STEM education

Science-education experts recognized for ground-breaking work

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 16:22:07 +0000

Science-education experts recognized for ground-breaking work Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 10/13/2023 - 10:22

CU ��«��Ƶ professors Noah Finkelstein of physics and Valerie Otero of education have won the 2023 Svend Pedersen Award and Lecture from Stockholm University

Two experts in science education at the ��«��Ƶ have won the Svend Pedersen Award and Lecture of 2023 for their “major and lasting” contribution to science education, Stockholm University has announced.

Noah Finkelstein, professor of physics, and Valerie Otero, professor of science education, share the 2023 award and are planning to deliver a joint lecture in Sweden early next year.

Stockholm University bestows the Svend Pedersen Award and Lecture annually to a researcher who has made a “major and lasting contribution” within the fields of mathematics education or science education internationally.

The award, which was unsolicited, recognizes their joint contribution to “teacher education praxis.” The cross-disciplinary collaboration between physics and education “led to the development of the highly influential and successful Learning Assistant Program,” Stockholm University said.

Noah Finkelstein and Valerie Otero

“Finkelstein and Otero are both leading researchers in physics/science education, and both their individual and collaborative work has gained recognition internationally and inspired researchers at the Department of Teaching and Learning at Stockholm University,” the award citation notes.

Finkelstein’s research focuses on university students’ interests and capacities in physics and also on educational transformations. Finkelstein is one of leads of the Physics Education Research (PER) group and was founding co-director, with Otero, of CU’s Center for STEM Learning.

Otero’s research focuses on the interplay of learning environments, instructional teams and materials that make learning more accessible. Otero is the faculty director and co-founder of CU ��«��Ƶ’s Learning Assistant Program and the International Learning Assistant Alliance.

Finkelstein’s research projects range from the specifics of students’ learning particular concepts to the departmental and institutional scales of sustainable educational transformation. His research has yielded more than 150 publications.

He is increasingly involved in education policy and in 2010 testified before the U.S. Congress on the state of STEM education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He serves on many national boards, including chairing both the American Physical Society’s Committee on Education and PER Topical Group.

He is a Fellow of both the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a Presidential Teaching Scholar and the inaugural Timmerhaus Teaching Ambassador for the University of Colorado system.

Explaining his research focus, Finkelstein says, “At root, I see higher education as a fundamental public good—advancing the lives of individuals and capacities of our societies more broadly. In the long haul, I know of no better way to enhance societies and individuals' lives than to support the core missions of our colleges and universities, and to help them realize the promises that they hold toward these ends.”

He acknowledges that there is much work still to do. “And that's where I spend my time—through teaching and educational programs, through my research and scholarly work, and through my professional service efforts. I particularly focus on higher education—colleges and universities—as these are a tremendous resource and lever for change in our broader educational system.”

Partly in response to expert warnings that the nation was falling behind its international peers in science education, U.S. educators have in the past two decades renewed their focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (or STEM) education. This focus is reflected in levels of funding, national discourse, programs focused in STEM, numbers of students, diversity of students and even faculty hiring trends, Finkelstein says.

I see higher education as a fundamental public good—advancing the lives of individuals and capacities of our societies more broadly. In the long haul, I know of no better way to enhance societies and individuals' lives than to support the core missions of our colleges and universities, and to help them realize the promises that they hold toward these ends.”

“Two decades ago, it was far less common to find discipline-based education researchers—folks such as myself hired into disciplinary departments to conduct research on education from within,” he observes, adding that when he was hired in 2003, CU ��«��Ƶ was “extremely forward-looking” in such a hire.

“Now it is both much more common and CU has established itself as an international leader in this space, boasting researchers across a wide array of disciplinary departments focusing on education and in schools of education focusing on undergraduate science learning,” he says.

Finkelstein also notes that educators have broadened goals in their courses “to focus on the whole array of learning and educational practice, rather than the initial staples of attending to students’ conceptual understanding and algorithmic capacities.”

Now, he adds, “we are attending to how students think about our fields; what habits of mind they are developing; how we build inclusive environments and support a sense of belonging among the breadth of learners; who we are not including and why.”

Additionally, educators have also moved way from viewing their jobs as “fixing students” or addressing their "deficiencies" and now place greater emphases on the “systems that our learners are participating in to support their substantial capacities.”

Otero is internationally recognized for her foundational work with the Learning Assistant (LA) model and the International LA Alliance. The LA model was established in 2001 when Otero was hired by the ��«��Ƶ in STEM education and as the first physics education researcher at CU ��«��Ƶ.

She is a President’s Teaching Scholar and served as an advisor for NASA, on committees for the National Academy of Science and is a fellow of the American Physical Society, which awarded her team the Excellence in Physics Education Award in 2019 for their work on the LA model.

