Author(s):
The Inclusive Research-based Interdisciplinary Science Education (iRISE) Project seeks to decrease the racial and gender equity gap in students pursuing STEM education and careers by ensuring that students who start their journeys on community college campuses benefit from: 1) proven effective pedagogy that engages community college students in research experiences in their very first STEM courses, and 2) engagement strategies that enable students to identify as scientists and to make connections between their STEM education and real-world problems impacting their communities. The iRISE project is meeting these needs by utilizing the Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) model at the earliest point in students’ STEM educational journeys. These initial points of entry—or “gateway” courses—tend to be lecture-based, often uninspiring, and are where many students—especially students from populations that are underrepresented in STEM and first-generation students—both start and end their STEM studies. The iRISE project utilizes low-cost CO2 sensors to embed authentic, small-scale research projects in an array of these STEM gateway courses. Students work collaboratively to design, implement, and present community-based research projects. The work is enhanced by the substantial involvement of an educational researcher with expertise in STEM identity development. Initial findings show significant gains in several common measures of STEM identity and suggest that early, authentic research projects can help reduce equity gaps and attrition in gateway STEM courses.
Coauthors
Blakely Tsurusaki, University of Washington-Bothell. Bothell WA; Andrea Anderson, Soundview Evaluation, Seattle, WA
