INVESTING TODAY IN A BRIGHTER TOMORROW VIA STEM EDUCATION

Antonio R. MoreiraVice Provost for Academic Affairs

University of Maryland, Baltimore CountyBaltimore, MD

USA

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UMBC – Institutional Overview

• Founded in 1966• 44 Major, 41 Minors and 20 Certificate Programs

• Physical and biological sciences, social & behavioral sciences, engineering, mathematics, information technology, humanities, visual & performing arts

• 24 PhD, 38 Master's and 21 Graduate Certificate Programs• Natural and social sciences, engineering, information technology, public

policy, arts and humanities, education, human services and others.• Student Enrollment, Fall 2014 – 13,979

• 11,379 Undergraduates, 2,600 Graduate Students• Average Freshman GPA: 3.76• Average SAT Score: 1216• Minority Enrollment : 42%

• 657 Full-time Faculty• Research Expenditures FY’14 – $74 M

• Total Institutional Budget FY’15 – $405 M

Institutional Organization & National Recognition

• UMBC is Organized within Three Colleges • College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences• College of Engineering & Information Technology• College of Natural & Mathematical Sciences

• And Three Schools • Erickson School, Graduate School, School of Social Work

• UMBC tops the U.S. News ranking of “Up-and-Coming” national universities – 6 years in a row – a designation recognizing universities that consistently find innovative ways to improve students’ educational experiences.

• UMBC is ranked #5 on U.S. News’ Best Colleges Guide’s list of schools with the “Best Undergraduate Teaching,” ahead of such institutions as Brown, Stanford, Vanderbilt, and Yale

International Recognition in 2014

• UMBC listed among “100 International Universities under 50”• One of just 8 US Universities included worldwide• Compiled by Times Higher Education, UK

• UMBC recognized among Top Higher-Education Institutions in the World• Ranked as #505 among 22,000 International Colleges and Universities• Listed at #162 among 229 ranked US Institutions • Compiled by Center for World University Rankings (CWUR)

• UMBC included in Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU)• One of 146 US institutions including among Top 500 Universities in the World• Compiled by Center for World-Class Universities at

Shanghai Jiao Tong University

UMBC Research Culture

• A vibrant research, scholarship and creative activities culture at UMBC.

• A national reputation for integrating undergraduates in mentored research activities alongside faculty, staff and graduate students.

• UMBC’s research efforts are well aligned with national priorities – Environment, Health and National Security.

• Many of our most successful and visible research efforts are based on collaborations – across the campus, with other academic institutions and with outside partners.

HOW MANY OF THE 20TH CENTURY’S GREATEST ENGINEERING ACHIEVEMENTS WILL YOU USE TODAY?

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Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century1. Electrification2. Automobile3. Airplane4. Water Supply and Distribution5. Electronics6. Radio and Television7. Agricultural Mechanization8. Computers9. Telephone10. Air Conditioning and Refrigeration

11. Highways12. Spacecraft13. Internet14. Imaging15. Household Appliances16. Health Technologies17. Petroleum and Petrochemical

Technologies18. Laser and Fiber Optics19. Nuclear Technologies20. High-performance Materials

Source: National Academy of Engineering (2015)

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Components of Student Success at UMBC: The Meyerhoff Scholars Experience1. Scholarship Support2. Competitive Recruitment of Top Math & Science Students3. The Summer Bridge Program4. Faculty Involvement5. Study Groups6. Summer Research Experiences7. Structured Mentoring8. Strong Programmatic Values9. Personal Advising and Counseling10. Program Community11. Administrative Involvement12. Public Support13. Family Support14. Community Service

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The Grand Challenges for Engineering1. Make solar energy economical2. Provide energy from fusion3. Develop carbon sequestration methods4. Manage the nitrogen cycle5. Provide access to clean water6. Restore and improve urban infrastructure7. Advance health informatics8. Engineer better medicines9. Reverse-engineer the brain10. Prevent nuclear terror11. Secure cyberspace12. Enhance virtual reality13. Advance personalized learning14. Engineer the tools of scientific discoverySource: National Academy of Engineering (2015)

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20,000 Grand Challenge Engineers in a Decade

120 U.S. engineering schools announce plans to educate a new generation of engineers

Source: National Academy of Engineering (2015)

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Educating Engineers to Meet the Grand Challenges

Key Program Elements:• A creative learning experience connected to the Grand Challenges such as

research or design projects• Authentic experiential learning with clients and mentors that includes

interdisciplinary experience in fields such as public policy, business, law, medicine, ethics, and communications

• Entrepreneurship and innovation experience such as the start-up of a new venture, dissemination of technology, or coursework in entrepreneurship

• Global and cross-cultural perspectives gained through experiences that promote involvement with globally complex issues in unfamiliar environments, such as a semester abroad

• Development of social consciousness through service-learning, such as problem-based community projects that foster an appreciation of the impact of engineering and its role in serving human welfare and the needs of society

Source: National Academy of Engineering (2015)

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When students understand how STEM Education is relevant to their lives and future careers, they get excited.