The LA model improves student success by increasing the diversity of CU ��«��Ƶ’s instructional teams through the inclusion of pedagogically trained undergraduate LAs. Otero’s team provides continuing development opportunities for professors and undergraduates, supporting their growth as educational leaders, mentors and state-of-the-art educational innovators.

“Working with LAs has helped me refresh my teaching strategies and resist the temptation to just do what's worked in the past,” a participating professor commented. “I enjoy helping LAs take on responsibility and gain confidence in their leadership skills, and in turn, this experience reminds me of the greater purpose and goals of education.”

LAs rarely provide direct instruction; instead, they facilitate group interactions, answer questions that students may be embarrassed to ask instructors and give general guidance such as how to study and where to find health care resources.

They relate to students, give them voice, care about them and help them learn. LAs plan and reflect with professors, providing information about how students are experiencing the course, bringing students closer to the professor, especially in large courses.

Learning Assistants maintain both a peer and educator role, which may allow the breaking down of psychological barriers in the minds of students due to formal boundaries, possibly preventing them from seeking help for fear of bothering the professor or appearing incompetent.”

participating LA observed, “LAs maintain both a peer and educator role, which may allow the breaking down of psychological barriers in the minds of students due to formal boundaries, possibly preventing them from seeking help for fear of bothering the professor or appearing incompetent.”

Today, approximately 400 LAs are hired each year at CU ��«��Ƶ, serving more than 20,000 students each year. Research shows that students who have experienced a STEM course with LAs are 60% more likely to succeed in subsequent STEM courses. The model has caught on.

Universities all over the world have realized that the LA model can transform their institutions, building lasting capacity for sustained offerings of high-quality, learner-centered instruction.

In these settings, students feel included and valued and are comfortable accessing multiple forms of support in and outside of the classroom. The thousands of CU ��«��Ƶ students who have served as LAs and LA mentors have become effective leaders, teachers and team members, prepared for the increasingly diverse and interdisciplinary workforce.

On Oct. 27, professors from universities around the world will come to CU ��«��Ƶ, as they do each year, to learn about and share research regarding the LA model.

Otero founded the Learning Assistant Alliance in 2009, and since then, more than 3,000 professors from more than 560 universities and 28 countries have joined. Otero has been invited to Norway, Egypt, Japan and the United Kingdom to provide guidance and support for country-level adoptions of the LA Model.

Otero is also known for her foundational work with PEER Physics, a high school physics curriculum and teacher professional learning community adopted by high schools from Seattle to New York.

“We used to be gullible before this class, but now evidence has our backs,” a PEER Physics student said, while another noted, “This course has provided a very safe and helpful learning environment for me. This class is all about working with others and has really helped me learn the material—it has also lifted my spirits about the science subject in general.”

A PEER Physics teacher said, “PEER Physics gives ownership to students who haven’t had ownership in other science classrooms before. It empowers them to take charge of their own learning rather than just being fed information. I think it challenges their analytical skills.”

Another teacher said, “I think if the PEER Physics teacher community didn’t exist, I would have left education. This has kept me in, really enhanced my life, and the life of my students.”

Otero found empowerment and joy in physics when she took her first physics course at the University of New Mexico. “I always loved learning,” she says. “My dad always taught us that learning is a great privilege, and I committed my life to making positive learning opportunities available for students like me.”

As a first-generation college student, Otero has first-hand knowledge about how a Hispanic woman can navigate physics and academia and achieve great success through a supportive community like CU ��«��Ƶ. Otero says that she developed leadership skills by working at her parents’ grocery store and at the New Mexico State Fair since she was 12.

Twenty-three years after starting at CU ��«��Ƶ, she continues to work with the Learning Assistant Alliance and PEER Physics to find ways to include, rather than exclude, people from physics.

Did you enjoy this article? Subcribe to our newsletter. Want to learn more? View Otero's Ed Talk at this link.

CU ��«��Ƶ professors Noah Finkelstein of physics and Valerie Otero of education have won the 2023 Svend Pedersen Award and Lecture from Stockholm University.

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Two science-education experts honored by American Physical Society

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 22:54:25 +0000

Two science-education experts honored by American Physical Society Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 11/11/2021 - 15:54

CU ��«��Ƶ’s Katherine K. Perkins and Valerie K. Otero cited for groundbreaking work to understand and improve science education

Two ��«��Ƶ faculty members who work to improve science education have been designated as 2021 fellows by the American Physical Society (APS), the association has announced.

Katherine Perkins

The APS Fellowship Program recognizes members who have advanced the field of physics through research and publication or have made significant innovative contributions by application of physics to science and technology. Each year, no more than 0.5% of the APS’s non-student membership is recognized for election to the status of Fellow of the APS.

This year’s fellows are Professors Katherine K. Perkins of physics and Valerie K. Otero of education.

Perkins is director of the PhET Interactive Simulations Project. The APS cited her for “profound contributions to physics education through the vision and leadership of the PhET project, resulting in the creation of many high-quality interactive simulations for teaching physics to hundreds of millions of students and teachers globally.”

