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October 19th 2015
STEM Education Research Retreat
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
UNL Center for Science, Mathematics and Computer Education
The NebraskaSCIENCE Program of Excellence
UNL Office of Research and Economic Development
Department of Chemistry
Sponsored by
Report
The retreat brought together 50 STEM education researchers from across the UNL campuses.
The goals of the retreat were to:
1. Provide an avenue for the UNL STEM Education Research com-munity to learn about each other’s projects;
2. Provide opportunities to develop research collaborations be-tween STEM Education Research faculty and their students;
3. Provide opportunities to connect STEM education researchers with local research support groups/organizations.
Research activities were shared dur-ing two 1.5hr long poster sessions. A total of 25 posters were present-ed.
Brainstorming sessions were inte-grated during the lunch and after-noon activities. Participants shared their ideas using two social media tools: Twitter and Tricider. Ashton Waite and Tiffany Lee also captured main themes throughout the day.
Finally, researchers were made aware of UNL research infrastructure during a 1.5hr session right after lunch.
Three themes emerged as areas of opportunities for research collabora-tions and growth at UNL:
Theme 1. Training STEM Educators
Theme 2. Improving STEM Learning
Theme 3. Fostering Science/STEM Literacy
Retreat Summary
Theme 1: Training STEM Educators
Theme 2: Improving STEM Learning
This theme addresses the growing need of characterizing
strategies to effectively train educators teaching STEM to
PK-16 students in formal and informal environments. STEM
educators include PK-12 teachers, teaching assistants, learning assis-
tants, faculty, staff involved in out-of-school programs, and instructors
of courses intended for prospective teachers. It encompasses studying
the impact of disciplines and environments on the nature of training
required, identifying knowledge and skills required for teaching and
ways to develop them, as well as measuring actual impact of training
programs on instructional practices and educators’ ways of thinking
about teaching and learning.
This theme broadly emphasizes the nature and conditions of
STEM learning. It is fundamentally multi-faceted, encompass-
sing both learning outcomes attributed to individuals or
groups, mediating and moderating factors that influence these out-
comes, and the design of effective STEM learning environments that
optimize conditions to achieve desired learning outcomes. Focal areas
of interest within Theme 2 could include:
The design of engaging curriculum (e.g., STEM modules grounded in
applied STEM contexts, such as agriculture)
Affective dimensions of STEM learning (interest, motivation, aca-
demic supports, study skills, attitudes toward STEM, self-efficacy)
Impacts of instructional approaches on student learning (active
learning, student perceptions of instructional approaches)
Cognitive dimensions of STEM learning (knowledge, reasoning, and
systems thinking)
Supporting STEM learning through scientific practice (empirical in-
vestigation, modeling, argumentation, use of data and evidence)
Assessment (formative and summative) and the uses of assessment
to improve STEM teaching and learning
Theme 3. Fostering Science/STEM Literacy
What kinds of knowledge, skills, and competencies do ALL
students need to function effectively in everyday life and
contribute meaningfully to global society in the 21st Century?
This is the central question that drives a research focus on STEM litera-
cy. While leveraging STEM disciplinary perspectives, the focus on STEM
literacy is fundamentally INTERDISCIPLINARY, connected to real-world
challenges associated with socio-environmental systems, such as food,
energy, and water. Work on STEM literacy transcends typical discussions
about knowledge of science and scientific practices to foreground how
these ideas and skills enable broader skills, such as STEM-informed deci-
sion-making about complex, socio-scientific issues, that define ‘scientific
literacy’. Programs designed to foster STEM literacy may occur in for-
mal, informal, and nonformal learning environments with individuals of
all ages but each exhibit a unique emphasis on ‘knowledge for
use’. Work in this area may draw from a wide array of fields, such as
STEM disciplines, STEM education, cognitive science, and the decision
sciences, and emphasize how people perform, act, and/or behave in
light of their STEM knowledge, orientations, identities, values, or rea-
soning.
Themes and UNL Research Activities
Based on our analysis of the posters presented at the retreat, these
three themes represent the interest and expertise of UNL STEM Educa-
tion researchers:
Theme Number of posters
Training STEM Educators 8
Improving STEM Learning 12
Fostering Science/STEM Literacy 5
* at least 6 posters could be categorized under multiple
themes
Themes and Federal Funding Programs
We provide below examples of alignment between the re-
search themes identified as a result of the retreat and feder-
al funding programs. These are based on our knowledge of
federal funding and more opportunities , federal, foundations, etc., are
most likely available.
