TRESTLE is a 7-institution NSF-funded project to support improvements in undergraduate STEM education through (1) supporting course design projects, (2) enhancing educational expertise in departments, and (3) building communities within and across campuses to enhance the impact of local experts. Our objective is to test a model of educational transformation which builds on the Science Education Initiative (at CU and UBC). Our model is derived from research on institutional change and quality improvement, and builds on a course transformation initiative (the Science Education Initiative, or SEI) that has been successful at two of the partner institutions. The core of the approach involves supporting "embedded expertise" within departments, centered on course transformation, to catalyze changes in teaching practices and culture. In this model, STEM education “embedded experts” collaborate with department faculty to guide and support the implementation of discipline-based educational practices in STEM courses.
Contact Stephanie Chasteen at [email protected] for more information.