Claflin University, through funding from the HBCU-UP program, seeks to investigate the following questions: (i) How can high-risk mathematics courses deter students from majoring in STEM; (ii) What is the effect of success in mathematics to attrition rates in STEM; (iii) Can a research-intensive curriculum contribute to a career in STEM? (iv) Does the Claflin University curriculum meet criteria for exemplary mathematics and science teacher preparation?
Claflin's HBCU-UP project, Building Successful Models for Research and Inquiry Based Learning and Teaching, is a comprehensive project that seeks to improve mathematics competencies at the undergraduate level; prepare and train a research-based student population to be competitive for graduate school and/or the research workforce; and to improve mathematics and science teacher preparation through extending the interface between research and pedagogy.
The activities planned for addressing the questions and achieving the objectives of the project are based on research in STEM education. Claflin will implement supplemental instruction in Calculus I, building on current success in College Algebra, Pre-Calculus, Chemistry and Physics, where they have seen decreases in failure rate of 10% - 15%. They will also utilize mathematics software and a MathLab to provide additional online support for the students.
In addition to the enhancements aimed at student success, Claflin is also focusing on developing a research-based curriculum and building an interdisciplinary research infrastructure, especially in the area of Bioscience Technology.
An innovative aspect of Claflin's HBCU-UP project is its plan to build an exemplary model for science and mathematics teaching. They will focus on mathematics education majors at the secondary level, and early, elementary and middle education majors. For these students, a new Special Topics in Science and Mathematics Education course will be developed. Claflin aims to make this course a model for the nation in STEM teaching. The 4-week summer course will incorporate instrumentation, inquiry-based learning, molecular modeling and on-line delivery methods.
The University has assembled a distinguished and experienced group of faculty to lead this project, and is expected to go a long way toward answering the questions posed.
According to President Henry Tisdale, the success of the current/previous HBCU-UP NSF awards have contributed to the national rankings of the university- (HRD-0713853: Building successful models for research and inquiry-based learning and teaching and HRD-0207994: Programs for the Retention and Enrichment of Science, Engineering and Mathematics students). Objective 1: To improve mathematics competencies at the undergraduate level. SI was utilized for the following high-risk courses: General Chemistry, College Algebra, Precalculus and Physics. In addition, the university offered extended classes for College Algebra for students who scored below basic on the mathematics portion of the university mathematics placement exam. The Math Lab (funded by HBCU-UP) houses SI and the extended classes. Approximately 800 students attend the Math Lab annually. Table 1 shows the reduction in failure rates over a 12 year period for chemistry, mathematics and physics courses. In a follow-up study, we tracked over 85% of students in the Pre-Calculus course in order to investigate their performance in upper-level mathematics courses.24 The same students who previously received SI and Math Lab passed upper level mathematics courses i.e. Calculus I & II, Discrete Math, Statistics and Probability, at a higher rate (10%) than non-SI students. Objective 2: To prepare and train a research-based student population to be competitive for graduate school and/or research Workforce. Graduate school matriculation increased by 100% from Phase I to Phase II and by 30% to current year. During the 2011-2012 academic year research internships increased by 45% from baseline 2005 but by more than 480% from Phase I (Table 2). Faculty research increased by 77% from 2005 to current year and scholarly publications has increased by 87% from 2005 to current year. Improved GRE preparation (GRE awards and GRE workshops); more opportunity to present at regional and national conferences; upgraded modern instrumentation (improved opportunity to train research-based student population); increase in faculty research; and increase in successful grantsmanship have all contributed to the rise in both graduate school acceptance and student research participation. Objective 3: To extend the interface between research and pedagogy in improving mathematics and science teacher preparation. The Pre-Service Teacher Institute offered a new course "Special Topics in Science and Mathematics Education" for undergraduate students who intended to become a K-12 teacher majoring in early childhood, elementary, middle or mathematics education. The outcome of the course was increased proficiency in teaching science and mathematics. The institute included a summer component and Saturday workshops. Students participated in workshops that incorporated instrumentation, inquiry-based learning, modeling and on-line delivery methods such as Chem3d, and CaseNex. Approximately ninety-seven (97) pre-service teachers participated in this component from 2008 to 2012, and thirty-three (33) were returning participants. There was a 96% retention rate of cohorts remaining in the education field: 52% are currently STEM teachers in K-12; 3% are seeking teaching positions (December 2012 graduates); 12% are student teaching in the field; 4% are currently in graduate school (seeking an education degree); and 25% are current undergraduate students majoring in education. The program participants were administered a Teacher Confidence Assessment (Table 3). Questions addressed the confidence of an average of thirty (30) program participants each year in the areas of content knowledge, pedagogy, and the teaching and learning environment. Of the twenty-six (26) questions, thirteen (13) questions were related to content knowledge in mathematics, science, or mathematics and science, and nine (9) pedagogical questions, and four (4) teaching and learning environment questions. A comparison of the data showed a significant increase in all categories. Outcomes and Accomplishments Other exemplars of HBCU-UP funding include the following: $5 million dollar Molecular Science Research Center (MSRC); new Science & Technology Complex included in 2011 Capital Campaign; American Chemical Society (ACS) certification of the chemistry and biochemistry major; certified Forensics Laboratory that is housed by the Orangeburg County Police Department; 3 + 4 dual program with Presbyterian College of Pharmacy; 3 + 4 program with the University of South Carolina and the Medical University of South Carolina School of Pharmacy; Cooperative Research Agreement with ECBC; ccontract with Albemarle, Inc. to provide NMR analysis on samples; upgrading engineering curriculum in preparation for ABET accreditation; incorporation of specialized separation and spectroscopy modules in advanced chemistry courses; acquisition of Bruker M4 Tornado X-Ray Fluorometer, Bruker Microtoff II Mass Spectrometer and TA Isothermal Titration Calorimeter. Institutional commitment will continue throughout tenure of the proposed project as demonstrated by the level of commitment provided during the current HBCU-UP award (HRD-0713853): Lab Manager’s position 100% institutionalized; both MathLab Coordinator’s positions are 100% institutionalized; SI is 100% institutionalized for chemistry and math; The Office of Institutional Advancement raised funds to pay installation costs for newly acquired instrumentation; institutionalized laboratory and research assistants during the academic year; institutionalized Honors Scholarships for STEM majors, leveraged with other external funding sources to provide research stipends and faculty release time for research.