Training STEM
Educators
Improving STEM
Learning
Fostering Science/
STEM Literacy
NSF IUSE, DRK-12, ECR IUSE, DRK-12, ECR,
STEM+C, ITEST,
ATE, S-STEM
IUSE, DRK-12, AISL
HHMI Inclusive
Excellence
Inclusive
Excellence
EPA EE Model, EE Local
NOAA ELG
NIH SEPA SEPA
NASA SPACE SPACE SPACE
IES Education Research
Grant programs
Education Research
Grant programs
USDA SPECA, HEC, CBG SPECA, HEC, CBG NIWQP, Biodiesel
Fuel Education Pro-
gram
Alphabetical List of Poster Presenters
Last Name First
Name Poster Title
Bhattacharya Devarati Conceptualizing In-Service Secondary School Science Teachers' Knowledge Base for Climate Change Content
Brandt Molly Analyzing elementary students' understanding and knowledge of STEM foundations in agriculture using evidence-centered design
Brazeal Kati Characterizing student perceptions of formative assessment techniques
Carr Holly Informal Education and STEM Learning
Chraibi Victoria Grizzly Game: Applying Biogeography Concepts in an Under-graduate Course Using a Role-Playing Game
Colston Nicole Tracing the Controversy: Climate Change Actor-networks in Oklahoma School Science
Dauer Jenny A socioscientific framework for teaching a non-majors science course
Dauer Joe Analysis of students' conceptual knowledge of stochasticity and homeostasis
Donsig Allan Transforming Precalculus Instruction: Evidence Based Course Design
Galt Nick Evaluation of Students’ Mechanistic Reasoning through Dy-namic Simulations
Gosselin Dave Preparing students for collaborative leadership using business-based professional assessments in interdisciplinary teams
Griep Mark Framing the Chemistry Curriculum
Helikar Tomas Learning about Complex Biological Systems with Cell Collec-tive: An Interactive, Collaborative Simulation Platform
Melander Jennifer Cross-Disciplinary Outreach Activity to Promote Development of Communication Skills in Engineering Students
Miller Kathryn Patterns of Student and Instructor Behaviors in the Classroom
Patton Matt The Potential Role of Students in the Transformation of Large Introductory-Level College STEM Courses
Sabel Jaime Using Rubrics in Undergraduate Biology Courses to Advance Understanding
Smith Wendy NebraskaMATH
Speth Carol Crossing Disciplinary Boundaries by Sharing Learning Objects
Thomas Julie H2Oklahoma Water Festival: Costly Play or Valued Learning?
Valentine Dagen Bridging Formal and Informal Education with STEM & Engi-neering Design
Velasco Jonathan Development of an Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM Laboratories
Vickrey Trisha Exploring Students' Perceptions of Technology and Pedagogy in STEM Courses
Vo Tina Learning to Support Students’ Model-based Learning about the Water Cycle: A Three-year Longitudinal Case Study of Two 3rd-Grade
Xue Dihua Who is attending all these pedagogical workshops? Characteri-zation of STEM faculty attending professional development programs
UNL Research Infrastructure Presenters
Ten different presenters representing ten different research infrastruc-
tures available to the UNL STEM Education Research community pro-
vided ten minute presentations to highlight their resources and ser-
vices. Please find below the list of presenters and their offices.
Nancy Shank from the Public Policy Center
Lindsey Witt-Swanson from the Bureau of Sociological Research
Wendy Smith from the Center for Science Mathematics, and Computer
Education
Mindi Anderson-Knott from the Social and Behavioral Sciences Research
Consortium
Becky Freeman from the Institutional Review Board
Greg Welch from the CYFS and MAP Academy and the Nebraska Bureau
for Education Research Evaluation and Policy
Christy Horn from the Center for Instructional Innovation
Tiffany Lee from the Office of Proposal Development
Ashton Waite and Tiffany Lee summarized these services. This sum-
mary has been posted on the retreat webpage along with the PPT from
each presenter: http://scimath.unl.edu/stem-ed-retreat/2015/
UNL STEM Education Retreat Planning Committee:
Marilyne Stains, Chair Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences
Lindsay Augustyn Center for Science, Mathematics and Computer Education
Heather Bergan School of Natural Resources
Cory Forbes College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
Tiffany Heng-Moss College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
Yvonne Lai Department of Mathematics, College of Arts and Sciences
Jon Pedersen College of Education and Human Sciences
Wendy Smith Center for Science, Mathematics and Computer Education
Nurturing research collaborations to advance STEM
learning in Nebraska
UNL STEM Education Research Retreat
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