Perkins, who is also a professor attendant rank in physics and specializes in physics education research, focuses on pedagogically effective design and use of interactive simulations, sustainable course reform, students' beliefs about science and institutional change. Formerly, she served as director of CU ��«��Ƶ’s Science Education Initiative.

Perkins was trained as experimental physicist and atmospheric scientist at Harvard University, from which she earned her PhD in 2000. She joined the CU ��«��Ƶ faculty in 2003, working as a postdoctoral researcher with Carl Wieman, who shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with Eric Cornell.

Valerie Otero

Otero is professor of science education and executive director of the Colorado Learning Assistant Program and the International Learning Assistant Alliance. The APS cited her for “the creation and broad dissemination of innovative physics curricular materials, pioneering contributions to physics teacher education and professional development, and for the development, implementation and wide dissemination of the Learning Assistant Model across diverse institutions.”

Otero, who co-founded the Learning Assistant model and International Learning Assistant Alliance, is also the co-founder and co-director of the CU ��«��Ƶ Center for STEM Learning and the PEER Physics project, which engages high school students and teachers.

Her research explores the dynamic and inclusive nature of the learning environments, focusing on “cultivating expert learners rather than expert knowers,” whether these learners are K–12 or university faculty or students. Otero is a Hispanic, first-generation college student who grew up working at the carnival in New Mexico. She focuses her research and programs on learning environments that promote empowerment, agency and self-love through the disciplines.

Otero earned a master’s in geophysics from the University of California, San Diego, in 1995 and a PhD in mathematics and science education and physics education research from UCSD and San Diego State University in 2001. She joined the CU ��«��Ƶ faculty in 2001. The APS is a nonprofit organization established in 1899 to expand and promote the understanding of physics through publication of scientific journals, organization of scientific meetings, education, public outreach, advocacy and government affairs and international activities.

It has more than 55,000 members and publishes 14 physical review journals.

CU ��«��Ƶ’s Katherine K. Perkins and Valerie K. Otero cited for groundbreaking work to understand and improve science education.

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PhET simulations keep students engaged while learning science remotely

Anonymous — Mon, 04 May 2020 22:04:43 +0000

PhET simulations keep students engaged while learning science remotely Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 05/04/2020 - 16:04

Cay Leytham-Powell

CU ��«��Ƶ’s PhET Interactive Simulations are providing critical support to teachers, students and parents during the COVID-19 pandemic

As schools adapt to the new normal of teaching remotely, teachers—particularly science teachers—need innovative approaches to keep students engaged. And one way they are finding that is through PhET Interactive Simulations.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began and schools were forced to shift to remote learning, PhET—a ��«��Ƶ STEM (or science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education project—has seen the usage of its free, interactive science simulations increase substantially across the globe, with use in hard-hit countries like Italy and France increasing by 500%.

“As schools around the world switch to remote learning, many teachers, students and parents who might not have used any science or math simulations before are now discovering and using PhET’s library of simulations for the first time,” said Kathy Perkins, director of PhET Interactive Simulations.

“It’s been a challenging time for everyone involved, and we’re happy we can play a part in providing solutions.”

PhET, which originally stood for “Physics Education Technology,” was started in 2002 by Carl Wieman, a former CU ��«��Ƶ physics professor and one of five Nobel Laureates from the university, when he saw the educational force of physics simulations.

While PhET originally focused solely on physics simulations and education, today it is a pioneering science and math educational resource that seeks to improve STEM literacy and accessibility across the globe by covering topics ranging from atoms to algebra.

Since its launch, PhET’s simulations, which number over 100, have been translated into 90 languages and used in more than 200 countries and territories. PhET has also begun to work with commercial partners like BrainPOP, Nearpod and Pearson to integrate their simulations into more teaching products.

I think one of the simulations’ greatest values during this time is their ability to continue to engage students’ curiosity in science and to enable their exploration of scientific phenomena in ways that are consistent with science practices"

Before the pandemic, Perkins says that teachers would often use a combination of PhET simulations, lab equipment, demonstrations and classroom activities. Without access to their classrooms, though, teachers are turning to PhET or other online simulations as a key resource that can continue to provide opportunities for students to engage in science or math.

And this has translated into an increase in usage. Since the outbreak began, PhET has seen over 4 million uses every week and increases in usage across Europe. While in the United States, where many teachers already used PhET simulations during classroom instruction, the online software has allowed teachers to continue with similar lessons now with students at home.

“The simulations that PhET offers are an excellent way to make sure that students can get the lab hours that they need. If I were to do some other sort of lab that required certain materials, I can’t guarantee that all of the students in their home might have all of those materials. … To have the online simulation with everything they need ready to go is amazing,” said Andrew Wallace, a physics teacher at World View High School in the Bronx, an area hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

“PhET really streamlines everything. Right now, everybody just has such high stress levels, and any way that we can reduce that stress is worth it, so having everything ready to go is great at reducing that stress.”

