STEPping Up Undergraduate Research at MTSU (STEPMT) CBAS Teaching & Learning Seminar February 15, 2005 Tom Cheatham, Andri Friedli, William Robertson,

STEPping Up STEPping Up Undergraduate Research Undergraduate Research

at MTSU (STEPat MTSU (STEPMTMT))

CBAS Teaching & Learning SeminarFebruary 15, 2005

Tom Cheatham, Andri Friedli, William Robertson, & Ginger Rowell

- STEPping Up Undergraduate Research at Middle Tennessee

www.mtsu.edu/~stepmt [email protected]

STEPMT

Presentation OverviewPresentation Overview STEPMT Project Overview Curriculum

– Starting Research Explorations Early

Undergraduate Research– Building an On-Campus Undergraduate

Research Community

Partnerships– Providing Off-Campus Research Opportunities

for Undergraduates



STEPMT

STEPSTEPMTMT Project Overview Project Overview

NSF STEP

STEPMT

STEPMT Team

How can you get involved?



STEPMT

NSF STEP ProgramNSF STEP ProgramSTEM Talent Expansion Program (STEP)

4th competition just completed (Feb 10)

Typically fund 12 of 250 proposals

Focus on recruiting & retention in STEM

Goals of NSF-STEP



STEPMT

NSF STEP GoalsNSF STEP Goals

Program Synopsis: The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Talent Expansion Program (STEP) seeks to increase the number of students (U.S. citizens or permanent residents) receiving associate or baccalaureate degrees in established or emerging fields within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Type 1 proposals are solicited that provide for full implementation efforts at academic institutions. Type 2 proposals are solicited that support educational research projects on associate or baccalaureate degree attainment in STEM.



STEPMT

NSF Program OfficersNSF Program OfficersCognizant Program Officers:

Susan H. Hixson, Lead Program Director, Directorate for Education & Human Resources, Division of Undergraduate Education, 835 N, telephone: (703) 292-4623, fax: (703) 292-9015, email: [email protected]

John R. Haddock, Co-Lead Program Director, Directorate for Education & Human Resources, Division of Undergraduate Education, 835 N, telephone: (703) 292-8670, email: [email protected]

Terry S. Woodin, Program Director, Directorate for Education & Human Resources, Division of Undergraduate Education, 907 N, telephone: (703) 292-8697, fax: (703) 292-9048, email: [email protected]

Lee L. Zia, Program Director, Directorate for Education & Human Resources, Division of Undergraduate Education, 835 N, telephone: (703) 292-5140, fax: (703) 292-9046, email: [email protected]



STEPMT

STEPSTEPMTMT

5 year $1.7 M BIOL, CHEM, CSCI, ETIS, GEOL, MATH, PHYS Mostly retention via

– Curriculum innovation

– Creation of research community

– On campus and off campus research activities

Recruitment through experiences for HS students and teachers



STEPMT

STEPSTEPMTMT Team Team

Tom Cheatham, CBAS, Co-PI Bill Robertson, PHYS, Co-PI Andrienne Friedli, CHEM, Co-PI Ginger Rowell, MATH, Co-PI Brad Rundik, CSCI, Coordinator



STEPMT

How Can You Get Involved ?How Can You Get Involved ?

Develop or apply inquiry-based learning Mentor undergraduate in academic year research Mentor undergraduate in summer research Mentor undergraduate in summer research in

industry Participate in Teaching/Learning Seminar Encourage students to attend Wed 12:30 … Encourage undergraduates to participate in

REUs and research in industry



STEPMT

Curriculum InnovationsCurriculum Innovations

Inquiry-based Learning in Key Lower Division Classes

Student Research Classes

Laboratory Internship Class



STEPMT

Inquiry-based LearningInquiry-based Learning

Inquiry-based

Guided Discovery

Discovery Learning

Research-driven



STEPMT


Inquiry-based

Guided Discovery

Discovery Learning

Research-driven

Students Engaged

Active Participants

Problem Solvers

Thought Provoking



STEPMT


Physics: a model for reaching lower division students

Proposed Explorations: Two course sequence in – BIOL, CHEM, CSCI– ETIS, GEOL, MATH

