Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Pre And Post Survey-Based Prediction Of Results From Student Characteristics, Jared Estad, Michael Kuehn, Jeremy Straub, Eunjin Kim

Jeremy Straub

This study was created to compare a large data set of students class surveys. In this data set, there exist both pre- and post-survey data. A set of knowledge based questions exist at the end of the survey. Our intention is to use the other data with in each survey to predict based on a singular set of pre-survey data a students potential for success throughout the course. As such, we need to account for data on the pre-survey and its knowledge based questions. Then, we need to account for how this data may interact with the data on the …

Involvement Of Undergraduate Students In Research: A Comparison Of Course Research Components, Paid Research Activities, Student-Led Projects And Independent / Directed Study Courses, Jeremy Straub

Jeremy Straub

Involving undergraduate students in bona fide research can provide multiple types of benefits. Whether students elect to pursue research careers or not, research experiences can be beneficial. Students gain an excellent resume item and interview discussion topic. They also gain experience in team participation dynamics and project management and the opportunity to put techniques that they have learned in the classroom to use. In interdisciplinary projects, they learn to work with those from other disciplines, gain an understanding of the challenges of doing so and gain an understanding of the vernacular of these other disciplines.

This paper presents an overview …

Interview With Paulo Speller, Brazilian Higher Education Secretary, Marion Lloyd

Marion Lloyd

In an interview, Paulo Speller, Brazil´s secretary for higher education, speaks of the challenges in overseeing sweeping higher education reforms, including federally mandated affirmative action policies and the region´s largest science and technology study-abroad scholarship program.

Openorbiter Small Spacecraft Development Program Educational Benefits, Jeremy Straub

Jeremy Straub

No abstract provided.

What Matters In College For Retaining Aspiring Scientists And Engineers From Underrepresented Racial Groups, Mitchell J. Chang, Jessica Sharkness, Sylvia Hurtado, Christopher B. Newman

Christopher B. Newman

This longitudinal study examined factors that contribute to the persistence of underrepresented racial minority (URM) undergraduates in STEM fields. The primary source of data came from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program’s 2004 The Freshman Survey (TFS) and 2008 College Senior Survey (CSS). The sample included 3,670 students at 217 institutions who indicated on the TFS that they intended to major in a STEM field, 1,634 of whom were underrepresented minority (URM) students. Findings indicate that Black and Latino undergraduates were significantly less likely to persist in STEM majors than were their White and Asian American counterparts. Background characteristics and college …

Educational Outcomes From The Openorbiter Small Spacecraft Development Program, Jeremy Straub

Jeremy Straub

The OpenOrbiter program [1] is developing a low-cost framework for the creation of space-craft by researchers and educators worldwide [8]. In addition to the technical objectives, ed-ucational assessment [2, 3] has also been a key focus. Students working on development of the spacecraft [4] were asked what types of benefits they sought from their participation [5]. The assessment of the attainment of these benefits is ongoing, in conjunction with continued development in pursuit of the crea-tion of a set of designs that can be used to build a spacecraft with a cost of under $5,000 [13] .

Finding What Women Want: Developing Strategies To Increase Recruitment And Retention In Along With Attracting External And Internal Sources Of Funding, Shweta Chopra, Gary R. Bertoline, Chad M. Laux

Shweta Chopra

Numerous reports have discussed the dearth of women in Science, Technology, Engineering; Mathematics (STEM) fields. Almost two-thirds of young children of age group 9-15 state that they enjoy science, but girls’ attitudes and interests change by middle school. During high school, girls and boys take the same number of science courses. In addition, girls perform as well as boys in those courses. Despite comparable performance levels, girls rarely continue studying science at college level. Lack of female progress in STEM education has been observed in STEM fields despite multiple measures taken by universities, colleges, schools, industries, and other organizations dedicated …

Attracting Black Male Students To Research Careers In Education: A Report From The Grad Prep Academy Project, Shaun R. Harper, Ph.D., Andrew C. Porter, Ph.D.

Shaun R. Harper, Ph.D.

This report is about the University of Pennsylvania’s Grad Prep Academy, a project that prepares Black undergraduate men for graduate study and research-related careers in the field of education. The project is also a longitudinal research study that enables us to analyze Black men’s trajectories from undergraduate study through graduate degree programs and eventually into their careers. Eighteen students participated in our first two cohorts of Academy Scholars. The project described in this report, as well as the recommendations we offer, can be instructive for other schools of education and a range of stakeholders who are concerned about the diversity …