Engineering & Science Integration in Mathematics – An Initiative to Retain and Complete more STEM Majors

Sinclair Community College, Dayton OH

Investigators

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national interest by improving undergraduate mathematics instruction. Traditionally, math courses have emphasized objective and abstract topics that do not reflect the cultures and lived experiences of many students. Gateway math courses continue to serve as gatekeeper courses, preventing students from successfully entering STEM pathways that require College Algebra and beyond. To support student interest, retention, and completion in STEM disciplines, this project will develop themed labs and exercises to enhance instruction and student learning in three gateway mathematics courses: College Algebra, Trigonometry, and Calculus I. Given the growth of STEM-related career opportunities, and the high occupational wages associated with many STEM career pathways, engaging and retaining undergraduate students in STEM is essential to meet future workforce needs. The goal of this project is to increase the number of students entering and completing high workforce opportunity STEM pathways, with an emphasis on engaging students from underrepresented populations. This project will have a positive impact on both STEM and non-STEM majors. The project team will research how multidisciplinary problem-based curriculum and activities affect attitudes, learning, and eventual degree program selection and retention among the community college students who will be impacted by the new curriculum enhancements over the three-year project period. By pulling in real-world examples from numerous STEM fields, students will better identify shared concepts among disciplines and see the importance of math in everyday life. The themed labs will be framed by the Universal Design for Learning guidelines, which helps engage all learners, including typically underrepresented learners, in meaningful learning activities. The integration of Knowledge and Skill Builders, common in university engineering programs, will help students tackle mathematical concepts in the form of stackable “pre-labs.” The new curriculum will be developed to be compatible with Jupyter Notebook and GoPiGo Robots so that students can experience the power of math using the Python programming language. These efforts will develop a diverse population of STEM-literate citizens to address current and future challenges in STEM fields. The NSF program description on Advancing Innovation and Impact in Undergraduate STEM Education at Two-year Institutions of Higher Education supports projects that advance STEM Education initiatives at two-year colleges. The program description promotes innovative and evidence-based practices in undergraduate STEM education at two-year colleges. 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.