Peer Enhanced Experiential Research in STEM (PEERS)

Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago IL

Investigators

Abstract

This project is designed to advance the research skills of undergraduate majors in STEM. This will be accomplished through the inclusion of hands-on research activities, the expansion of computer simulations, and most importantly, the use of peer mentors to facilitate these activities in the introductory 200-level courses in Chemistry, Earth Science, Physics, Mathematics, and Computer Science. The development of a well-trained cadre of peer mentors is critical to the success of the program. A new 300-level interdisciplinary lab-based course, "Research Workshop in Physical and Computational Sciences," will be designed to provide this preparation. The course will be structured around a series of modules that exposes students to topics drawn from different STEM disciplines through hands-on, open-ended laboratory exercises. These students will, in turn, serve as peer mentors in the introductory 200-level courses, into which similar research components have been embedded. The combination of curricular changes through experiential research will strengthen the STEM programs at the university and will improve retention of these students. The expected long-term outcomes of this project include strengthening the curriculum, improving student learning and retention, increasing student satisfaction in STEM, developing and strengthening a culture of research for undergraduate students, and increasing the overall number of STEM students, particularly those from underrepresented groups. The recruitment and retention of students in STEM is an important issue in our society, since jobs in STEM fields are projected to grow faster than those in other fields. The project will also provide a transferable model for growing our future STEM workforce at universities nationwide. The project will build on the undergraduate research activities initiated at the university in 2009-2011 by a Title III grant from the U.S. Department of Education. That project resulted in the formation of a Student Center for Science Engagement to provide academic support for STEM majors, as well as a structured undergraduate summer research program in the sciences, which has been institutionalized since 2012 and impacts approximately 50 STEM majors each summer. The new project will expand the results through a "scale up, scale down" approach, engaging a larger group of students in laboratory-based guided research activities in a classroom setting through mini-research projects incorporated into the curriculum. The goals of this project are to introduce inquiry-based elements and computational tools in the introductory and intermediate-level courses in the sciences and mathematics; to develop new discipline-specific and interdisciplinary courses that are in line with NSF's STEM workforce development objectives; and to provide students with research opportunities within the classroom setting. Examples of projects that will be incorporated into the new curriculum are computational dynamical mechanics, mathematical modeling of disease, geological modeling of hazards, and surface chemistry. While implementing the program, the investigators will examine questions of effectiveness such as the following: (1) Does participation in the reformed courses lead to measurable change in students' interest, aspirations, and preparation to persist in their discipline? (2) Does participation in the reformed courses lead to measurable change in students' learning, especially mastery of course content and understanding of the research process? (3) Do the reformed courses contribute to increased persistence in the major? (4) Does participation in the reformed courses lead to increased retention rates for women and minorities?