Research network aims to improve learning outcomes for students underrepresented in STEM

Date:
October 19, 2020
Source:
University of Minnesota
Summary:
A recent report lays out gaps in the biology education field and
proposes leveraging an existing research coordination network
called Equity and Diversity in Undergraduate STEM (EDU-STEM)
to tackle them.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields lack
diversity.

It is an issue that a group of University of Minnesota-led biology
education researchers is aiming to address through a targeted effort to
bring diverse perspectives to the foreground.


========================================================================== Their report published in CBE -- Life Sciences Education lays out gaps in
the biology education field and proposes leveraging an existing research coordination network called Equity and Diversity in Undergraduate STEM
(EDU- STEM) to tackle them.

The vast majority of biology education research is completed at
leading public research universities, known as R1 institutions, where
the student populations tend to be majority middle- and upper-class
white students. Research conducted in these settings informs teaching strategies and content that is leveraged in classrooms with more diverse demographics, including tribal universities and colleges, community
colleges, minority-serving institutions, and historically Black colleges
and universities. These institutions serve a much larger portion of historically underrepresented groups than R1 institutions.

"As it stands now, biology education research does not capture student experiences across diverse institutions," said Seth Thompson, the director
of outreach in the College of Biological Sciences (CBS) and a lead author
on the report.

EDU-STEM consists of education researchers from across STEM disciplines
who focus on addressing gaps in introductory courses. The network first launched in 2017 and is co-led by CBS Associate Professor Sehoya Cotner
and Cissy Ballen, a former postdoc in the Cotner Lab and now a faculty
member at Auburn University.

Although the network currently consists of biology educational
researchers, the group hopes to expand and include education researchers
in other STEM disciplines.

EDU-STEM is seeking additional collaborators to join the
network. Instructors from tribal universities and colleges, community
colleges, minority-serving institutions, and historically Black colleges
and universities are encouraged to join.

"Student experiences are very different across institutions and thus
the effect of educational interventions can be wildly different," said Thompson. "The majority of recommendations highlight student experiences
from predominantly white R1 institutions. This collaborative network seeks
to change that." Equity and Diversity in Undergraduate STEM (EDU-STEM)
is funded by the National Science Foundation.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Minnesota. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Seth K. Thompson, Sadie Hebert, Sara Berk, Rebecca Brunelli,
Catherine
Creech, Abby Grace Drake, Sheritta Fagbodun, Marcos E. Garcia-Ojeda,
Carrie Hall, Jordan Harshman, Todd Lamb, Rachael Robnett, Miche`le
Shuster, Sehoya Cotner, Cissy J. Ballen. A Call for Data-Driven
Networks to Address Equity in the Context of Undergraduate
Biology. CBE--Life Sciences Education, 2020; 19 (4): mr2 DOI:
10.1187/cbe.20-05-0085 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201019133652.htm

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