Education Commons^™

Portfolio For Metr 180: Climate Change, Energy, And The Environment, Ross Dixon

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

METR 180 explores several global change topics: energy, technology, population, environment, and climate. When they finish METR 180, students should be have basic knowledge of the Earth system and how humans interact with it and they should be able to understand the scientific process, how scientists understand elements of the Earth system, and how this contrasts with skepticism of science. One major challenge of the course is that it is taken by a wide range of students with different backgrounds and different goals for taking the course. The goal of this portfolio is to continue to develop METR 180 to …

Portfolio For Geol 488/888: Groundwater Geology, Erin M.K. Haacker

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Groundwater Geology is a course that draws undergraduate and graduate students from multiple units, including the College of Arts and Sciences, Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Civil and Environmental Engineering. The course material focuses on groundwater as a resource, and includes the use of computer programming (Python programming language) to analyze groundwater data. Many students who enroll in the course are new to either geosciences or Python, despite the fact that it is an advanced course. The course has been redesigned recently to include materials suitable for a groundwater engineering course, because it is newly offered with sections …

The Lived Experiences Of Challenges Faced By Female Stem Degree Holders While In Their Programs: A Phenomenological Study, Rebecca Keeter-Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological research study was to describe the challenges female higher education students (FHESs) experience in their science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) degree program. The central research question guiding the study was: How do female higher education STEM research participants describe their lived experiences while in their degree programs? Sub-Question one was, How do female higher education students describe the influence their personal history had on their choice to pursue a higher education STEM degree? Sub-question two was: How do female higher education students in STEM program describe their reality versus their expectation going into …

Science Club, Danielle Gibson, Krista Andersen

Honors Expanded Learning Clubs

Honors After School program for elementary age children to engage with scientific principles. Students performed hands-on experiments to explore various STEM fields. Each weekly lesson consisted of a different concept to be learned or explored by early elementary aged students.

Supporting Undergraduate Research For Globally Distributed Students And Mentors, Emily Faulconer, Brent Terwilliger, Robert Deters

Publications

Undergraduate research is widely viewed as a high-impact practice. However, participation in undergraduate research among students completing degree programs exclusively online may be impeded due to barriers such as access limitations, time poverty, and adequate institutional support. Through an NSF I-USE project (#2021221), we formed a framework of support, including a research independent study course and a mentoring program, where we deliberately separated and defined the roles of research supervisor and research mentor. In this session, we will discuss interview data on the experiences of faculty and students in both the credit-bearing active research as well as the non-credit-bearing research …

Gendered Stem Beliefs And Major Choice, Nicole T. Cesanek, Benjamin J. Durham

Student Publications

Beliefs and expectations about who can and should pursue STEM careers contribute to a student’s sense of STEM identity and may help to explain the gender gap in pursuing STEM in higher education. The formation of these beliefs is a long and complex process, starting very early on in an individual’s life. We analyze how gendered STEM beliefs of students, parents, and teachers in ninth grade affect a female student’s probability of majoring in STEM in college. We add to an analysis done by Sansone (2019) in an appendix of his paper by using actual majors instead of intended majors. …

City Build 2040, Riley Bruno, Marisa Dendinger

Honors Expanded Learning Clubs

"City Build 2040" is a creative after school club that allows students to experiment both collaboratively and individually on creating a product of their choice. This club is uses cardboard, other materials and the creativity of its students to create a city full of various buildings and objects.

Community In The Online Science Classroom, Emily Faulconer

Publications

As online course offerings rise, it is important to design and facilitate courses to promote community so students feel connected to each other and the instructor and feel a sense of belonging as a scientist. Online discussions are a common feature for building and nurturing community and combating isolation. Discussions stimulate active learning, a strategy to promote participation in knowledge construction. This sense of community and science identity is important for both persistence and performance. I will share efforts to promote community while reducing extraneous cognitive load through discussion design and targeted instructor professional development. I will share data on …

Stem Outreach Activities In Academic Libraries: Planning Strategies, Covid’S Impact, And Future Considerations, Cori Biddle, Elise Gowen

Library Staff Publications

Outreach in academic libraries is an important aspect of their mission to support campus communities, but the nature of these activities, and the steps taken to plan them, is not fully understood at the profession-wide level. This study aimed to start the process of gathering data on outreach, especially among those who serve STEM-related constituents, and to begin recording the effects of COVID on library programming and events. In the summer of 2022, surveys were sent to representative librarians from Association of Academic Universities (AAU) members asking about their current outreach offerings and whether they utilized a formal outreach document …