In response to the immediate needs of teachers and commercial partners since the pandemic began, PhET has expanded their capabilities. They’ve begun creating lessons for remote learning, adding Google Doc capability to their lesson database, sharing teacher tips for using PhET with remote lessons, releasing prototype simulations, and introducing new technology to improve ease of access to their older simulations.

A screenshot of the Projectile Motion simulation depicts a vintage car being shot from a cannon over the likeness of Michelangelo's David.

“I think one of the simulations’ greatest values during this time is their ability to continue to engage students’ curiosity in science and to enable their exploration of scientific phenomena in ways that are consistent with science practices,” said Perkins.

“How do you explore something? What questions do you ask? What evidence do you collect? How do you present that evidence? How do you explain things? Giving them something that provides that hands-on type of experimentation but in a situation where a teacher cannot provide that hands-on experience.”

Jacqui Hayes, an education technology consultant that works with PhET, agrees:

“For many years, PhET has been pushing the boundaries of digital science education. It’s a really tough challenge,” she says.

“All of a sudden, teachers no longer have their classroom and have to rely on digital activities. Through this experience, I think people have realized just how hard it is to create true inquiry activities in the digital environment, and this is part of the reason why even more people are turning to PhET than ever before. This definitely is the best way we know to teach science online.”

And Perkins is hopeful that even beyond the pandemic, the increased demand will continue:

“Once teachers have returned to the classroom, we hope that they continue to use PhET simulations and see the value of incorporating digital science inquiry into their teaching.”

Learn more about online educational resources offered by the ��«��Ƶ to the community, like PhET Interactive Simulations, on the Community Outreach and Engagement Programs website.

CU ��«��Ƶ’s PhET Interactive Simulations are providing critical support to teachers, students and parents during the COVID-19 pandemic

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CU ��«��Ƶ prof and 100 women set sail for Antarctica

Anonymous — Mon, 25 Nov 2019 22:15:32 +0000

CU ��«��Ƶ prof and 100 women set sail for Antarctica Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 11/25/2019 - 15:15

Sarah Kuta

With the motto ‘Mother Nature needs her daughters,’ group aims to support women working in STEMM in the hope of better sustaining Earth and its people

Cassandra Brooks has spent much of her life studying and working to preserve Antarctica.

Now, she’s sharing her love and knowledge of the southernmost continent with a group of 100 intrepid women seeking to become global leaders in environmental sustainability.

Brooks, a ��«��Ƶ assistant professor of environmental studies, is serving as a faculty member on a three-week Antarctic expedition organized by Homeward Bound Project, a worldwide initiative that began in 2016 to “heighten the influence and impact of women in making decisions that shape our planet,” according to the organization.

“Their tagline is ‘Mother Nature needs her daughters,’ with the idea being that if we actually lift women who work in (science, technology, engineering, math and medicine), we will have a better chance of sustaining the Earth and humanity,” said Brooks.

So far, three cohorts of women have successfully participated in Homeward Bound Project’s 12-month leadership program and traveled to Antarctica. The participants, who applied to the program from all over the world, are at various stages in their careers in science, technology, engineering, math and medicine (STEMM).

All told, Homeward Bound Project wants 1,000 women to participate in the program and visit Antarctica by 2026.

Brooks is part of the fourth cohort, which has 100 participants and 12 faculty members (Homeward Bound Project says this trip is the largest women-only expedition to Antarctica). She’ll spend approximately three weeks with the group, which spent several days in Ushuaia, Argentina, before departing for Antarctica aboard a ship.

Cassandra Brooks, a ��«��Ƶ assistant professor of environmental studies.

During their time at sea, the women are participating in workshops focused on leadership, visibility, strategy and science.

“How do the women become better leaders, become more visible?” said Brooks. “A lot of it will focus on women taking a deep dive and learning about who they are. It’s this idea of authenticity and knowing who you are and not trying to lead in the way that someone else might lead, but really knowing your own strengths.”

Weather permitting, the group is also exploring the continent and spend time learning about topics such as Antarctic science bases and penguin colonies.

Cassandra Brooks standing next to a penguin crop while serving as a faculty member on a three-week Antarctic expedition organized by Homeward Bound Project.

As a science faculty member on the trip, Brooks is charged with educating the women about the Antarctic environment and helping them prepare mini science presentations about themselves and their work. Other faculty members onboard the ship specialize in leadership, strategy, personal well-being and visibility in STEMM fields.

Brooks, who joined the CU ��«��Ƶ environmental studies faculty in 2017, has worked on Antarctic science and conservation for the last 15 years in varying roles ranging from marine science to outreach to policy. Along with other scientists and advocates, Brooks and her husband, John Weller, a photographer and filmmaker, helped to protect 598,000 square miles of the Ross Sea off Antarctica, creating the world’s largest marine preserve in 2017.