Project Lead The Way provides a comprehensive approach to STEM Education. Through activity-, project-, and problem-based curriculum, PLTW gives students in kindergarten through high school a chance to apply what they know, identify problems, find unique solutions, and lead their own learning. For educators, an engaging, rigorous teacher professional development model provides tools to empower students and transform the classroom into a collaboration space where content comes to life.

Source: PLTW

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Approach:Historically, science and math have been taught in isolation. The project-based aspects of the Project Lead The Way curriculum give students a chance to apply what they know, identify a problem, find unique solutions, and lead their own learning, rather than be passive recipients of information in a question-and-answer, right-or-wrong learning environment.

PLTW programs use the following approach and guiding tenets:• Collaboration• Research/Evidence-Based• Problem-Based

Source: PLTW

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PLTW LaunchEngaging students at a young age builds confidence, grows interest, and puts them on course for strong accomplishments in middle school, high school, and beyond.The PLTW Launch program engages kindergarten through fifth grade students to become problem solvers. Students use structured approaches, like the engineering design process, and employ critical thinking. They apply STEM knowledge, skills, and habits of mind, learning that it is OK to take risks and make mistakes.

Source: PLTW

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PLTW GatewayMiddle school is the perfect time for students to explore and learn that there is more than one way to reach a solution. PLTW Gateway provides engineering and biomedical science curriculum for middle school students that challenges, inspires, and offers schools variety and flexibility. Students get rigorous and relevant experiences through activity-, project-, and problem-based learning. They use industry-leading technology to solve problems while gaining skills in communication, collaboration, critical-thinking, and creativity.

Source: PLTW

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Source: PLTW

PLTW EngineeringPLTW Engineering is about applying engineering, science, math, and technology to solve complex, open-ended problems in a real-world context. Students focus on the process of defining and solving a problem, not on getting the “right” answer. They learn how to apply STEM knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to make the world a better place through innovation.

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PLTW Biomedical Science

Case Study Example:It was a hot summer morning, 34°C. An emergency call came in at 9:45 a.m. A man contacted the police to report that he was worried about his next-door neighbor, a woman named Anna. He said he had spoken to Anna the previous morning when he saw her walking her dog around 6:30 a.m. He decided to call the police this morning because Anna’s dog had been barking excitedly for the last two hours. He tried to call Anna on the telephone, but no one answered. Both the police and an EMT arrived at the scene at 9:56 a.m. The EMT determined that Anna was dead. The police immediately notified your team of crime scene investigators as well as the medical examiner, both of which were dispatched to the house. Has a crime been committed?

Source: PLTW

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PLTW Computer ScienceThe projected number of job openings in 2018 for STEM fields will reach 2.8 million. Of these, approximately 1.4 million jobs will be for computer specialists. Like many other STEM fields, the current demand and supply are mismatched. Also, like many other fields, computer science interest starts long before a student decides on a major or even applies to college.

PLTW offers a K-12 computer science pathway, which ignites student interest early and strengthens it over time through engaging, problem-based learning.

Source: PLTW

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IMPACTState of Indiana Data (>56,000 high school graduates):• High school graduates who participated in PLTW were nearly three

times as likely to major in STEM, and 3 to 4 times more likely to study engineering, versus non-PLTW graduates.

• Students who took three or more PLTW courses while in high school were six times more likely to study STEM, and eight times more likely to study engineering in college than their peers who had not taken PLTW while in high school

• PLTW participation was significantly related to persistence into the second year of college, especially for those students who had taken three or more PLTW courses.

Source: Pike, Gary and Kirsten Robbins (2014). Using Propensity Scores to Evaluate Education Programs. Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis.

