Learning Communities for STEM Academic Achievement at HU, JSU, TC and XULA

1. Learning Communities for STEM Academic Achievement at HU, JSU, TC and XULA Terrolyn P. Carter Orlando L. Taylor Howard University September 21, 2005 – Indiana University

2. Why LCSAA? • Poor representation of African Americans in STEM fields at both undergraduate and graduate levels • According U.S. Dept. of Education, Fall 2000 data show there were approximately 1.7 million African Americans in higher education • Approximately 225,000 are enrolled at HBCUs • African Americans are still SCARCE in STEM fields at majority and minority institutions • Overall, nationally, STEM academic achievement levels are low, HBCUs have been successful in producing high achieving African American students in STEM fields

3. What Are Learning Communities • As described by the National Learning Communities Project, learning communities are “classes that are linked or clustered during an academic term, often around an interdisciplinary theme…” • “Learning communities may involve two or more classes linked thematically or by content which a cohort of students takes together. In this instance, the faculty plan the program collaboratively.” National Learning Communities Project website: http://learningcommons.evergreen.edu

4. LCSAA Project Objectives • To increase academic achievement of African American students in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) • To implement, adapt, and evaluate the success of teaching and learning strategies • To increase graduate school enrollment and merit-based financial aid • To enhance interdisciplinary on-campus and cross-campus discussions on teaching/learning among faculty and future faculty in STEM

5. LCSAA Program Components • Connect HBCUs to the national “scholarship of teaching and learning” community • Interdisciplinary across STEM fields • Inter-institutional virtual faculty learning communities • Improvement of future faculty capacity to enhance teaching/learning in STEM • Connection of HBCU STEM faculty to the Carnegie Academy on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning • Dissemination of innovations to the national higher education community

6. Learning Communities for STEM Academic Achievement

7. LCSAA Project Participants • Howard and JSU: 5 STEM Faculty and 3 STEM Doctoral Students • Talladega and XULA: 5 STEM faculty • Students in Selected STEM Classes at Sophomore or Junior Level

8. LCSAA Participants

9. LCSAA Planned Activities • Expansion of learning communities to additional faculty on each campus. • On-campus meetings of individual campus participants • Monthly virtual meetings of Fellows via on-line • Development of teaching and learning strategies by learning community • Ongoing assessment of student learning in LC courses

10. LCSAA Planned Activities • Web-based resources and support for learning communities • Annual convenings of Fellows to discuss progress, issues, etc. • Evaluation of program activities (formative and summative) • Dissemination of program results to national higher education community

11. LCSAA Preliminary Evaluation Plan • Individualized and Tailored evaluation plans for each campus • Some measures include: • Improved student conceptual understanding • Increased student interest in STEM fields • Increased student GPAs • Increased graduation rates • Increased graduate school enrollments • Graduate school aspirations • Successful use of teaching and learning strategies on partner campuses • Successful transfer to other HBCUs

12. Administrative Staff Orlando L. Taylor, Principal Investigator Terrolyn P. Carter, Project Coordinator Jerry Gaff, Consultant Akesha M. Horton, Technology Coordinator Anne Pruitt-Logan, Evaluator STEM Campus Coordinators Howard University Dr. Tori Rhoulac Jackson State University: Dr. Doris Robinson-Gardner Talladega College: Dr. Leonard Cole Xavier University of LA: Dr. Kenneth Boutte Project Staff