earlier point in their academic journey. We will be using high-impact practices, coupled with accelerated learning, in a supported community to fast track our students.

Product Type: Concentrations & Certificates

Convergence of Engineering and Allied Disciplines through Symbiotic Course-Pairs
Kavitha Chandra, University of Massachusetts-Lowell; Christopher Hansen, University of Massachusetts-Lowell; Yanfen Li, University of Massachusetts-Lowell; David Willis, University of Massachusetts-Lowell
The proposed transformative engineering approach integrates core engineering knowledge with allied disciplines, which are defined as disciplines that promote student development of professional skills/dispositions (humanistic and meta knowledge). Specific skills/dispositions the program addresses will include: ethical reasoning, communication, leadership, meta-cognitive skills, creativity, cultural awareness and teamwork. Examples of allied disciplines for engineering students include: humanities, social sciences, arts, and management and entrepreneurship.

Product Type: Degree Program

A Course Scaffold for Integrating Science and Culture: A Water Example
Amy Charkowski, Colorado State University-Fort Collins; Hugo Gutierrez, The University of Texas at El Paso; Sharon Locke, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville; Joey Nelson, Stanford University; Tracy Wacker, University of Michigan-Flint
The History and Future of Water integrates the sciences and humanities. This course will engage students with different perspectives (e.g, economics, geological, hydrological, societal) on the history of water and guide students to integrate these with their own perspectives based on personal and cultural beliefs. This integrated understanding will lead students to a STEM-informed and culturally-informed approach for thinking about water sustainability and resiliency. Students create a digital portfolio over the entirety of the course that showcases this integrated learning for them as an individual to be shared with other students, thereby learning from one another's cultural backgrounds and experiences. Instructors can easily adapt this course to fit their disciplinary expertise and specific group of students!

Product Type: Courses, Course Components & Curricular Alignments

Systems and Solutions Certificate
Meghann Jarchow, University of South Dakota; Ranjeet John, University of South Dakota; Karen Koster, University of South Dakota; KC Santosh, University of South Dakota; Bess Vlaisavljevich, University of South Dakota
The Systems and Solutions Certificate will prepare students from all disciplines to use systems thinking and STEM tools to model complex systems and to use design thinking to innovate and iterate toward solutions within these systems. We strive to educate and graduate the leaders who will solve the future's most pressing challenges. Understanding and solving these challenges requires preparing students to create knowledge and innovate within complex systems. We propose undergraduate and graduate certificates in Systems and Solutions within the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of South Dakota.

Product Type: Concentrations & Certificates

Certificate Program in Ethics in STEAM Research with Indigenous Communities and Lands
Karletta Chief (Diné), The University of Arizona; Dominique David-Chavez, Colorado State University-Fort Collins; Ángel A. García Jr., James Madison University; Darryl Reano, Arizona State University Campus Immersion; Steven Semken, Arizona State University Campus Immersion; Karletta Chief, University of Arizona; Angel Garcia, James Madison University; Ángel A. Garcia Jr., James Madison University
This is a certification program introducing ethical frameworks for collaborative STEAM research with Indigenous communities and/or on Indigenous lands. This certificate is designed for academic researchers, student researchers, funding program managers, and similar professionals (referred to here collectively as researchers). The certificate is based on Indigenous governance and rights-based metrics for integrity.

Product Type: Concentrations & Certificates

Critical Health Studies Undergraduate Degree Program
Erika Bonadio, Salem College; Spring Duvall, Salem College; Katie Manthey, Salem College; Maria Robinson, Salem College; Jing Ye, Salem College
Critical Health Studies is a transdisciplinary major program of co-taught courses that incorporates STEM subjects (biology, biochemistry, environmental science, psychology, and kinesiology), social sciences (anthropology, sociology, communications, entrepreneurship), and humanities (writing, religion, history, arts), related to health and well-being. Students will proceed through the major in a cohort that is book-ended by project-based learning seminars. A meta focus in action research will lead these cohorts in partnerships with community groups to create meaningful interventions to reduce health inequities. The curriculum will model a decolonized course design to promote fundamental values.

Product Type: Degree Program

Community-Based Interdisciplinary STEM Certificate
Nawal BENMOUNA, Montgomery College; Vedham Karpakakunjaram, Montgomery College; Milton Nash, Montgomery College; K. Rebecca Thomas, Montgomery College; Rebecca Thomas, Montgomery College
Many contemporary problems that impact our daily lives – from the spread of infectious diseases to climate change – demand expertise from one or more STEM domains. Effective solutions require an understanding that moves beyond STEM, integrating the culture, values, and interests of impacted communities. This Community-Based Interdisciplinary STEM Certificate prepares students to solve complex, interdisciplinary problems in the real-world context of their own communities.

Product Type: Concentrations & Certificates