Improving STEM Retention with an Online Community of Practice 17.pdf · Create a modelvirtual...
Transcript of Improving STEM Retention with an Online Community of Practice 17.pdf · Create a modelvirtual...
ImprovingSTEMRetentionwithanOnlineCommunityofPractice
LisaB.Elliot,Ph.D.RochesterInstituteofTechnology,NationalTechnicalInstitutefor
theDeafAAC&USTEMConference,SanFranciscoCA
November3,2017
ForYourConsideration
Doyouhavestudentswhoare:
• UnderpreparedforSTEMcoursework?
• Underrepresentedandisolated(STEM-wise)?
• SeekingrolemodelswhoareSTEMprofessionals?
• Lookingforconnectionsbetweencoursecontentand“realworld”topics?
• Interestedinpursuinginternships,researchopportunities,orSTEM-relatedjobs?
Overview
• Whoweare
• Rationalefortheproject
• Describetheonlinecommunityinfrastructure
• Tutoring,mentoring,andSTEMdisseminationactivities
• Trackingengagement
• Q&A
WhoWeAre
• DeafSTEMCommunityAlliance
• OnlyAlliancespecificallyforD/HHstudents
• SupportedbytheNationalScienceFoundation,HRD#1127955
• Ongoingproject(startedSept2011)
• Nowinour7th year
CampusPartners
RITistheleadinstitutionforthisproject,withCamdenCountyCollegeandCornellUniversityaspartners.
TheNarrowSTEMPipeline
BarrierstoSuccessinSTEMPrior toPostsecondaryEducation
LowerEnrollmentinSTEMMajors
28%Bachelor’sDegree/20%Associate’sDegree
LowerRetention– Within6Years:48%leaveBachelor’s/69%leaveAssociate’s
LowerGraduation RatesatAllDegreeLevels13.4%Bachelor’sDegrees/13.8%Associate’sDegrees
FewerSTEMProfessionalsChen&Soldner,2013
DHHVACModelBarriers&Strategies
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StudentPreparation
Socialization AccessibleMedia
RemoteTutoringRemoteMentoring
UsingG+HangoutsorZoom
RemoteMentoringPeer-to-PeerInteraction
UsingG+PrivateCommunity&FacebookSecretGroups
AccessibleSTEMInformation
UsingWebsite,YouTube,G+PrivateCommunity,FacebookSecretGroup
&G+PublicPage
GoalandObjectives
• Goal:Createamodel virtualacademiccommunitytoincreasethegraduationratesofpostsecondaryD/HHSTEMmajorsinthelongterm• Iterativeandincremental(Cockburn,2008)
• Iterative– testingwhatworksandrevisingwhatdoesn’t• Incremental– buildingmodelinstagesinsteadofallatonce
• Objectives1)DocumentanddisseminateadescriptionoftheprocessofcreatingamodelVACforreplication
2)IncreasetheGPAsandretentionratesofD/HHstudentsinSTEMmajors
ImportanceofSocialNetworks
• Opinion&behaviormoresimilarwithingroups(Burt,2004)• Regulatorsofbehavior(Easly &Kleinberg,2010)
ImportanceofSocialNetworks
• Resourceforsocialcapital(Burt,2004)
• Resourceforinnovation(Burt,2004)
ModelInfrastructure
GSuiteforEducation(Enterprise)Account&
FacebookSecretGroup
(@dhhvac.org)
Website(www.dhhvac.org)
Deaf& HardofHearingVirtual
AcademicCommunity(DHHVAC)
YouTubeVideoLibrary
(www.youtube.com/user/dhhvac)
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OnlineTutoring• FAQs:
• Morethan160sessionswith~35differentstudents
• Avg.60minutesessions• GoogleHangoutsorZoom
• Benefits:• Betteraccommodationofstudentschedules• Easytosharedocuments• Goodforobservingstudenthomework,
watchingformistakes,providingfasterfeedback• Goodforclasseswithheavyonlinecomponent
• Challenges:• Schedulingappointments• StrongInternetconnection• Technology(e.g.,camera,tablet,etc.)
(Mostly)OnlineMentoring
• FAQs:• 18DHHSTEMprofessionals• One-to-one(email,videoorFaceTime)• One-to-many(socialmedia,YouTubevideos)
• Benefits:• Support• Careerdevelopment(academic/vocational)• Personaldevelopment• Rolemodeling• Individual(intergenerationalcontinuity,newcolleagues,futurecollaborators)
• Institution(alumniengagement,increasedstudentsuccess)
SocialMediaPlatforms
2012 2015• FAQs:
• G+,allmembers• FB,about2/3• M-Fpostings(STEM,opportunities,member
news)• Benefits:
• Mitigatessocialisolation• Intergenerationalcommunity(socialcapital)• AwarenessofSTEMinformation• Languagemodeling
• Challenges:• Documentingengagement
StudentSuccesses
• 61studentsenrolled
• 25graduated
• 7leftpriortograduation
Conclusions
• Underrepresentedpopulationsbenefitfrompositiverolemodels
• Studentscanbenefitfromeitherdirectorindirectmentoring
• IntergenerationalcooperationandsupportcanfurtherBOTHpersonal
andinstitutionalobjectives
• TheDHHVACisamodelthatattemptstoimplementthissolution
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Statistics,InstituteofEducationSciences,U.S.DepartmentofEducation,Washington,DC.
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Dawson,P.(2014).Beyondadefinition:Towardaframeworkfordesigningandspecifyingmentoringmodels.Educationalresearcher,43,137-145.
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NTID(2015).NationalTechnicalInstitutefortheDeaf:Annualreport.Rochester,NY:RochesterInstituteofTechnology
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