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