Ellene Tratras Contis, Chemistry, DirectorKathy Stacey, Communications, Media, & Theatre Arts, Co-PIClaudia Petrescu, Public Administration, Project EvaluatorEastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti MI 48197Tenth International Research Conference on Service-Learning and Community EngagementCrowne Plaza at Historic Union Station, Indianapolis, IN October 2010

INCREASING RETENTION OF STEM STUDENTS

THE CREATIVE SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY EXPERIENCE (CSIE) PROGRAM: INTRODUCTION

Is a program involved in retaining and increasing the number of STEM graduates.

Is an innovative approach that includes: faculty professional development student connectedness to science and

mathematics through academic service-learning

curricular reform

THE CREATIVE SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY EXPERIENCE (CSIE): THE CONCEPT MODEL

CSIE: THE LOGIC MODEL

CSIE: FAST FACTSIs targeting students who are in their first two years of

STEM curriculum Since fall 2006, 313 students have participated in the CSIE

Program at Eastern Michigan University— including 63 students in the 2009-2010 academic year.

Students Characteristics• Gender—53% Female, 47% Male, and less than 0.3%

not reported• Race/Ethnicity— 67% white, 12% Black, 5% Asian, 4%

Hispanic, less than 0.3% Native American, and the remaining 11% not reported.

• SES Status— 27% First Generation, 46% Pell Eligible, and 3% Veteran

Since 2006, the CSIE Program has retained or graduated 58% of CSIE students in STEM programs at EMU. This represents approximately 10% of STEM degrees

conferred in the past three years (July 2007-April 2010)

CURRICULAR INNOVATIONS

2+1 Clusters Interdepartmental

BIOL 110 + CHEM 121/3 + CSIE 177 PHY 100 + MATH 108 + CSIE 177 BIOL 301 + PHIL 223 + CSIE 277 ESSC 212 + ASTR 205 + CSIE 277

Intradepartmental CHEM 281 + CHEM 371 + CSIE 377

Stand-alone Seminars CSIE 377:Science Olympiad Coaching Clinic CSIE 177L: Scoop on Poop- Groundwater Studies

(AS-L)

ACADEMIC SERVICE - LEARNING

Complements the other components of the Program (faculty development, curriculum innovation)

Examples: Toxic Algae: Cyanobacteria in Ford Lake Scoop on Poop/Groundwater Studies Great Lakes GLERL

CSIE: EVALUATION

CSIE Experience Constructs

Faculty Development

Interdisciplinary Course Cluster

Academic Service- Learning

CSIE Seminar

EMU Experience X X X X Habits of Mind X X Faculty Interaction X X X Classmate Interaction X X Faculty Networking X X Community Interaction X X Commitment to STEM X X

EVALUATION METHODOLOGY

Pre- and Post-Survey• Administered to both CSIE and Non-CSIE students (control

group) in Fall and Winter semesters• The survey is build around the CSIE experience

constructsFocus group with faculty and students (2008)

Number of respondents (2009-2010 evaluation): CSIE participants (n = 30) who completed and consented to both the

Pre- and Post-Surveys Traditional participants (n = 81) who responded and consented to

both the surveys.

To address Type II error: a proportional weight was applied throughout this analysis the sample sizes become equal for both the CSIE group and the Traditional group (n = 55.5).

DATA ANALYSIS1. Analysis of Change within Group: A series of paired sample t-

tests were conducted to determine if the concepts had a statistically significant change within the CSIE and Traditional groups between the Pre- and Post-Surveys

Hypothesis: There is a change in the mean scores on the constructs and questions from Pre to Post-Surveys for the CSIE and Traditional groups

2. Analysis by Group: A series of independent sample t-tests were conducted to determine if the reported value of the concepts had a statistically significant difference between the CSIE and Traditional groups on the Pre- and Post-Surveys

Hypothesis: There is a difference in the mean scores on the constructs between the CSIE and the Traditional groups in the Pre- and Post-Surveys.

