This project is expanding the successful Digital Bridge Academy (DBA) curriculum to include intensive math and science content. The new curriculum is adding (1) a numeracy course and (2) a two-semester "science-intensive" course that includes additional mathematics and accelerated versions of high school biology, chemistry and physics courses. The goal is to prepare students to be successful in the standard college level math and science courses they need in order to qualify for technician careers supported by the ATE program. The DBA program, which has shown great success with high at-risk Latino, urban African American, and Southeast Asian Students, is expanding its curricular offerings with the goal of becoming a national model for the recruitment, accelerated preparation, and retention of under-prepared, minority, and other at-risk students into careers as technicians for the high tech industries. The project's intellectual merit lies in developing an understanding of how to best educate a growing population of under-prepared and under-represented students. Its broader impact lies in the potential to reach and educate a growing population of under-prepared students and thereby increase their participation in science, technology, and engineering fields.
NSF Outcomes Report: The Integrated Science Semester Project (IScS) The Integrated Science Semester is an innovative program that combines three fields of science (chemistry, biology and physics), an emphasis on the affective domain (motivation, self efficacy and personal connection) and a cohort approach to meet the needs of underprepared students for introductory science education in community colleges. It provides an immersive learning experience that prepares students to succeed in standard college-level science courses, and introduces them to science and technical career tracks. We produced, reviewed, and finalized a complete semester-long integrated science curriculum including best practices, powerpoint presentations and activity guides. We also developed a website and a system to continue dissemination of the curriculum, and support for faculty. IScS curriculum and materials are available in an open access format at the project website: The curriculum and associated materials contain enough content to cover an entire semester or longer. However, faculty may modify or replace some of the modules to suit the needs and interests of their students and their institutions. For example physics, chemistry and biology may not be the disciplines emphasized; other disciplines may be featured using the ‘IScS approach’. The IScS program was developed, implemented, refined and evaluated (with feedback from students and faculty), and serves as a model program, using the framework developed by the Academy for College Excellence (ACE) Center to teach science to this ‘at risk’ population in a new and effective way. It not only teaches the science, but builds in retention by "lighting students’ fire" for science, and helping them find meaning in their educational choices. The IScS cohort-based structure emphasizes social skill development, an element of the affective domain, and helps students build community and create a sense of belonging–a key construct that correlates to student success. Behavioral issues are key to enabling students to succeed. The IScS behavioral system is used to help students adopt behaviors that promote college readiness and success. Behaviors such as attendance, working with fellow students, effective study skills and homework strategies are emphasized. Faculty meet weekly to review student performance and keep the subjects and pace among the several courses aligned. The faculty themselves become a supportive cohort. IScS integrates the sciences in a modular design that emphasizes the relevance of science to students’ daily lives. The modules emphasize one key theme (such as the heart), and integrates the sciences around that theme. The program includes a semester-long science research project where students work in teams on a project that addresses an important issue to their communities. The IScS design empowers students by incorporating the affective domain – motivation, self-efficacy, persistence and connection – to promote student success and retention. Integration is achieved both through an integration of subject matter and an integration of teaching methods. The sciences are not taught as discrete subjects, but rather they are used to illustrate how a key process works. For example photosynthesis is taught as a critical process on earth, one made possible through chemical, biological, and physical components. Likewise, the pedagogical approach combines techniques: lecture, labs, experiments, hands on activities, discussions, web searches, and field trips are all used to deliver content. IScS introduces students to scientific and technical fields, and the training and education required to enter them. It accelerates and prepares students to enter a science or technical track after just one semester. The curriculum that we developed is unconventional, both in the integration of content and the incorporation of the affective domain. To our knowledge IScS is the first program of its kind, and a new way to address the complex issues of recruitment, retention and preparation in science and technical classes and fields. Broader impacts This Project developed new ideas and methods for engaging underprepared students in science education though an innovative approach to pedagogy, delivery, and program structure. We opened doors to further the incorporation of the affective domain in science education, as well as true integration of three science disciplines to enhance student understanding (cognitive) and engagement (affective) in the sciences. Our work contributes to an understanding of how to deliver science content to enhance the success of underserved student populations in general, and STEM and related fields in particular. It creates new opportunity to recruit and retain students into science and technical pathways. The IScS program is a model program that has the potential to be scaled up throughout high schools and community colleges to support the need for improved science and technical education, and a diverse workforce to meet the challenges of the twenty first century and beyond. We are eager to share our curriculum with other colleges. www.iscs-ace.org haungar@cruzio.com
