Description of the Program

1) What are the goals and desired outcomes of the program?

The mission of the Center for Science Education is to provide leadership
in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education by;

1. promoting and improving K-12, undergraduate, and graduate STEM education to enhance the capabilities and problem-solving skills of all Kansas learners; improving STEM teacher development, including recruitment, pre-service development, induction period support, and in-service development; improving informal education and public outreach; and developing and expanding innovative, interdisciplinary STEM education research that addresses the goals of the Center.

The desired outcome is to improve science education at the University of Kansas, and throughout the state of Kansas, and to contribute to scholarship in science education on national and international levels.

The Center is an interdisciplinary collaborative venture intended to involve scientists, engineers, science educators and education specialists from many units on the Lawrence campus, including the Schools of Engineering, Education, and Pharmacy, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Institute for Educational Research and Public Service, and the Center for Research on Learning.


2) What are the key components of your program?

Courses and Course-Related Activities (Selected and Abstracted)

ENGR 514. This interdisciplinary course was offered in the School of Engineering prior to the development of the Center; it continues to be an important part of the engineering educational curriculum because it provides graduate-level teaching experiences beyond, or in addition to, typical GTA appointment. Students take the course for 3 hours credit that counts as an elective in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering, and the School of Education. A typical class will consist of students from math, physics, engineering, education, and biology.

An experienced faculty member, often a person who has received an award at the School or University level for teaching activities, is responsible for the course. The subjects taught under the heading of science, engineering, or mathematics, are chosen by the students. Substantial time then is devoted to organizing material into inquiry-based strategies in order to enhance experimental design and analysis skills. Individuals and/or teams offer constructed modules, or an entire curriculum, at area Junior Colleges, Haskell Indian Nations University, and local grade and high schools.

Project Components and Project Development. This paradigm requires that interdisciplinary graduate student teams develop a viable project oriented around a particular question which they formulate, apply science-based principles to the problem, and present results in a public forum for constructive criticism. A faculty member, and former graduate student participants in the program, serve as guides. A substantial portion of the activity is devoted to honing problem-solving and communication skills.

Outreach Programs

Private Sector Instructional Activities. Graduate students prepare and conduct science based seminars on contemporary engineering problems for presentation at industry forums, through continuing education, and/or on-site company venues.

Workshops. Faculty and graduate students cooperate on the preparation of instructional approach workshops for faculty, graduate students from across the campus.

3) What is the typical time investment by STEM graduate student participants?

Time investment varies by discipline and activity. Eighty hours per semester is typical of most graduate students.

Outcomes of the Program

1) What STEM graduate students have participated in your program? For example, numbers per year, disciplines, and stages of graduate career.

Participants have included graduate students from Chemistry, Education and Engineering. About half of the participants are at the Ph.D. level. Number is highly variable from semester to semester and year to year. Much depends upon the courses offered, the workshops presented, and the needs of the private sector.

2) What have been the impacts of your program on the participants? If available please provide evaluation data or other research evidence.

Workshop, seminar, course and other formal written feedback shows that the activities of the Center are meeting its overall goals. Of particular interest is the number of graduate students in engineering and the sciences who decide to become educators as a result of participation in the various programs offered.

3) What have been the impacts of the program on your institution? If available please provide evaluation data or other research evidence.

Science education has been, and continues to be, strengthened as a result of the Center’s activities.

Implementation of the Program

1) What are the key factors and challenges for colleagues at another university to consider as they decide whether to adapt your program to their needs?

The Center grew out of a campus-wide review of Science, Engineering and Technology programs initiated by the Chancellor and monitored by an Associate Provost for Science conducted by an interdisciplinary committee that consisted of faculty, students, and members of the private community. The Committee produced a series of recommendations, one of which was to develop a center that would address the needs of the university in STEM activities, as well as the needs of external constituents. Without administrative support at the highest levels, the program would not have been implemented.

2) What resources are needed to start up your program? What ongoing resources are needed?

Faculty and student participation on a regularly and continuing basis, professional staff (i.e., the lead staff members must hold Ph.D.s in science and education), substantial operating expense funds (travel, conference participation, preparation of materials, etc.), continuous upgrading of equipment, often as shared resources, among the participating disciplines.

3) What is the typical time investment by faculty and staff?

The time investment is highly dependent upon the activities that are occurring at any one time. During some semesters, a faculty-graduate student team might well be engaged at a time level equivalent to a five-hour lab course; during periods when individual workshops or projects are the only activities, the time commitment is much less.