3. Analysis of Open Ended Questions

Table. Analysis of Change WITHIN GROUPS

Pre- and Post-Survey Construct means, standard deviations, and change in mean.

Constructs Groups N Pre-Survey Post-Survey

M SD M SD ΔM

EMU Experience CSIE 50 28.33 5.65 29.22 5.19 0.89

Trad 49 24.79 4.95 24.72 4.97 -0.07

Habits of Mind CSIE 50 33.19 5.95 34.37 4.24 1.18

Trad 49 31.35 4.72 31.79 4.99 0.44

Faculty Interaction CSIE 50 30.07 5.82 29.52 4.09 -0.55

Trad 49 26.13 4.97 26.37 5.53 0.24

Classmate Interaction CSIE 50 23.85 4.76 25.00 3.81 1.15

Trad 49 21.70 5.47 21.79 5.24 0.09

Faculty Networking CSIE 50 19.89 3.37 19.56 3.76 -0.33

Trad 49 15.54 5.05 16.03 4.47 0.49

Community Interaction CSIE 50 29.52 4.01 30.30 3.44 0.78

Trad 49 25.10 5.89 24.89 5.24 -0.21

Commitment to STEM Groups N Pre-Survey Post- survey

M SD M SD ΔM

Confident will Graduate CSIE 50 4.48 0.75 4.48 0.93 0.00

Trad 49 4.62 0.75 4.56 0.88 -0.06

EMU Encourage Persist CSIE 50 4.04 1.12 4.15 0.94 0.11

Trad 49 3.86 0.80 3.82 0.96 -0.04

Committed to STEM CSIE 50 4.63 0.68 4.67 0.55 0.04

Trad 49 4.65 0.66 4.44 1.04 -0.21

FINDINGS ON THE CONSTRUCTS FROM THE PRE- AND POST-SURVEYS WITHIN GROUPS (2009-201O evaluation report):

EMU Experience: The CSIE students reported a higher opinion of their

experiences at EMU. Traditional students reported a lower opinion of their

experiences at EMU.

Habits of Mind: The CSIE and Traditional students reported a higher opinion of their habits of approaching, organizing, analyzing, processing, and solving science and mathematics problems as a result of conditions created by CSIE experiences.

Community Interaction: The CSIE students reported an improved opinion of their interaction with the community. Traditional students reported a lower opinion of their interaction with the community.

FINDINGS ON THE CONSTRUCTS FROM THE PRE- AND POST-SURVEYS BETWEEN GROUPS (2009-201O evaluation report):

EMU Experience: At the beginning and end of the semester, CSIE students had a statistically significant higher opinion of their EMU Experience than did Traditional students.

Habits of Mind: At the beginning of the semester, CSIE students reported a

higher mean on Habits of Mind than did Traditional students. At the end of the semester, CSIE students reported a statistically

significant higher opinion of their habits of approaching, organizing, analyzing, processing, and solving science and mathematics problems than did Traditional students.

Community Interaction: At the beginning and end of the semester, CSIE students had a statistically significant higher opinion of their interaction with the community than did Traditional students.

OVERALL CSIE OUTCOMES:IMPACT ON STUDENTS

CSIE students possess significantly higherpotential of persisting

CSIE students possess significantly higher confidence in graduating

CSIE students attribute success to facultyencouragement, advice, and interactions

OVERALL CSIE OUTCOMES: IMPACT ON FACULTY

Faculty shared in Focus Groups that CSIE:• Encourages curricular innovations• Builds learning communities among faculty, students

and community partners• Creates strong student-faculty relationships• Provides:

More “appreciation” from students Stronger student engagement in activities More/better feedback from students in labs Opportunity to see interdisciplinary connections

with courses outside own academic department

THANK YOU

To learn more about theCreative Scientific Inquiry Experience Program

visit

www.emich.edu/csie

Funded by the National Science Foundation STEP Type I Program DUE #0525514