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YEAR (Fall Semester)

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

RE

TE

NT

ION

(%)

86

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90

92

94

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CHEM 101: RETENTION

before CDC after CDC + flipped classroom

96.1

89.3

95.1

CHEMISTRY DISCOVERY CENTER AT UMBC

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CHEM 101: PASS RATE of 'C' or better

YEAR (Fall Semester)

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

PA

SS

RA

TE

(%) 0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

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84.0

71.2

before CDC after CDC + flipped classroom

78.8

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CHEMISTRY DISCOVERY CENTER AT UMBC

YEAR (Fall Semester)

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

CU

TO

FF

(%)

30

40

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60

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80

90

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CHEM 101: Grade CUTOFFs

A/B: 78.4 to 87.5 (9.1 pts)

D/F: 34.8 to 50.0 (15.2 pts)

C/D: 50.3 to 65.5 (15.2 pts)

B/C: 67.4 to 78.0 (10.6 pts)

before CDC after CDC + flipped classroom

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CHEMISTRY DISCOVERY CENTER AT UMBC

iCubed@UMBC

This project used a multi-treatment randomized controlled trial methodology to study the effectiveness of four different academic support initiatives involving students in their first year of college who are pursuing STEM majors at UMBC.

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iCubed@UMBC Team Members1) Team Study Groups: Received assistance in forming community-based study groups;2) Team Faculty Mentoring: Received pro-active mentoring, ongoing retention risk assessment, with high-status faculty

intervention;3) Team Staff Mentoring: Received pro-active mentoring, ongoing retention risk assessment, with staff intervention;4) Team Active Learning: Participated in active learning discussion groups in four key foundational mathematics classes

MATH 150 (Pre-calculus Mathematics), MATH 155 (Elementary Calculus), and MATH 151 (Calculus and Analytical Geometry 1)MATH 152 (Calculus and Analytical Geometry 2)

5) Team $: Received a $50 UMBC bookstore gift certificate. 

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STEM Transfer Student Success Initiative

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Framing the Central Question: Our Focus

How can 2-year and 4-year institutions partner to facilitate early and sustained success for transfer students, to foster their academic and social engagement across institutions, and to help launch them into meaningful STEM careers?

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Growing a Collaboration: t-STEM Initiative

stemtransfer.org

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Creating Our Vision: A Shared Responsibility At the heart of this project is our deep, shared

commitment to student success: ensuring equal access to a range of educational opportunities, offering a comprehensive network of support, and fostering excellence across the STEM disciplines. With these

resources, we encourage students to actively engage in their own learning, enthusiastically pursue

their academic milestones, and make meaningful career choices. As institutional partners, we seek to ground this

work in reciprocal and respectful relationships, and to build strong collaborative structures that sustain this

significant work.34

Setting Priorities: Central Principles

Collaboration is Essential Responsibility is Shared Stance is Pro-Active Framework is Asset-Based Focus is Local and National

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Setting Priorities: Central Practices

Comprehensive Curricular AlignmentIntegrated Academic and Career Advisement (Engagement)Transitional Programs: Peer Mentorship and ConnectionsTransfer Success: Navigation and Support

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A Sampling of Lessons Learned about Inter-Institutional Collaboration

Strong and honest relationships are crucial for productivity, resilience, and mutual appreciation.Authentic collaboration must be a principle and a practice (systematic and comprehensive).Effective inter-institutional collaboration requires effective intra-institutional collaboration.Language matters (explicit and implicit messages).Time and trust are underestimated and critical resources. Leverage, extend, create resources/networks.

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Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity“Collateral Synergies”

University of Maryland, Baltimore County

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Collateral Synergies

STEM BUILD at UMBC will be a program of “collateral synergies.” It can be shown that the specialized support programs such as the Meyerhoff Scholars or MARC Programs synergistically increase the number of graduating STEM students not affiliated with these programs. This phenomenon is the collateral effect that this proposal attempts to harness for general student success of the targeted group.

The general approach (in contrast to individual scholar programs) is to infuse the mentoring and training process into the fabric of the undergraduate degree and experience. Of primary importance are capacity, scalability, and sustainability (infrastructure).

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STEM BUILD at UMBC: Hypothesis

Can the models of successful long-term, high-expectation, ethnically inclusive scholarship programs at UMBC that target high-achieving students interested in STEM disciplines be adapted to establish a comparable scholarship program targeting promising, eligible at-risk students, especially those from underrepresented groups?

Will these adaptations then increase at-risk students' academic success, their retention in STEM majors, and their preparedness for post baccalaureate education and/or careers in biomedical and behavioral research?

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BUILD: Success Challenges• The reasons students give for abandoning STEM majors point to the

retention strategies that are needed. – High-performing students frequently cite uninspiring introductory courses as a factor in

their choice to switch majors. – And low-performing students with a high interest and aptitude in STEM careers often

have difficulty with the math required in introductory STEM courses with little help provided by their universities.

