Education Commons^™

Short- And Long-Term Impacts Of A Deliberative Pedagogy In Introductory Biology And Chemistry Courses, Liz Rain-Griffith

Dissertations and Theses

There have been multiple national calls for curricular reform in college-level science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), including a need to instill democratic skills in students. Democratic skill building can be embedded in STEM classrooms through intentional "deliberative pedagogies" which include skills in: communication, collaboration, and application. We developed and implemented a deliberative pedagogy, Deliberative Democracy (DD), across introductory majors and non-majors biology courses and a majors chemistry course. In two separate studies, I took a longitudinal, qualitative research approach to understand introductory biology and chemistry students' experiences and perceptions of DD. For the first study, I tracked a cohort …

Guided Reinvention As A Context For Investigating Students' Thinking About Mathematical Language And For Supporting Students In Gaining Fluency, Kristen Vroom

Dissertations and Theses

Fluency with mathematical language is important for students' engagement in many disciplinary practices such as defining, conjecturing, and proving; yet, there is growing evidence that mathematical language is challenging for undergraduate students. This dissertation study draws on two design experiments with pairs of students who were supported to encode their mathematical meanings with more formal language. I aimed to investigate the teaching and learning of mathematical language, and particularly the language in statements with multiple quantifiers, by engaging students in this type of activity. In the first paper, I investigated the complex ways in which the students in my study …

Theater Over Textbooks: How A Neuroscience Outreach Group Utilizing Art In S.T.E.M. Provides Cost-Effective Strategies In Tackling The United States Education Gap, Camden Grant Howard, William Griesar

University Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to summarize the relevant research for the evaluation of a S.T.E.A.M.-based, grassroots, neuroscience outreach group called 'NW Noggin'. This paper discusses the benefits and skills of S.T.E.M. in learning, the benefits and skills of S.T.E.A.M. in learning, educational disparities within the United States, educational outreach groups how they are currently assessed as well as more innovative arts-based and inquiry-based alternative assessments of student knowledge. This paper then focuses on the nonprofit NW Noggin to discuss their goals and activities and possible options for program assessment. This thesis also discusses how they fulfill their civic …

Mathematical Silences, Matthew Nathan Petersen

Dissertations and Theses

Previous studies have shown that mathematicians employ lengthy silences in their collaborations, contrary to the norms that govern every-day collaborations. Such results shows the relevance of an investigation of silence in mathematical collaboration. This dissertation builds off these results in a series of three papers. The first paper describes a methodology that can be employed in the investigation of silence in mathematical collaboration. The second paper analyses silence in the mathematical collaboration of students in junior-level introductory proof classes. It identifies two forms of mathematical activity, reading and ruminating, that students regularly engage in, and which violate the norms of …

From Theory To Practice: Interdisciplinary Science In Undergraduate Education, Brie Tripp

Dissertations and Theses

Science has undergone a major transformation in the 20th and 21st centuries with new fields emerging at the intersection of disciplines, such as bioethics, bioinformatics, and chemical ecology. Yet, opportunities to engage with interdisciplinary science, and the skills needed to work in these fields, are largely absent from undergraduate biology classrooms. As a consequence, students are potentially deprived of opportunities to think interdisciplinarily and engage with real-world issues that often necessitate interdisciplinary efforts. To be informed citizens in society and forward-thinking scientists in the workforce, undergraduate students will undoubtedly benefit from exposure to these interdisciplinary science experiences.

Given these considerations, …

Identifying A Starting Point For The Guided Reinvention Of The Classification Of Chemically Important Symmetry Groups, Anna Marie Bergman

Dissertations and Theses

The study of abstract algebra is both required for most mathematics majors and notoriously difficult. Much of the mathematics education literature on investigating student thinking in abstract algebra highlights student struggles with understanding even the most fundamental concepts. The abstract nature of the content of the course has been credited as one of the contributors to student difficulties. While there have been various instructional innovations designed to support students in better understanding abstract algebra, and group theory in particular, they have not specifically focused on the issue of the abstract nature of the content. My dissertation study aimed to develop …

Amplifying Latinx Voice Through Interview Study: Highlighting Mathematics Identity As A Pathway To Student Self-Empowerment And Academic Agency, Brea Justine Cohen

Dissertations and Theses

Nationally, the percentage of high school students taking higher-level mathematics courses (beyond Algebra 2) has increased from the late 20th century to the present. However, as compared to White high school students enrolled in advanced math classes, the rate is lower among students of color, specifically students who identify as Latinx, African American, or Native American. My school district (a suburban district in the Northwestern United States) is working to address this problem by implementing several district-wide initiatives that focus on increasing students' engagement in mathematics, which focuses teacher pedagogy on leveraging mathematics communities to support collaborative mathematics dialogue. The …

Examining Integration And Sense Of Belonging Among Undergraduate Students Participating In Stem Support Programs, Mackenzie J. Gray

University Honors Theses

National calls have been made to strengthen our nation’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce by improving student preparation and increasing retention rates. A sense of belonging in STEM fields is thought to be key for persistence in STEM, but many students face academic, social, and financial barriers that can impede this sense of belonging. These barriers can be more pronounced for students underrepresented in STEM. In response, many federal and non-governmental agencies have invested in the future STEM workforce by funding STEM support programs. Such programs aim to support student persistence by providing academic, social, and financial resources …