The group of 100 intrepid women seeking to become global leaders in environmental sustainability while on a three-week Antarctic expedition organized by Homeward Bound Project.

“It’s been an essential part of my life for a long time, this profoundly beautiful place,” Brooks said of Antarctica.

With her interdisciplinary background, Brooks was drawn to CU ��«��Ƶ by its multi-faceted environmental studies program after earning her doctorate from Stanford in 2017.

“The department is fantastic, they truly value interdisciplinary work and people who have blended backgrounds and can bring that diverse perspective to the world,” she said.

Interested in learning more about Antarctica?

The CU Museum of Natural History has an exhibit titled “Ross Sea: The Last Ocean” on view now. The exhibit portrays the effort to protect the Ross Sea and features John Weller’s photos. Learn more here.

The group of 100 intrepid women seeking to become global leaders in environmental sustainability while on a three-week Antarctic expedition organized by Homeward Bound Project.

With the motto ‘Mother Nature needs her daughters,’ group aims to support women working in STEMM in the hope of better sustaining Earth and its people.

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Dance and tech do a pas de deux on NSF-funded project

Anonymous — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 21:23:36 +0000

Dance and tech do a pas de deux on NSF-funded project Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 10/28/2019 - 15:23

Kenna Bruner

One goal is to increase the diversity of STEM fields by emphasizing that ‘we need to stop trying to get girls to act like boys in order to be part of the math world’

Under-represented students in STEM are about to get a leg up, thanks to a new project merging dance and technology from the ��«��Ƶ and New York University.

Michelle Ellsworth, Ben Shapiro and Edd Taylor

The cross-disciplinary project, which was awarded a $1.1 million grant from the National Science Foundation, will examine how to integrate machine learning, data science and physical computing in the context of movement-based learning to expand the scope and relevance of creative computing into established dance practices.

“Cross-disciplinary collaborations open up many doors you wouldn’t expect,” said Michelle Ellsworth, professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance and interim director for the Center for Media Arts and Performance in the university's ATLAS Institute.

On the team are Ben Shapiro, assistant professor of computer science at CU ��«��Ƶ, Ellsworth and Edd Taylor, assistant professor in STEM education, who also has a background in cheerleading. Mary West, doctoral student in computer science with experience as a performance artist, is also part of the team.

“What’s unique is that none of us has just one neighborhood of expertise. We’re not just the dancer, the education specialist,” Ellsworth said.

“Rather than making the existing clubhouse of computer science more friendly, (we sought) to build a new kind of clubhouse which goes to the dancers’ space, to the dance studio. It’s tapping into their existing interest and knowledge. To have dancers and cheerleaders feel they legitimately and inherently have access.”

An image from a performance-art piece by Michelle Ellsworth called "Post Verbal Social Network," which was supported by a Guggenheim Fellowship, typifies the kind of transdisciplinary work she does. That work, she said, shows what a "physically productive, non-language based, non-mediated, pre-industrial, 3D dance/communication looks and feels like.” Photo by Nicholas Caputo. At the top of the page is an image of student Emily Daub, who fuses dance and technology. Photo courtesy of ATLAS Institute.

The research project, which is titled Integrating Physical Computing and Data Science in Movement Based Learning, will focus on the design of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning-environments for an underrepresented group: female high school students who are dancers or cheerleaders in Colorado and New York.

Working with a step team, two cheerleading teams and the New York City nonprofit, STEM From Dance, researchers will explore how established practices and knowledge of dance can support learning about computing.

“This is about finding ways to connect computer science and education with dance and cheerleading,” Shapiro said.

“Young women who are dancers or cheerleaders are members of the same population that have been for many years systematically excluded from the field of computer science. The vision for this project is to ask what are the ways we can bring computer science to dance and cheerleading. The idea is to use technology to improve your athletic skills or enhance your performances. For example, costumes that react to movement.”

As part of the project, students will create computing systems with programmable electronics worn on the body (physical computing) and use those systems to create statistical models of movement and gesture (data science and machine learning), and then apply the models in a “digital experiential learning environment,” or a digital environment where students learn by doing.

Working closely with physical education teachers and participating students, researchers will produce design principles, curricula, new educational technologies and comparative analyses.

Some of the questions the research team will address include:

How can computing be leveraged to build expertise in dance and cheerleading?
How can dance and cheerleading be leveraged to build expertise in computing?
What are the challenges and opportunities of integrating computing into physical education practices?

The research will be conducted in three parts. Phase one will consist of conducting interviews and observations at three sites—New York and two locations in Colorado. Phase two involves design sessions with physical educators and computing educators to better understand how physical movement and computing can complement both. Phase three will entail piloting the integrated physical education and computing curricula across the three sites.

“Something I think about is identity,” Taylor said. “The argument is that we need to stop trying to get girls to act like boys in order to be part of the math world. We’re not asking them to do things they would not normally do or are interested in. By integrating this type of work within a context they are confident in and that is consistent with their identity has some interesting identity play and a lot of cool learning.”