– Moreover, many students, and particularly members of groups underrepresented in STEM fields, cite an unwelcoming atmosphere from faculty in STEM courses as a reason for their departure.

• Fewer than 40% of students who enter college intending to major in a STEM field complete a STEM degree. Merely increasing the retention of STEM majors from 40% to 50% would generate three-quarters of the targeted 1 million additional STEM degrees over the next decade.

• Implementation of key Engage to Excel (PCAST) recommendations.

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Probability of success

Investment of Effort

The Vision

STEM Majors• Biological Sciences• Mathematics and Statistics• Chemistry and Biochemistry• Chemical and Biochemical Engineering• Mechanical Engineering• Psychology B.S.

A five-year exploration into ways to create a comprehensive new model for a public university to engage and train more students to excel in STEM disciplines.

The target group will be undergraduates, native and transfer, with an interest in pursuing a STEM major and at risk for successful completion of a STEM degree.

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STEM BUILD at UMBC• Institutional Development

– UMBC is embracing “active learning” pedagogies to increase the efficiency of learning. – Invest in pedagogical innovations (i.e., infrastructure) to increase the capacity for the

training of students for careers in biomedical and behavioral research. – Establish the faculty development programs needed for researchers to effectively mentor a

greater portion of the student population. – Better-trained students will increase the productivity of faculty researchers.

• Research Enrichment Core – Strategically coordinated group of academic and research enrichment opportunities.– An escalating series of BUILD Group Research experiences that overcome the challenges

that these students often encounter (e.g., limited positions for internships, mentorships, and undergraduate research positions for which Tier 1 students are favored).

• Student Training Core – BUILD Trainees will serve as pioneers in a program that is potentially national model as

universities. – Designed for its scalability and eventual incorporation into the traditional format of the

academy. – The overarching goal is to ensure the BUILD Trainees (as exemplars) are retained in STEM

majors and better prepared for post baccalaureate, graduate, or professional programs and/or careers in biomedical and behavioral research.

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Institutional Development Core

• Establish facilities and infrastructure to support the training of students for careers in biomedical and behavioral research, in general, and those students involved in STEM BUILD at UMBC initiatives.

• Enhance the administrative infrastructure to support increased scholarship by faculty and students in STEM fields, especially those seeking careers in biomedical and behavioral research.

• Develop curriculum and programmatic changes to infuse the training and mentoring of students into the fabric of the undergraduate degree and experience.

• Provide training opportunities to help STEM faculty develop techniques and strategies to help students who have gaps in their STEM preparation succeed.

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CNMS: Student Success Initiatives

Flipped Classroom Characteristics

• Engage all learners through dynamic participation

• Strategically designed class activities• Design assignments that tackle real-world

problems• Implement group problem-solving activities

and foster group interactions• Use hands-on approaches

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• A STEM Living and Learning Community (LLC) has been established to support community building aspects of the program. At present, over 100 students are interested in participating in the LLC with only 50 slots available. Although the STEM LLC will serve BUILD cohorts, it is designed to be a sustained institutional development.

• A summer bridge program will use the Meyerhoff Scholars Program approach. It will be a six-week experience with three weeks of off-campus, hybrid instruction followed by a three-week on-campus experience. It is designed to build community, demystify college, practice skills, and review math and reading.

• The Quantitative Reasoning course (SCI 101L) has been developed and approved by the Undergraduate Committee. It has been submitted for General Education Program designation of ‘L’ for Laboratory to meet State of Maryland education requirements. SCI 101L is scheduled for fall 2015. This course will be taught in the Science Learning Collaboratory, which is shared space with HHMI Science Education Alliance.

• An outstanding assessment and evaluation team for STEM BUILD at UMBC has been established. Overall hallmarks and assessment protocols for STEM BUILD at UMBC have been developed. This team will benefit STEM learning innovation and is critical to the dissemination of the process and results of STEM BUILD at UMBC.

• Working closely with the Faculty Development Center, a Faculty Training Program is under development that is designed to assist faculty in learning new engaged learning pedagogies and coaching them on working with at risk students. To sustain the culture change in teaching that is envisioned in STEM BUILD at UMBC a teaching certificate is part of the design.

BUILD at UMBC Plans

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Student Training Core • Ensure that the STEM BUILD at UMBC becomes a program of comprehensive

support that enrolls 80 STEM majors over five years, primarily native (UMBC) students, typically starting as freshmen, and community college transfer students, generally with AA degrees.

