Center for Promoting STEM

Joseph Kotowski, Michael Farquhar, Gloria Liu,

Robert Sompolski, and Carol WardOakton Community College

Board of Trustees MeetingApril 20, 2010

Top Challenges of the 21st Century• Make solar energy affordable

• Provide energy from fusion

• Develop carbon sequestration methods

• Manage the nitrogen cycle

• Provide access to clean water

• Restore and improve urban infrastructure

• Advance health informatics

• Engineer better medicines

• Reverse-engineer the brain

• Prevent nuclear terror

• Secure cyberspace

• Enhance virtual reality

• Advance personalized learning

• Engineer the tools for scientific discovery

2National Academy of Engineering 2008

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MWGCP Forum, Apr. 8, 2010

APEX Scholarship $580,550 S-STEM Grant DUE- 0728432 in 2007 - 2012

Center for Promoting STEM $249,992 & $797,794STEP Grants DUE-0230682 & DUE-0622329 in 2003 - 2011

Undergraduate Research Collaborative $2,200,000 URC Grant CHE-0629174 in 2006 - 2010

A Team Approach to Reform $199,920Course & Curriculum DUE-9652170

A Collaborative and Technological Environment for Teaching Math $40,000

Undergrad Instrm & Lab Improve DUE-975122Consortium to Improve Chemistry $238,230

Course & Curriculum DUE-9752885Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics

Scholarship $144,342CSEM Grant DUE-9986892

National Science Foundation Grants at Oakton

Center for Promoting STEM

• Encourage and enhance student success and persistence

• Strengthen an existing supportive and rewarding learning environment

• Help create STEM-literate citizens• Distribute successful results

Goal: To help new STEM students settle into Oakton, to create a knowledge sharing environment, to help STEM students develop critical skills to succeed in STEM, to help students develop a STEM career, and to improve retention in STEM.

Mentoring Program(SMP)

Outcome: In 2008-2009, the average GPA of SMP participants before the semester is 2.63, while at the end of semester the average GPA is 3.16.

Academic Support

Study Sessions - Trained facilitators develop and integrate learning and study strategies in voluntary sessions outside class.

Outcome: In all cases, a greater frequency of attendance was associated with higher grades and GPA’s.

Peer Led Learning - Trained facilitators develop and integrate learning and study strategies in required part of class.

Preliminary Outcome from an Intermediate Algebra PLL class: Students in the PLL class received more points on test questions than students in the control group.

Student-Industry-Teacher Simulations (SIT-SIMs)

Teams of industry professionals and Oakton STEM faculty develop and present work-based, hands-on learning modules to high school students and teachers.

2010 SIT-SIMs Topics Air and Light in ActionFISHing for Genes

What’s in My Environment Can You Take the Heat What’s in My Food

Companies represented

Abbott LaboratoriesWeber GrillContinental AutomotiveMachine ToolsUnited Parcel ServiceMidway Game

MotorolaBio Integrated SolutionsTurck Industrial AutomationAll State InsuranceIllinois State Crime LabITW Signode

Problem Based Learning (PBL)Goal: To introduce more context-relevant experience into the classroom.

Preliminary Outcome:Spring 2009, two human genetics classes taught by same instructor

Enrolled Pass FailedTreatment 18 13 5

72.2% 27.8%

Control 29 18 1162.1% 37.9%

Conference for Promoting STEM

Goal: To encourage discussion among area faculty, administrators, and counselors on strategies to increase STEM majors.

TopicsProblem-Based Learning (2007)

Deb Gerdes, Illinois Math and Science AcademyEngaging Students in STEM (2008)

Ruth Williams & Majid Ghadiri, OaktonEffective Strategies to Anxiety (2009)

Dr. Patrick McGrath, Alexian Brothers

Goal: To address the traditionally low retention rates and pass

rates of this course.

Preliminary Outcomes:

Elementary AlgebraMAT051

2009 MAT051 Enrolled Passed Fail IncompleteTreatment 48 40 8 0

83.3% 16.7% 0.0%

Non-Treatment 361 231 126 4

64.0% 34.9% 1.1%

Elementary AlgebraMAT051

STEM Student Experiences

Sustainability-tapping into and building onto

• What it means to have a “Center”

• Event funding (SIT Sims, CoPS)

• Professional development programs (PBL)

• Student success initiatives (mentoring)

• Existing programs – sabbaticals, learning communities, faculty fellows programs…

• Future grant opportunities – internal and external