The proposed research will investigate how training students in Creative Problem Solving (CPS) can be used as curricular enhancement to improve STEM engagement, integration and retention at the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) via cognitive, behavioral, and social transformations. Science 100 is a required course for all freshmen in their first year with all achievement levels in the entering freshman represented and will serve as the environment of the CPS study. The course is designed as an interdisciplinary class with culturally relevant topics--Hurricanes, Volcanoes, Earthquakes, and Tsunamis in the Caribbean. With frequent hurricanes, an abundance of volcanoes, many earthquakes, and the occasional tsunami, this topic is of great interest to citizens of the Caribbean.
Creative problem solving skills may have the potential of creating a STEM learning culture that produces students who are motivated to pursue careers in STEM. The project has potential for developing cutting-edge methodological assessments, semantic knowledge representations and algorithmic developments. The project will follow a well articulated quasi-experimental design for testing hypotheses relative to the utility of CPS for fostering interest among STEM and Non-STEM students.
The Education Research Project was successful in providing creative problem solving (CPS) training to undergraduate STEM and non-STEM students enrolled in Science 100 (SCI 100). Creativity was measured using the Torrance Test for Creative Thinking (TTCT). The SCI 100 course had 11-12 laboratory sessions (in addition to the main lecture sections), depending on the student enrollment counts per semester. About a third of the total SCI 100 laboratory sessions per study semester participated in the study. For four consecutive semesters, CPS training was implemented in the participating sections. In the first semester of implementation, the CPS training was presented through the use of weekly videos. The videos provided students with strategies for developing creative problem solving skills. However, the students were not receptive to the videos. Changes were made to the curriculum the second semester of implementation. The CPS training protocol was redesigned to have an expert guest lecturer deliver the training in a one-day session. Additionally, short activities called Thinking Skills were developed and incorporated throughout the weekly sessions. The Thinking Skills provided opportunities to practice CPS and reinforced student learning. More importantly, the thinking skills connected the CPS curriculum with Science 100 subject matter which allowed students to see the relevancy of the CPS training. Accomplishments The project created an assessment dataset consisting of 1,017 cases (observations). Each case of the dataset represents one student assessment (pre or post). A total of 56.3% (573 cases) represent pre-condition assessments, while the remaining 43.7% (444 cases) represents post-condition assessments. The project developed four instruments assessing participants’ attitudes and beliefs toward science in general, institutional satisfaction, and the role of peers and family in helping participants in their college careers. The Science Attitudes (SA) attitudinal (ordinal) scale was aimed to measure participants' self-assessment and self-evaluation of their attitudes and beliefs towards their relative Science Attitudes and STEM in particular. The Institutional Satisfaction (IS) beliefs covered a range of institutional aspects of their college experience, including quality and availability of faculty, teaching assistants, academic advising and tutoring, computer and library facilities, classroom size and facilities, laboratories and equipment, as well as internet access. The Peer Help (PH) attitudinal (ordinal) scale attempted to capture a range of student-peer interactions with respect to their academic life, including help in understanding class materials, completing assignments, raise confidence and self-esteem, help in solving problems, providing support and encouragement, listening to frustrations, etc. The Family Help (FH) scale items captured general family support related to student college experience, including family attempts to help, emotional family support, ability to discuss problems with family, help and involvement with decisions, and general understanding of family about the issues dealing with. The project collected the following data: Torrance Test for Creative Thinking (TTCT) Basic Demographic characteristics (self-reported) Attitudes toward Science Institutional satisfaction rankings Quantitative assessment of attitudes & beliefs about peers and family Qualitative assessment of peers, family, barriers, motivations and commitment to finish college Myers-Briggs Personality Type Inventory (MTBI) Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) Transcendental Futures Time Perspective Inventory (TFTPI) Student Institutional Information Student Placement, Proficiency & Literacy Exams & Number of Attempts SAT Scores and years taken Science 100 performance for participants Longitudinal Grade Point Average performance data by semester Videotaped classroom observations Classroom Peer Interactions (20 mins each) ~ 32 hrs of AV recording/semester CPS training exercises (2-2.5 hrs) ~ 16-20 hrs/sem Thinking Skills group assignments (10-15 mins each) Group Interviews (1.5-2hours each) ~ 64 hrs of recording/ semester In regards to broader impacts, the project focused on a culturally diverse and underrepresented population of STEM students. The study participants were 66.7% female and 33.3% male students. As for ethnicity, 85% of the participants identified themselves as Black/African-American not Hispanic, 3.2% as Hispanic, 3.8% as White not Hispanic, 0.6% Asian or Pacific Islander, 0.6% as American Indian/Alaskan Native, and 6.8% as "other", mainly mixed Black ethnicity with other categories. Also, the study has generated a model that could be used at other institutions to improve STEM education. Although SCI 100 has a standard curriculum, the other institutions can incorporate CPS training and Thinking Skills activities. Moreover, the project produced students who are motivated to pursue careers in STEM. The undergraduate and graduate research assistants were all retained in STEM. Two undergraduate students continued on into STEM graduate programs. The graduate research assistants used the project data for their thesis. A preliminary finding is that the SCI 100 experience improved creativity. Analysis is still being conducted to determine the impact of CPS training on retention and persistence in STEM. However, the project has been sustained at the university in that CPS training is now a part of the SCI 100 curriculum.
