Speaker(s):
Why is it that projects designed to improve undergraduate STEM education do not always have a positive or lasting impact? In this workshop, Drs. Courtney Ngai, Sarah Wise, and Joel Corbo discuss the importance of attending to department culture to help sustain change efforts in undergraduate STEM education. The presenters introduce the Department Action Team (DAT) model, which utilizes a principles-focused approach for enacting change. They also share examples of how the DAT model’s principles have influenced change efforts in STEM departments. The workshop will be complemented by free resources that the team developed for other stakeholders interested in institutional transformation.
Is the DAT Model Right for Your Context?
- How-To Guide 1: Using Innovation Configuration Maps
- Handout 1: DAT Core Principles
Communication Resources
- How-To Guide 4: Building Awareness of DATs
- Digital Toolkit Slides 2.0-2.10: DAT Model Overview
- Handout 3: Collaborative Communities
Facilitator Preparation Resources
- Facilitation Skills Inventory
- How-To Guide 2: Conducting a Listening Tour
- How-To Guide 5: Documenting and Reflecting on Meetings
Speaker(s)
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Courtney Ngai, Ph.D.
Research Scientist, The Institute for Learning and Teaching (TILT)
Colorado State University
Dr. Courtney Ngai (she/her/hers) is a Research Scientist within The Institute for Learning and Teaching (TILT) at Colorado State University and a consultant for Empowered Consulting. Dr. Ngai’s previous research focused on student thinking when solving problems using chemistry, and she collaborated with K-12 teachers and university researchers on the Chemical Thinking Learning Progression project. Dr. Ngai’s current work focuses on organizational change in higher education as part of the Departmental Action Team project. She has facilitated six departmental teams working to improve their undergraduate programs and is investigating how to best support and sustain change in higher education. As a consultant, Dr. Ngai supports teams and education-focused projects through research, facilitation, and program evaluations. Her work is guided by principles around equity, communication, and data.
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Sarah Wise, Ph.D.
STEM Departmental Change Agent, Departmental Action Team Project
University of Colorado Boulder
Dr. Sarah Wise has worked in biology and education for over twenty-five years. She has prior experience working on curricular and instructional change in biology, with BSCS and the Science Education Initiative. In prior educational research, Dr. Wise developed and analyzed surveys of teachers, faculty and students and used discourse analysis to investigate student discussion. Most recently, she facilitated seven Departmental Action Teams at the University of Colorado Boulder, contributed significantly to the upcoming book Facilitating Change in Higher Education: The Departmental Action Team Model, and helped develop the Departmental Action Team Theory of Change.
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Joel Corbo, Ph.D.
Senior Research Associate, Center for STEM Learning
University of Colorado Boulder
Dr. Joel Corbo is a senior research associate in the Center for STEM Learning at the University of Colorado Boulder. His work focuses on implementing and studying institutional change mechanisms to improve undergraduate education in university departments and on supporting student-centered efforts to make physics culture more equitable and inclusive. As a graduate student, he co-founded and co-led the Berkeley Compass Project, a student-run organization dedicated to supporting underrepresented students in physics through building community and engaging in authentic science. He co-leads the Access Network, a national network of student-centered equity programs inspired by Compass.
