Do Innovative Curricula Actually Improve STEM Retention?

A Case Study

Rose Rustowicz -- RIT Undergraduate StudentMalachi Schultz -- RIT Undergraduate Student

Joe Pow -- Associate Director of Imaging Science

Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science

Rochester Institute of TechnologyRochester, NY

- Introduction - Background: a report to the President- Our case study: The Freshman Imaging Project- Our data - Conclusions

Outline

What is imaging science?www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5Ijr_gs6s8

What is imaging science?The Formal Answer

Why we're here...

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/pcast-executive-report-final_2-13-12.pdf

REPORT TO THE PRESIDENT

“This report provides a strategy for improving STEM education during the first two years of college.”

“Fewer than 40% of students who enter college intending to major in a STEM field complete a STEM degree. Merely increasing the retention of STEM majors from 40% to 50% would generate three quarters of the targeted 1

million additional STEM degrees over the next decade.”

“PCAST identified overarching recommendations that it believes can achieve this goal: … advocate and provide support for replacing standard

laboratory courses with discovery- based research courses”

National Dialogue

http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2011/nsf11550/nsf11550.pdf

http://news.sciencemag.org/people-events/2013/05/corporations-nsf-team-improve-stem-retention-rates

http://www.science.oregonstate.edu/nsf-grant-boost-retention-and-graduation-rates-stem

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2013/08/28/2-million-nsf-step-grant-funds-stem-student-retention-efforts-at-uc-riverside.aspx?=CTCLV

http://www.wskc.org/resources/-/asset_publisher/mE9ojzmgdeRG/content/a-nsf-supported-s-stem-scholarship-program-for-recruitment-and-retention-of-underrepresented-ethnic-and-women-students-in-engineering;jsessionid=25DFDBBCA560349611F6FA78A717885D

Other Universities that highlight project based learning

-Olin College-The College of Wooster-Colorado School of Mines-Claremont McKenna College-University of California Santa Cruz-The University of Texas at Austin

?

Question for the audience … Have any of your institutions taken up

this call for project-based learning pedagogies?

Question for the audience … In what academic year is a project-based

pedagogy most effective for students?

What we implemented …Freshman Imaging Project:

A New Pedagogy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l82vHrUB9mU#t=30

Insert Typical Academic Year Plan (Semesters)

Objectives of the Class

Objectives of the Class (cont.)

1st cohort: Polynomial Texture Map

Polynomial Texture Mapping (PTM) Demo

2nd cohort: Craniofacial Phenotyper

What’s a Craniofacial Phenotyper?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2pubHamAkQ

3rd cohort: Multi-Camera Array

Multi Camera Array

http://youtu.be/HQJ-trBPnrE

4th Cohort: Intelligent Telepresence

The Big Question...

Is this new project-based pedagogy increasing student retention?

?

www.pinnion.com/stemtech+2014

Question for the audience … What attrition rate indicates a non-

effective pedagogy? (Percentage of students leaving)

What data have we collected?

Retention/Attrition Data

● Limited to our university (RIT)● Transfer students are not included● Three retention studies

o Center for Imaging Science (CIS) Retentiono Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)

Retentiono RIT Retention

New Pedagogy

CIS Average Attrition Rates

1-Year Attrition Rate

Pre-FIP 5-year average:

16.34%

Post-FIP, 4-year average:

12.48%

3.86% decrease

2-Year Attrition Rate

Pre-FIP, 5-year average: 29.00%

Post-FIP, 3-year average: 31.77%

2.77% increase

STEM Average Attrition Rates

1-Year Attrition Rate

Pre-FIP 5-year average:

9.26%

Post-FIP, 4-year average:

10.28%

1.02% increase

2-Year Attrition Rate

Pre-FIP, 5-year average: 21.58%

Post-FIP, 3-year average: 15.00%

6.58% decrease

Data Conclusions

● Retention in Imaging Science has increased for the 1st year, but decreased overall afterward

● Retention in STEM has declined for the 1st year, but increased overall for those that stay after the 1st year

● Compared to your survey results...

?

www.pinnion.com/stemtech+2014

Question for the audience … Is the attrition/retention rate the only indication of a successful/unsuccessful

pedagogy?

More Data

How effective was the method of presentation of the course material?

(a) Worst possible rating(b) Below average(c) Average(d) Above average(e) Best possible rating

Our Data: Course Evaluations

What is your overall rating of this course?

(a) Worst possible rating(b) Below average(c) Average

(d) Above average (e) Best possible rating

Our Data: Course Evaluations

In general, were the laboratory experiments of value either in developing techniques and experience or in contributing to

understanding the subject?

(a) Of little value(b) Somewhat valuable(c) Moderately valuable(d) Very valuable(e) Extremely valuable

Our Data: Course Evaluations

Student Prompt:

First Cohort Prompt: Please reflect on your experience and share your thoughts below. Topics to address might be the value of the experience, its significance to your learning and/or the challenges you encountered – but please share whatever you feel is important.

Second Cohort Prompt: The President and Deans of RIT are interested in your Freshman Imaging Science experience. They would really like your feedback and input as they consider whether to recommend this approach to other programs on campus.

"The value of a class such as this shouldn't go unnoticed. More than just basic knowledge, I've grown as a person. It's one thing to learn facts, it's another to gain a skill set."

Our Data: Course Evaluations

"I now have the initiative to go out and explore what other types of opportunities exist for myself, and plan to make the best of my undergraduate education here at RIT because of it."

Our Data: Course Evaluations

"It would be a disservice to not have opportunities like this for every student, because in scenarios like this, you can let a student really show their true potential."

Our Data: Course Evaluations

"Due to the interest I had in this class, the collaboration, and the difference in experience from any other course, I wanted to do the work. I wanted to learn. Avoiding the ever-trudging 'learn for the test' class structure, this class made me motivated."

Our Data: Course Evaluations

Our Data: Professor Observations

From the Soph-Level Instructor:

I find all Freshman Imaging Project (FIP) students lack basic background, relative to previous classes, in at least one, and usually several, of the key imaging chain areas.

I needed to backtrack to cover introductory material that used to be covered using a traditional pedagogy. At the same time, to ensure FIP students wouldn't be completely lost (relative to traditionally prepared students) as they continued through the imaging science core curriculum, I attempted to cover most of the same material I had covered for pre-FIP students. This led to a sense of "cramming" during the 10-week quarter.

From the Soph-Level Instructor:

The last two classes of FIP-prepared students are more capable and confident in certain respects, relative to my previous (pre-FIP, traditionally-prepared) classes. Many students display in-depth knowledge in key imaging chain areas, from their project experiences. (Last year, some of these same students seemed bored by the pace of my class, overall.)

Overall, my impression is that FIP-prepared students are more comfortable in the lab setting (which is a critical component of my course as well as other imaging science core classes).

Conclusion

- Data shows …- Other indications of effectiveness - Student evaluations- Professor evaluations

A few things to think about…

● Project-based pedagogies may not always increase retention

● What is more valuable? Retention rate, or student enthusiasm?

● Is the funding that supports the national push for retention achieving the 10% increase in retention?

● Should there be more funding towards other ways to increase STEM retention apart from the push for project-based pedagogies?

The End...Questions/Comments?

CIS Retention/Attrition Summary

STEM Retention/Attrition Summary

"Rather than being spoon fed information, students had to go out and find solutions to the problem on their own, mimicking the environment of working in the real world."

Our Data: Course Evaluations