USA President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)

Undergraduate STEM Education Report

Report title: Engage to Excel: Producing One Million Additional College Graduates with Degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

The focus of the report is the first 2 years of post-secondary education in the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).

A public briefing on the report was held on Feb 7th, 2012 and an 83 minute video recording of that meeting is available.

Also available is the full report and several supplementary documents, including a summary report, the meeting agenda (including the list of speakers) and slides from the public briefing. All are listed here.

Highlights from the video of the public meeting:

• Carl Weiman - introduction (0-6m)
• James Gates (PCAST) - the problem - (7-15:15m)
  • chart showing projected job need 2008-2018 with largest need for computer specialists (9m)
  • 40% loss of STEM students in undergrad years (9:50m)
  • math preparation gap keeps students from STEM degrees (11:30m)
  • students not inspired as STEM undergrads (12:30m)
  • delayed hands-on (active) learning until 3rd/4th yr is part of reason for loss (13:40m)
  • recap (14m)
• Jo Handelson (PCAST) - solutions, recommendations - (15:30-25:26m)
  • teaching practices research (16:50m)
    • many choices, active thinking and problem solving
  • retraining faculty in evidence-based teaching practices (18:50m)
  • discovery-based labs instead of cookbook labs (19:45)
    • research by undergraduates
  • no ready solution for the math preparation gap (21m)
  • different paths to STEM jobs (22m)
• Hunter Rawlings (discussant) - (36:50-40m)
  • good ideas available, but take-up is slow
  • students leave STEM because they think they are not good enough
  • evidence-based teaching methods (38:08m)
    • see AAU draft on planned AAU Undergraduate STEM Education Initiative (below)
• Teresa Sullivan (discussant) - (40:25-43:30m)
  • research by undergraduates is important for engagement
  • lots of talent available: find it by sifting or growing?
• Mary Ann Rankin (discussant) - (43:30-57m)
  • math preparation is key - many not ready for calculus (49:50m)
  • teaching with discovery is very effective
    • not traditional for students or professors
    • teaching evaluations not the same
  • undergrad research in science
    • the challenges - student/professor ratio
    • good results (retention, graduation rate increases) at Un Texas
      • see FRI Freshman Research Initiative (below)

PCAST membership at the briefing

• James Gates, John S. Toll Professor of Physics and Director of the Center for String and Particle Theory at the University of Maryland, College Park,
• Jo Handelsman, Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at the Yale School of Medicine.

Discussants:

• Hunter Rawlings - President, Association of American Universities, former president of Cornell University
• Teresa Sullivan - President, University of Virginia
• Mary Ann Rankin - CEO, National Science and Math Initiative

Freshman Research Initiative

• FRI - Freshman Research Initiative home page
• course sequence
• research field options
• how it works:
  • Rather than placing individual students with individual faculty, or integrating parts of research into traditional laboratory courses, the FRI revolves around the "Research Stream,"a fully functional research laboratory in which students do cutting edge research supplemented by weekly lectures that are organized around the work being done in the lab. (quote)

AAU Undergraduate STEM Education Initiative

• AAU Undergraduate STEM Education Initiative home page
• The Association of American Universities (AAU) announced on September 14, 2011, that it would undertake a five-year initiative to improve the quality of undergraduate teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields at its member institutions. The goals of the initiative are to help institutions assess the quality of STEM teaching on their campuses, share best practices, and create incentives for their departments and faculty members to adopt the most effective teaching methods in their classes. (quote)
• Hunter Rawlings interview about AAU study
• many good references in the discussion draft

Paul Kates
Mathematics Faculty CTE Liaison
pkates@uwaterloo.ca, x37047
Last modification date: Wed Feb 22 14:30:42 2012.