• Provide support, guidance, and mentoring to ensure that BTP Trainees are retained in STEM majors and prepared for post baccalaureate, graduate, or professional programs and/or careers in biomedical and behavioral research.

• Establish the first STEM Living and Learning Community (LLC) at UMBC to help maximize the potential academic success and retention of STEM majors, and also offer a STEM Learning Community for other UMBC students to expand the impact of program activities.

• Develop an expanded capacity for beneficial undergraduate research through a project-based BUILD Group Research model, in both for-credit courses and non-credit practicums, as alternatives to the one-student-to-one-mentor relationships.

• Encourage and document the ways BUILD Trainees build their leadership skills and provide support to help increase the success and retention of peer STEM majors.

• Conduct ongoing formative assessments that guide program changes to help maximize the success of the STEM BUILD Trainees Program.

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Research Enrichment Core

• Increase the preparedness and competiveness of all BUILD Trainees for internships with a comprehensive and rigorous training program during the academic year and provide a summer research experience. In addition to on campus resources, STEM BUILD at UMBC will work closely with the National Research Mentoring Network to obtain research slots for BUILD Trainees.

• Increase the preparedness and competitiveness of BUILD Affiliates (e.g., pre-transfer students) with a rigorous training program and a shared mentoring experience during the summers prior to matriculating at a four-year institution.

• Weave the many aspects of an applied learning experience (i.e., traditional internship or one-on-one mentoring) into the academic program through the use of active learning courses, participation in professional development training and workshops (e.g., Introduction to a Research University), Biomedical Case Study and Responsible Conduct in Research courses, and BUILD Group Research experiences.

BUILD Training Program: Summer Bridge

• A summer bridge program was designed based on the Meyerhoff approach.

• A six-week experience with three weeks of off-campus, hybrid instruction followed by a three-week on campus experience.

• Designed to build community, demystify college, introduce leadership skills, and practice student success skills. Review math (algebra through pre-calculus) and reading comprehension.

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BUILD: Quantitative Reasoning Course (SCI 101L)Designed for first-year students interested in pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), this interdisciplinary science laboratory course will expose students to different STEM disciplines through a series of projects centered on a common theme. All projects require mastering basic quantitative skills (e.g., arithmetical, algebraic, geometric, probabilistic, and statistical methods), higher-order reasoning (e.g., evaluate representations, interpret mathematical models, determine reasonableness, and recognize limitations), and the practical use of measurement tools. (GEP designation, L – Laboratory; Credits - 2)Course learning outcomes: Quantitative reasoning uses a wide range of skills and competencies. By the end of this course, students will be able to:• Use written, numerical, and digital literature as it pertains to understanding science, its

methodology, observations, and theories. (Science Literacy)• Determine the size of something through measurement using the appropriate

dimensions and apply scaling to represent it numerically or visually. (Size, Dimension, and Scale)

• Select the correct tool, practice its operation, and measure something. (Measurement)• Collect, organize, analyze, interpret, and present data. (Statistical Analysis)• Use evidence, reasoning, and inference to develop and support conclusions.

(Conclusions and Inference)

Final Thoughts• The jobs of today and tomorrow require an educated workforce in STEM

areas• Need to strengthen the preparation of both students and teachers preK-

12• College-level STEM education needs to pay attention to issues of access

and motivation, academic and social support, and affordability• Academic performance in the first two years, especially the first year, is

critical to the student’s future• The most important factors for student success are: sense of community,

appreciation of values focused on hard work and intellectual curiosity, strong relationship with faculty and staff

• We must change the culture of undergraduate STEM teaching and learning by bringing excitement to the work through student engagement and empowerment

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Acknowledgements

The following colleagues at UMBC provided materials for inclusion in this presentation:Ms. Kathy Lee Sutphin, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Natural and Mathematical ScienceMr. Keith Harmon, Director, Meyerhoff Scholars ProgramDr. Sarah Jewett, Executive Director, STEM Transfer Student Success Initiative

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Resources

http://meyerhoff.umbc.eduhttp://icubed.umbc.eduhttp://cnms.umbc.edu/teachinglearning/learning-centers/castle/http://cnms.umbc.edu/teachinglearning/learning-centers/chemistry-discovery-center/http://cnms.umbc.edu/teachinglearning/learning-centers/slc/http://stemtransfer.org/

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MUCHAS GRACIAS POR SU ATENCIÓN!

Dr. Antonio Moreiramoreira@umbc.edu001-410-455-6576

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