One goal is to increase the diversity of STEM fields by emphasizing that ‘we need to stop trying to get girls to act like boys in order to be part of the math world.’

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Scientists, educators honored for excellence in science education

Anonymous — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 23:04:13 +0000

Scientists, educators honored for excellence in science education Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 10/22/2018 - 17:04

In both the classroom and the lab, the ��«��Ƶ is a great place to learn physics and other natural sciences, according to the American Physical Society (APS).

The APS, a nonprofit group calling itself “the leading voices in physics,” today announced its spring 2019 awards, and CU ��«��Ƶ scientists have earned two of those prizes.

Heather Lewandowski, CU ��«��Ƶ associate professor of physics, has won the Jonathan F. Reichert and Barbara Wolff-Reichert Award for Excellence in Advanced Laboratory Instruction. Additionally, an interdisciplinary team of scientists and educators has won the Excellence in Physics Education Award for their work with the Colorado Learning Assistant (LA) Program and the Learning Assistance Alliance, an international initiative based in the School of Education.

Heather Lewandowski

The APS recognized Lewandowsky for “systematic and scholarly transformation of advanced laboratories in physics, for building leading assessment tools of laboratories, and for national service advancing our advanced laboratory educational community.”

John Cumalat, chair of CU ��«��Ƶ’s Department of Physics, said Lewandowski’s award was well-deserved:

“In a department dedicated to and known internationally for its educational impacts, Professor Lewandowski is the most dedicated and effective instructor in our advanced laboratories,” Cumalat wrote. “She has positively impacted the lives of hundreds of students taking these labs and dozens of instructors teaching in these environments. We are grateful for her work and proud to have her as a member of our faculty.”

Lewandowski herself emphasized that the award reflects a group effort: “This award recognizes the creative work of a team of talented postdoc researchers over the last seven years,” she said.

The APS also honored a team of scholars for the development of the LA model, derived from the Learning Assistant Program, and the associated Learning Assistant Alliance, “which has enhanced physics teacher education and recruitment, supported undergraduate course transformation, and physics-instructor professional development.”

That CU ��«��Ƶ team includes Valerie Otero, professor of education; Steve Pollock, professor of physics; Dick McCray, professor emeritus of astrophysical and planetary sciences; and Laurie Langdon, co-director of the LA Program. Also recognized is Steve Iona, teaching professor of physics at the University of Denver.

Left to right: Valerie Otero, Steven Pollock, Dick McCray, Laurie Langdon and Steve Iona.

By employing undergraduate students as teaching coaches, the LA program aims both to improve introductory math and science classes and recruit and train future K-12 science and math teachers.

In 2001, McCray and Otero collaborated to launch the Learning Assistant teaching model as an attempt to improve science-education outcomes. The LA model is an opt-in program that offersresources and structuresthat lead to changes in values and practices among faculty, departments, students and the institution itself, according to a program history.

Central to the program are undergraduate LAs, who encourage active student engagement in the classroom. LAs facilitate group discussions in the classroom, guide students on how to navigate and manage material in a course, provide feedback to students as they develop projects or presentations, offer study tips and help motivate students to succeed.

LAs receive guidance through weekly preparation sessions with the course instructors as well as pedagogy courses taught by discipline-based educators.

Pollock, who was named a 2013 U.S. Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education,said he feels “particularly honored to be included” among those being recognized.

He said LAs at CU ��«��Ƶ directly benefit thousands of CU physics students every year in multiple courses.

“LAs have had (and continue to have) a huge positive impact not just on themselves and the students in their classes, but on the faculty, who work with them as well (including me). Indeed, my own entry into the field of Physics Education Research in the early 2000s was strongly influenced by those initial efforts and data collection and course development that revolved around working with and for the LA program.”

Cumalat added that CU physics has long been “the national leader in STEM innovation.”

The LA Alliance’s 2018 International LA Workshop, an annual event, is scheduled in ��«��Ƶ Nov. 3-5, Otero noted, adding that the event is drawing colleagues from 47 universities including Stanford in North America and many universities worldwide.

At the top of page, Cassandra Ly is shown in 2009 working with students as an LA in a first-year chemistry class. Ly has since become a middle-school science teacher and STEM coordinator in the Washington, D.C., area. CU ��«��Ƶ file photo by Glenn Asakawa.

In both the classroom and the lab, the ��«��Ƶ is a great place to learn physics and other natural sciences, according to the American Physical Society.

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Google expands STEM-ed access, reach with $2 million-plus gift

Anonymous — Thu, 28 Jun 2018 21:29:03 +0000

Google expands STEM-ed access, reach with $2 million-plus gift Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 06/28/2018 - 15:29

Google on Thursday announced a $1.5 million Google.org grant in support of CU ��«��Ƶ’s global STEM education project, PhET Interactive Simulations, and rent-free space for the CU ��«��Ƶ-founded National Center for Women & Information Technology.