Making The Rounds: An Iterative Approach To Engaging Faculty And Stakeholders In The Development Of An Integrated Curriculum In The Health Professions, Matthew Cockerell, Ms, Elena Umland, Pharmd

Library Posters

Background

Setting: Jefferson College of Pharmacy is a 4-year health science education program grounded in both science and clinical practice

Problem: Courses in the sciences and clinical practice have historically been siloed in delivery Solution: Revise curriculum using faculty and stakeholder input

Timeline: Curricular revision process began in Fall 2021; rollout beginning in Fall 2024

Leadership: Steering committee consists of Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, 3 senior faculty members and a curriculum and instructional design specialist

Goals of this iterative curriculum revision process:

1. Meet the needs of today’s learners
2. Provide close spatial and temporal relationships
3. Create holistic thinkers who are …

The Minority In The Minority, Black Women In Computer Science Fields: A Phenomenological Study, Blanche' D. Anderson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of Black women with a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree in computer science, currently employed in the United States. The theory guiding this study was Krumboltz’s social learning theory of career decision-making, as it provides a foundation for understanding how a combination of factors leads to an individual’s educational and occupational preferences and skills. This qualitative study answered the following central research question: What are the lived experiences of Black women with a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree in computer science, currently employed in the United States? …

Cognitive Load In Asynchronous Discussions Of An Online Undergraduate Stem Course, Emily K. Faulconer, Beverly Wood, Charlotte Bolch

Publications

Purpose – As online course enrollments increase; it is important to understand how common course features influence students’ behaviors and performance. Asynchronous online courses often include a discussion forum to promote community through interaction between students and instructors. Students interact both socially and cognitively; instructors’ engagement often demonstrates social or teaching presence. Students’ engagement in the discussions introduces both intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load. The purpose of this study is to validate an instrument for measuring cognitive load in asynchronous online discussions. Design/methodology/approach – This study presents the validation of the NASA-TLX instrument for measuring cognitive load in asynchronous online …

College Students’ Adoption Of Sonocent, A Specialized Notetaking Software: A Descriptive Study, Marie-Christine Potvin, Monique Chabot, Richard Hass, Abigail Garrity, Anne Bower

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

Notetaking is critical to students’ academic success. Students have many notetaking software programs to available for support. This study aimed to describe college students’ adoption and use of a comprehensive notetaking software (Sonocent). Freshman students (n=138) were offered a free Sonocent license with free training on its use during first semester science coursework. The study found a small adoption rate among participants and an overall low level of satisfaction with the software. Students who reported difficulty with notetaking at the start of the semester were more likely to use Sonocent with the audio recording feature deemed most useful.

Stem Club, Camden Jones, Erica Gesner, Amber Gadeken

Honors Expanded Learning Clubs

The goal of this club is to introduce various topics stemming from different fields in science. We hope to excite the students about science and show them how important it is to their everyday lives. This club also aims to provide free education to underserved communities.

Math Basics Afterschool Club, Lexi Soukup, Meg Williams

Honors Expanded Learning Clubs

This is a compilation of Lexi Soukup and Meg Williams’ work as Club Leaders in an Afterschool Club run through the University of Nebraska- Lincoln and YMCA Afterschool Programs titled Math Basics. Our club is an interactive, hands-on math exploration where students are challenged to change their perspective of math, and it is meant to occur once weekly. During this club, we try to challenge their current views of math and expand their knowledge on math concepts they learn in class through activities and games. This is meant to make math FUN! Our compilation of lesson plans are sure to …

Cognitive Load In Asynchronous Discussions In A Fully Online Course, Emily Faulconer

Publications

This study was designed as a quantitative descriptive investigation.

Stem Exploration, Caitlyn Scott, Erin Case

Honors Expanded Learning Clubs

After school club for middle school students consisting of individual and partner activities that will building teamwork and problem-solving skills. The club will also introduce the students to many different areas of STEM.