First courses started mostly Spring 2005



STEPMT

Student Research Classes Student Research Classes

Course Credit for students conducting undergraduate research

Course Credit for students learning about the processes involved in undergraduate research



STEPMT

Student Research Classes Student Research Classes

Undergraduate Research Course– Students conducting research– Working with a mentor– Already exists in many departments

• BIOL, CHEM, PHYS

– Hoping to extend to other departments• Proposal: cross-listed UR course



STEPMT

Student Research ClassesStudent Research Classes

Course credit for students learning about the process of research – Physics has a model– Do others have something similar ?– 1 hour pass/fail credit ?– What would you do for second year ?

Part of building a undergraduate research community



STEPMT

Student Weekly Seminar SeriesStudent Weekly Seminar Series

Wednesday 12:30-11:45

KOM 122 FREE PIZZA

Great Talks! Community!

Please help us spread the word.



STEPMT

Laboratory InternshipLaboratory Internship

Proposed: use Chemistry’s model for teaching their students about being lab assistants

Need to think of the appropriate transitions for other disciplines

Looking for volunteers – Course reassigned time available



STEPMT

Undergraduate Research CommunityUndergraduate Research Community

Aim: Create a community of undergraduate research students across the STEM disciplines.

Why? – Better connection to discipline– Support structure/role models– Interdisciplinary appreciation

NSF: Why? = STEM student retention



STEPMT


How do we get more students involved in research?– Pay them– Offer more research opportunities – Help them find faculty mentors– Teach them to compete for funds and

external research opportunities



STEPMT


Academic year research awards– Administered through the

Undergraduate Research Council– Awards $1000 (+$500 for faculty mentor)

• Plus supply funds up to $300

– Assistants $500– Applications due in mid-Fall semester

(perhaps earlier next year)



STEPMT


$500 is not much but… $500=



STEPMT


Summer Research Teams– Research project designed and led by

MTSU faculty member ($5000)– 2 MTSU undergraduates ($4000/$3000)– High school teacher and high school

student. ($3500/$2000)– Everybody gets paid!



STEPMT


Social engineering– Undergraduate research student lunch

seminars (Wed. 12:40 pm KOM 123)– Undergraduate Research Symposium

(April 15th)– Summer social program TBD– Ideas???



STEPMT



STEPMT

Off-Campus PartnershipsOff-Campus Partnerships

Academia (REU’s)

Government Industry (STEP-IN)

Public Schools (STEP-MTeams)

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are needed to see this picture.



STEPMT

Off-Campus REUsOff-Campus REUs

NSF-REU programs

NASA Jet Propulsion Labs

National LaboratoriesOak Ridge

Other Max Planck Institute, CRNS



STEPMT

Industry Partnerships (STEP-IN)Industry Partnerships (STEP-IN)

Local industries / governmentSubstantive: 10 week summer

research experiencePaid: $5000Well-Defined: ExpectationsLearning Experience: 2 mentorsEvaluated: Written evaluations, report



STEPMT

High School PartnersHigh School Partners

Local: Rutherford County schoolsLasting impact: High school

teacher/student pairSubstantive: 6 week commitmentTeam Effort: Interaction with an MTSU

team



STEPMT

Closing ThoughtsClosing Thoughts

Research community = STEM retentionPay is importantFaculty participation is vital!Academic year and Summer research

teams



STEPMT


Are YOU interested in – using discovery-based learning in class?

– helping develop a research course?

– improving laboratory instruction by students?

– …Please let us know ([email protected])

– We can help form connections



STEPMT


STEP: Research early and often for undergraduates at MTSU

STEPMT: Builds a research community at MTSU for ugs and mentors

STEP-IN: Brings community research to MTSU

STEP-MTeams: Shares MTSU research with the community!

REUs: Sends MTSU students into the world



STEPMT


Check out the website

– www.mtsu.edu/~stepmt

Contact us

– [email protected]

Documents

STEPping Up Undergraduate Research at MTSU (STEPMT) CBAS Teaching & Learning Seminar February 15, 2005 Tom Cheatham, Andri Friedli, William Robertson,