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STEM Framework
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The framework provides a set of key institutional elements that need to be addressed in order to bring about sustainable change. The framework is intended to be a living resources that showcases innovative institutional efforts that are already being conducted by universities to implement elements of the framework.
Showcased below are institutional efforts mapped to the elements of the framework. As institutions move to improve their usage of evidence-based teaching practices, AAU hopes these examples will serve as a resource for all colleges and universities working to improve undergraduate teaching and learning in STEM.
AAU institutions provided the reform efforts listed below. AAU has not evaluated these reforms and encourages you to contact the institution directly to learn more about the reform efforts.
As a direct result of the AAU STEM Initiative, we have substantial evidence of institutional change occurring at Washington University. This includes the funding of a new initiative to continue increasing adoption of evidence-based pedagogies in STEM, as well as expansion and adoption of programs begun by the AAU Initiative.
As a direct result of the AAU STEM Initiative, we have implemented numerous professional development activities for our faculty. Professional development is being implemented in a multi-pronged fashion, and includes observation and feedback for faculty, and multiple professional development activities including multi-day summer institutes, a mentoring program, a community of practice, and a speaker series.
The primary focus is to implement and evaluate our multiple-strategy approach for incorporating active learning into lower-level STEM courses. The multiple-strategies approach allows instructors flexibility in integrating active learning into a framework that meshes with their approach to teaching and with the demands of their discipline and the academic department with which the instructor is affiliated.
The University of Virginia has converted several current classrooms into active learning spaces and are planning renovations to the Chemistry and Biology buildings incorporating significantly more active learning spaces.
The Authentic Learning Initiative is designed to engage faculty conversations around the topic of authentic learning and assessment. By creating learning environments using authentic contexts that ensure assessment truly measures whether students can use their knowledge effectively and realistically.
UVA's Nucleus program is designed to help faculty improve STEM education in large enrollment, introductory-level courses using research-based pedagogies and assessment—and to help faculty and departments sustain improvements.
UVA's upper level Biochemistry Laboratory course has been designed to ensure that all students graduating from the Chemistry department with a Biochemistry specialization have had research experience.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison's (UW-Madison) Delta Program in Research, Teaching, and Learning promotes professional development in teaching for graduate students and post-docs so that they can successfully implement and advance effective teaching practices for diverse student audiences as part of their careers.
First-Year Interest Groups (FIGs) are designed to help first-year students make the transition to UW-Madison, both academically and socially. A FIG is a "learning community" of about 20 students with similar interests who are enrolled in a cluster of classes together.
Our project aims to increase undergraduate persistence in the sciences through introductory laboratory courses in which students perform real research experiments and analyze and report their results. They will take part in scientific process and join our department's scientific community early on in their biology careers at the University of Pittsburgh.