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CU ��«��Ƶ to help boost 'active learning' in STEM education

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Feb 2018 19:40:12 +0000

CU ��«��Ƶ to help boost 'active learning' in STEM education Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 02/06/2018 - 12:40

Doug McPherson

Such learning helps students develop math skills, reasoning and ability to communicate mathematical reasoning to others, mathematician says

The ��«��Ƶ has been chosen by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) to help lead the SEMINAL project—a study funded by the National Science Foundation researching how to best incorporate “active learning” into math classrooms.

The SEMINAL award, or Student Engagement in Mathematics through an Institutional Network for Active Learning, is part of a national push to promote active learning—students learning via meaningful activities versus lectures—in undergraduate math education for students working toward a degree in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields.

Robert Tubbs

The APLU says it chose CU ��«��Ƶ because of its past success using active learning in math instruction.

“CU professors have been using active learning techniques in their classes for many years—at least since 1993,” says Robert Tubbs, associate professor of math at CU ��«��Ƶ.

He adds that the math department began adding active learning in calculus a decade ago by allowing students to work in groups on worksheets.

Other examples of active learning at CU ��«��Ƶ involve students’ gathering in groups to sort and categorize cards with graphs on them; align math “dominoes” so that a question on one domino matches the answer on the next; and arrange “sentence cards” into the correct order to form a valid math argument.

“We now use active learning several days a week, not only in precalculus and calculus sequence, but also other introductory math courses,” Tubbs says.

He says active learning is “central to what we hope to achieve for our students—developing their math skills, their reasoning and their ability to communicate mathematical ideas and reasoning to others. It also makes the classroom a more equitable place by encouraging all students to become engaged with math.”

Eric Stade, a colleague of Tubbs and professor of math at CU ��«��Ƶ, agrees and says both he and Tubbs believe in active learning for math because they have seen its benefits first hand, but they also know studies have shown it works.

One such study, which was the largest study of undergraduate STEM education literature to date—a meta-analysis of 225 studies—found that students using active learning methods had higher course grades by half a letter grade, and students in classes with traditional lectures were 1.5 times more likely to fail.

“We strongly believe that it better prepares students for the work they will do after their college careers as well,” Stade says.

Through the award, CU and the APLU will research how best to encourage active learning at nine U.S. universities and then develop models that all universities can adopt.

Howard Gobstein, APLU’s executive vice president and one of the principal investigators, says many introductory math courses are “the biggest hurdle” for students beginning their STEM course work. He adds there is “a persistent shortage” of skilled workers in STEM fields and that SEMINAL is “a tremendous opportunity to broaden participation.”

Gobstein says there’s evidence that active learning is more effective than traditional methods. “We’re thrilled to scale an approach that we know works to help more students realize their dreams in the STEM fields,” he said.

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Striving to help women feel they belong in physics

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Apr 2017 19:57:57 +0000

Striving to help women feel they belong in physics Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 04/25/2017 - 13:57

Courtney Packard

'We recognize that learning is a social act, and we are creating social structures where we want people to build a sense of belonging in this enterprise'

By creating a sense of belonging for women in physics, the ��«��Ƶ is helping female students succeed, experts in the field say.

“Flipping” classrooms, endorsing hard work over innate ability and creating positive social connections in and outside the classroom are all contributing to students’ success, they add.

With increasing concern about the gender gap in STEM education (science, technology, engineering and math), researchers are examining sociocultural factors that could help explain this disparity.

In 2012, only 39 percent of bachelor degrees in the physical sciences were awarded to women, compared to more than 50 percent of women earning bachelor degrees in biological sciences.

CU ��«��Ƶ researchers in physics and psychology lay out the case for how to attain parity in a recently published journal article titled, “Fitting in or opting out: a review of key social-psychological factors influencing a belonging for women in physics.” The researchers noted that women who left STEM majors reported “feeling like outsiders in the traditionally male-centered culture in STEM.”

Tiffany Ito

Tiffany Ito, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at CU and one of the article’s authors, says a low sense of belonging could be contributing to fewer women in physics.

“You look around the class, and you don’t see people who look like you. That sends the implicit message that you’re not the type of person who belongs here, which contributes to a low sense of belonging,” Ito says.

The more valued and accepted students feel within their academic discipline, the more motivated and engaged they are in the classroom, resulting in higher levels of performance.

However, stereotypes in the predominantly male-dominated field of physics could prompt female students to feel less able to succeed.

“There’s the belief that some of the physical sciences and engineering and computer science are fields where you need to have more innate brilliance in order to pursue them,” Ito says.

Noah Finkelstein, a professor of physics at CU who specializes in physics education research and one of Ito’s co-authors, adds, “Those things only get realized in social circumstances, and if we recognize that our job is to help people develop and reach their potentials, that we endorse hard work over brilliance, we will be much more inclusive in this enterprise.”