Clemson University’S Teacher Learning Progression Program: Personalized Advanced Credentials For Teachers, Luke J. Rapa, Jeff C. Marshall, Stephanie M. Madison, Christopher Flathmann, Bart Knijnenburg, Nathan J. Mcneese

Publications

This chapter provides an overview of Clemson University's Teacher Learning Progression program, which offers participating middle school science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics (STEM) teachers with personalized advanced credentials. In contrast to typical professional development (PD) approaches, this program identifies individualized pathways for PD based on teachers' unique interests and needs and offers PD options through the use of a “recommender system”—a system providing context-specific recommendations to guide teachers toward the identification of preferred PD pathways and content. In this chapter, the authors introduce the program and highlight (1) the data collection and instrumentation needed to make personalized PD recommendations, (2) …

Stem Club, Marissa Kraus, Ty Michael Fleshman

Honors Expanded Learning Clubs

No abstract provided.

The Recount: Black Men's Experiences Of Predominantly White Institution Undergraduate Stem Programs In The United States, James Hairston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the undergraduate experiences of Black men who completed bachelor’s degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at small and large predominantly White institutions (PWIs) of higher learning in the United States. This study focused on student engagement, mentorship, and experiences of racism and discrimination as three factors that might influence Black men’s completion of STEM bachelor’s degrees at PWIs in the United States. The central research question for this study was, “What contributes to the success of Black STEM undergraduate men at predominantly White institutions of higher learning?” The …

Covid-19_Umaine News_Education Week Talks With Ferrini-Mundy About Stem Teaching During The Pandemic, University Of Maine Division Of Marketing And Communications

Division of Marketing & Communications

Screenshot of UMaine in the News regarding Education Week report on a symposium at the American Educational Research Association's virtual annual meeting featuring Joan Ferrini-Mundy, University of Maine System vice chancellor for research and innovation and president of the University of Maine.

Stemendously Fun Time Stem Club, Sarah Altman, Rhiannon Carlile

Honors Expanded Learning Clubs

After school club for middle school students which focuses on bolstering scientific knowledge though experimentation and exploration of the scientific method.

Girls Computer Science Club, Emily Hogge, Mya Miller

Honors Expanded Learning Clubs

No abstract provided.

George-Anne Deep Dive, Georgia Southern University

George-Anne Deep Dive

No abstract provided.

George-Anne Deep Dive, Georgia Southern University

George-Anne Deep Dive

No abstract provided.

Breaking Silos: Cross- And Interdisciplinary Stem, Emily Faulconer

Publications

Integrated STEM connects disciplines to enhance learning.

• Scientific inquiry to understand
• Technological literacy to measure
• Engineering design to learn from failure
• Mathematical thinking to analyze

Vemi Lab 2021, Virtual Environments And Multimodal Interaction Laboratory

General University of Maine Publications

The Virtual Environments and Multimodal Interaction (VEMI) Lab embodies an inclusive, collaborative, and multi-disciplinary approach to hands-on research and education. By bringing together students and faculty from more than a dozen majors and disciplines, VEMI is uniquely positioned to advance computing and STEM initiatives both here at the university as well as in broader communities throughout Maine and nationwide.

Finding Community And Overcoming Barriers: Experiences Of Queer And Transgender Postsecondary Students In Mathematics And Other Stem Fields, Elizabeth Kersey, Matthew Voigt

Publications

Although there is little research on the experiences of queer and/or transgender postsecondary students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, we can infer from current literature that these subjects may be less welcoming than the humanities and social sciences. We conducted two studies to investigate this possibility: (1) a narrative inquiry study with postsecondary transgender students and (2) a grounded theory narrative study with undergraduate queer students. Transgender students who had transitioned indicated that they were subjected to lower expectations when presenting as female, but transgender women experienced this change as positive, since their treatment by others was …

Covid-19_Umaine News_Pen Bay Pilot Posts Piece About 4-H Centers Providing Outdoor, Stem Education, University Of Maine Division Of Marketing And Communications

Division of Marketing & Communications

Screenshot of UMaine in the News regarding the Pen Bay Pilot posting a piece about the University of Maine Cooperative Extension story about UMaine 4-H partnering with schools for outdoor, STEM education.

Seed Grant Award Winners Announced, Jason Charland

General University of Maine Publications

In April 2020, a call for proposals for the UMaine Al Initiative seed grant funding program was released in an effort to help UMaine faculty increase their competitiveness for extramural funding support to advance UMaine's AI R&D agenda. A total of 16 applications were received by the June 1 application deadline and the quality of the proposals from the interdisciplinary teams assembled was outstanding.