Redefining Public Engagement at the University of Connecticut: Studying the Impact of an Innovative STEM Service Learning Model on the University Community

University Of Connecticut, Storrs CT

Investigators

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national interest in high quality STEM education by expanding opportunities to connect STEM classroom instruction, service learning, and the Extension outreach function of a land-grant university. The project will create the Environment Corps, through which students can the use their STEM knowledge and skills to address community-relevant environmental issues including climate adaptation, remediation of abandoned sites, and stormwater management. As a result, students will get "real world" experience as preparation for the work force and communities will receive substantive STEM assistance in responding to environmental mandates. The project also aims to generate new knowledge about STEM education by studying the changes in instructional practices, university culture and procedures, and the community-university interaction that result from implementation of the Environment Corps. It is expected that more than 400 STEM undergraduates will be enrolled in Environment Corps courses, resulting in about 100 community projects. This project aims to catalyze lasting and impactful improvements in undergraduate STEM education, to improve understanding of the pedagogical benefits of service learning in STEM disciplines, and to study the process of institutional transformation. Project objectives include: 1) To create the Environment Corps, which expands the existing "Corps" model of service learning with a focus on environmental topics; 2) to develop a faculty and student support system to bolster success of Environment Corps and to set the stage for expansion of this service-learning model to other topics or academic units; 3) To contribute to solving environmental problems in at least 50 communities in Connecticut; and 4) To conduct research to better understand best practices for student learning and student-community interaction, as well as key characteristics and parameters for making transformational change in the university. The project research will address two persistent challenges. The first is expanding the role of service learning beyond a focus on student experiences to a focus on helping communities meet real world needs. The second challenge is related to negotiating institutional change capable of sustaining transformative programming. These challenges will be addressed through a Design Based Implementation Research framework. Data will be collected using a qualitative case study design, through purposive sampling, interviews, and focus groups to acquire information from instructors, students, university administrators, and community partners. A major goal will be to create a service learning paradigm that can be replicated in other institutions, multiplying the impacts of the project on both STEM students and the communities they serve. This Institutional and Community Transformation project is supported by the NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education Program: Education and Human Resources (IUSE:EHR), which supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Institutional and Community Transformation track, the program supports efforts to transform and improve STEM education across institutions of higher education and disciplinary communities. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.