Author(s):
Need: At UA Little Rock, we have a “perfect recipe” of all the ingredients required to create long-lasting, institution-wide change in teaching culture to reduce differences in achievement between students from historically underserved groups (HUG) and the majority (termed the equity gap). These ingredients include 1) recognition of the shortcomings of traditional STEM teaching approaches, specifically for students from HUG, 2) the expertise to help faculty implement Evidence-Based Instructional Practices (EBIPs), 3) significant momentum with faculty willing to make the change, and 4) an administration eager to support teaching change (see Facilities document for elaboration). Often only one or two of these criteria are met and sustained change does not occur. The UALRS project proposes to capitalize on this environment, utilizing the current momentum to effect change across UA Little Rock’s college of STEM. Describe why this project is important and what needs it fulfills.Guiding Question: To what extent does MoSI participation impact faculties’ use of EBIPs in their courses?To what extent does providing faculty peer support and building community around teaching impact the equity gap in their classes?To what extent do LAs impact faculties’ use of EBIPs, persistence of the students in those courses, and the LA’s own success, sense of belonging and STEM identity?To what extent does this reform effort result in policy changes that encourage teaching with EBIPs?To what extent are faculties’ perceptions of their own (and their institution’s) value of teaching at UA Little Rock changed by participating in UALRS (All Aims)?Outcomes: Spring 2023 – 14 STEM faculty onboarded UALRSFall 2023 – 12 STEM Faculty participated in CoPSpring 2024 – 14 STEM Faculty onboarded UALRS, 10 STEM faculty participated in CoT, and 4 STEM CoP Members participated in follow-up classroom observations and interviews on teaching related to CoP generated lessonsCOPUS observations have been collected and analyzed for the Spring 2023 cohort. COPUS analysis demonstrated that 8 of 14 instructors have a slight preference for passive instructional practices. COPUS observations on the Spring 2024 cohort are ongoing. Qualitative data analysis is currently being conducted on data collected from the Fall 2023 CoP meetings through the theoretical lenses of Social Cohesion and Regulation of Learning. SNA data is currently in the process of data cleanup and analysis.Broader Impacts: Currently employing three undergraduate researchers to perform data analysis and data collection related to the UALRS project.Will be training 4 other Arkansas Universities on how to run their own MoSI workshops. We are beginning to lay the groundwork for a statewide institutional change initiative.Our 3 college deans have offered to financially support a summer working group to develop an assessment pilot initiative.
Coauthors
Stephanie Feola, Lundon Pinneo, and Mark Baillie, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR
