Strategies for Effective Engagement (SEE)

Tuskegee University, Tuskegee Institute AL

Investigators

Abstract

The Departments of Mathematics and Aerospace Science Engineering at Tuskegee University will jointly develop and implement "Strategies for Effective Engagement (SEE)". This project will address the challenges of academic achievement and retention of students enrolled in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) entry-level courses. Factors such as under-preparation in math, being first generation college students, social challenges, and an unfamiliar environment away from home have a negative effect on student motivation, performance, and retention. The SEE project will address these issues and enhance the students' learning and academic success by implementing a flipped learning environment, integrating technology with instruction, and implementing structured mentoring in the entry level math and engineering courses. This serves the national interest by educating students for the technical and scientific workforce. The main objective of SEE is to enhance students' self-efficacy, engagement, and motivation by integrating active teaching strategies and techniques. The flipped classroom will allow professors to use face-to-face class time more effectively and engage students in hands-on active learning opportunities. Innovative teaching methods that utilize technology and real-world problem solving will be implemented. The classroom interactions will be supported by math and engineering software. A consultant, whose expertise is in instructional design and authentic assessments, will support the project team. Formative and summative assessments of the pedagogical approach will be carried out through validated instruments of motivation and self-regulated learning. The intellectual merit of the project will address how active instruction that spans the disciplines of math and engineering can foster deep and conceptual learning in a meaningful context.