Planning: Montgomery College Student Hybrid Academic and Research Experience

Montgomery College, Rockville MD

Investigators

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national interest by engaging two-year college students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) conferences as both participants and presenters. STEM conference experiences are indispensable components of undergraduate education. They provide opportunities for students to extend their own STEM research competencies, develop skills needed for science and technical careers, and network with STEM professionals. By fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange with faculty and other STEM students, this project seeks to create a robust community of practice that will connect faculty and two-year college students on STEM research projects. This endeavor will expand students' understanding about research and how to conduct and present research. This project aligns seamlessly with Montgomery College's mission to be the place "where students discover their passions and unlock their potential to transform lives, enrich the community, and change the world, supported by strategies to increase economic impact for our students and community." The Montgomery College Student Hybrid Academic and Research Experience (SHARE) project is a planning project aimed at building transformative faculty-student partnerships and pathways to advance innovative and evidence-based practices for developing and implementing authentic STEM research experiences for two-year college students. To measure the effects of research conferences on students' research experiences, the SHARE leadership team will conduct surveys of students attending conference and the students also will participate in focus groups and interviews. Within student subgroups, the students will evaluate their STEM conference attendance critically. Project findings will inform planning for supplements in undergraduate STEM coursework and undergraduate research experiences for both STEM and non-STEM majors. The NSF IUSE: Innovation in Two Year Colleges STEM Education (ITYC) Program seeks to accelerate the impact of advance knowledge about emerging 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.