Improving Retention through Student Learning Communities

San Jose State University Foundation, San Jose CA

Investigators

Abstract

In order to increase the number of graduates obtaining bachelor degrees in the STEM fields, the College of Science is implementing a number of interventions. In addition, students in the College of Engineering also are deriving substantial benefit from these interventions. Since significant attrition, almost 50%, occurs among both freshmen and transfer students from community colleges, the new activities are focusing on retention strategies. The expectation is that up to 40% of the students now lost from STEM majors will be retained by the end this five year project. Retaining and graduating 40% of the about 50% of students who currently leave STEM majors translates into a future graduation rate of 70% of students among freshman and among junior transfer students who declare STEM majors. Creating learning communities has been shown repeatedly to improve student success, so the project is greatly expanding existing efforts in order to create an integrated learning community of participating faculty, professional advisors, undergraduate tutors and mentors, and the STEM students themselves. The students are incorporated into the learning community through use of collaborative learning approaches such as Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) and Process-Oriented Guided-Inquiry Learning (POGIL), highly successful learning models developed in large part with NSF funding. Three major components are the basis for these efforts: 1. Recruit and train a large cadre of talented upper division undergraduate students to act as peer leaders and course assistants (i.e., academic facilitators). 2. Provide professional development workshops for faculty who teach the "gate-keeper" STEM courses taken by entering students. 3. Enhance and expand the professional academic and career advising services, including tracking academic success of every student during each semester. Intellectual Merit: Undergraduate STEM majors are working with faculty to act as mentors and facilitators of younger students, thus providing leadership training and experience for these majors. Developing and implementing effective pedagogical approaches in selected courses is improving learning and increasing student retention. Because the College of Science sponsors large teacher preparation programs in science and mathematics, these efforts also are retaining an increased number of potential K-12 teachers. Successful outcomes will be disseminated through a combination of published articles and presentations at professional and interdisciplinary meetings; project reports will be widely available through the project website, as well as on the national PLTL and POGIL websites. Broader Impacts: The total number of U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens graduating each year from the Colleges of Science and of Engineering is expected to increase by 332 by the end of the grant period. Local technology industries experience a significant shortage of STEM professionals, necessitating the recruitment of foreign workers on HB1 visas. Because San Jose State University historically provides more of this workforce than any other university in the region, increasing the number of STEM graduates is of immediate benefit to the local community. In addition, the project is broadening the participation of underrepresented groups as extra focus is being placed on these students. Finally, the project is enhancing the infrastructure for research and education on the campus by improving the retention of students in the College of Science and the College of Engineering.