“The concern is that when students are in really challenging introductory classes, they think they are the only ones who are struggling like that and that therefore it means they are not cut out to do this, and this might be exacerbated for people who are underrepresented,” Ito says.

“Women might particularly think, ‘Everybody else is doing fine. I’m the only one who can’t master this material. It must be because I’m not cut out for this.’”

Noah Finkelstein, shown here teaching an introductory course, says students in introductory courses can believe they are struggling more than their classmates to master new material, and this effect can be more pronounced when most other students don't look like them. He contends that female students benefit from role models in the field. At the top of the page, Physics Professor Margaret Murnane is one of three female physicists at CU ��«��Ƶ to win a MacArthur "Genius Grant."

However, research shows that normalizing these struggles can aid students’ success, particularly women’s success.

“We’re focusing on an intervention to normalize struggles for students and to point out that it gets better,” Ito explains. “What we try to convey is that, in fact, most people are probably having those struggles to some degree and that if you persist, you will probably find a way to manage that and master the material.”

Finkelstein says that the perception of gender bias in this field is “reflective of a level of injustice and systemic bias in our educational system and our society at large.”

CU ��«��Ƶ is finding ways to increase students’ success in this particularly rigorous field.

Finkelstein says, “The idea is to make our classrooms student-centered and interactive. It is a known and proven thing that these kinds of student-centered inquiry do better than our traditional forms of lecture. That’s been shown quite dramatically.”

“We have a really active and highly regarded STEM-education community here,” Ito adds. “We have the Center for STEM Learning, which is an interdisciplinary unit that focuses on STEM education. Many people within the physics department are very focused and experienced in STEM education issues. This has been a very receptive and collaborative community.”

“Why not have the systems themselves adapt and meet the students halfway?” Finkelstein suggests. “We can adapt the structure of our classrooms so that it more naturally fits the students.”

“When we do create supportive environments for these students, they do amazing and remarkably impactful things.”

Involving students in their academic and social environment outside the classroom can also contribute to students’ sense of belonging at the university.

“We recognize that learning is a social act, and we are creating social structures where we want people to build a sense of belonging in this enterprise,” Finkelstein says.

“CU wants to be inclusive and support diversity in its student body,” Ito explains. “These kinds of initiatives convey to students that this is a place you can come if you have interest in these areas and do well.”

CU Prime is one such program that is working to ensure that students are successful in the classroom.

Students are less likely to have taken physics in high school than they are biology. So when they come, it’s not a surprise that if they’re looking at majors or they’re looking at classes to take in college, biology is more familiar and maybe it seems more interesting and they build a greater sense of confidence in their ability to do it.”

The initiative pairs undergraduate students with mentors from grad programs, allowing new students to engage in research in the early stages of their academic career and showcase their work.

Women in Physics, a community of undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty at CU, recently held a three-day regional conference where students attended workshops and panels on topics such as “Careers in Physics,” “Life in Graduate School” and “Creating Inclusive Communities in Physics.”

With programs such as these, Finkelstein says, “We are on the leading edge of a national movement.”

He adds, “The more inclusive excellence is a topic of discussion on our campus, the better off we all are for it.”

However, women are not underrepresented in all STEM majors. Mathematics, the life sciences such as biology and the social sciences produce a greater number of women graduates.

“Students reach college with different exposure to different areas of science,” Ito explains. “Students are less likely to have taken physics in high school than they are biology. So when they come, it’s not a surprise that if they’re looking at majors or they’re looking at classes to take in college, biology is more familiar and maybe it seems more interesting and they build a greater sense of confidence in their ability to do it.”

Ito explains, “They’re more likely to take those classes and maybe more likely to entertain the possibility of being a biology major.”

Creating a sense of belonging for women in physics conveys benefits beyond the classroom.

“The more women you have going into the profession, the more diversity you are getting in the workforce, and that can be more innovative,” Ito says.

“The leading national argument for more women in physics is workforce needs,” Finkelstein says. “I’m going to flip that. Let’s have more women in the workforce not to meet the needs of Lockheed Martin, but to define what Lockheed Martin becomes. They are the people who define what the workforce of tomorrow is.”

CU ��«��Ƶ faculty have won nine MacArthur “Genius” Grants, four of them awarded to women. Three of the four CU ��«��Ƶ female Genius Grant winners were physicists.

“Women are our geniuses on campus, so let’s support that,” Finkelstein says. “More people should have access to take physics and understand that this is apart of their broad liberal education, and should she want to, any woman, in our school system at any level should be allowed access to, supported, and promoted in doing physics.”

He adds, “Diversity is a form of strength in our system. The great American experiment has been one of diversity and inclusion. And that is something we have to celebrate.”

By creating a sense of belonging for women in physics, the ��«��Ƶ is helping female students succeed, experts in the field say.

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