Many campuses have utilized linked-course communities, wherein students take two or more courses with the same peers, in an effort to enhance learning and build community among students. Previous research on the effectiveness of linked-course communities have utilized quasi-experimental designs that are subject to selection bias – the communities may be effective due to which students volunteered to join the communities. This research session reports findings from a randomized controlled trial that eliminated selection bias by randomly assigning first-time first-year College of Science and Math students to linked-course communities or a control group. Findings demonstrate that students in the communities earned higher GPAs and more STEM credits in their first semester than students in the control group. Session participants will identify a curricular intervention and consider the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled trial to assess effectiveness.
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Planning linked-course communities to increase student success: Lessons learned from a randomized controlled trial.
Linked-course communities place students into cohorts, such that students take multiple classes with the same peers. Bridgewater State University has conducted a randomized control trial of STEM linked-course communities where first-year science and mathematics students took a content-rich First Year Seminar focusing on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the first course in their major, and their first mathematics course through the community. Students participating in the communities had higher rates compared to the control group for University retention, STEM retention, rates of A & B grades, and lower rates of D, F, and W grades. In this workshop, participants will learn steps for creating communities, map out local courses for effective communities, and identify the important local players to create effective communities. Participants will be able to explain the underlying theory of why linked-course communities may lead to increased STEM retention and know key players for effective implementation.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2020765
- PAR ID:
- 10653791
- Publisher / Repository:
- Massachusetts PKAL Regional Network
- Date Published:
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Linked-course learning communities are a widely used strategy to promote connections between students and support student retention. This grant project created linked-course learning communities at Bridgewater State University, a public University in southeastern Massachusetts. The communities paired a central 3-credit seminar focused on one or more United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UN SDG) with the student’s first science class and appropriate mathematics class. This choice was inspired by social psychology research literature showing that students traditionally underrepresented in STEM often value, and look for, the social relevance of science and benefit from structures that provide a more communal, as opposed to individualistic, orientation in their studies.more » « less
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Four writing-intensive, inquiry-based, three-credit seminars were created to serve as the hub for linked learning communities for first-year students in STEM. Based on United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), the seminars engaged students in socially-relevant modeling, lab work, and public presentations. The seminars were designed to foster a communal view of science and mathematics, both in terms of the importance of collaboration to STEM success and the application of STEM to real-world problems. Course structures and sample materials will be shared, along with preliminary analyses from a randomized controlled trial comparing students in the seminars to a control group of peers. In fall 2021,students who participated in the seminars reported increased awareness of the UN SDGs, valued team work more highly, and earned more credits and higher grades than control group students. Supported by NSF2020765, these seminars are part of a study of the effectiveness of learning communities.more » « less
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The University of South Carolina Engineering and Computing Living and Learning Community is focused on helping students succeed in their academic careers. For many years, program activities include a one-hour professional development course, linked coursework for mathematics and chemistry courses, and residence hall tutoring availability. Recent new supports for student retention will be discussed. These efforts include: 1. Early Move-In Boot camp - A short optional course helps students adjust to campus and form social networks while providing mathematics review and professional development information. 2. More linked courses - In addition to mathematics and chemistry, the living and learning community now has implemented linked humanities coursework in the spring so that students living together can take more courses with other residents. 3. Spring activities - Traditionally, most retention efforts have focused on acclimation in the Fall semester. New efforts help support students throughout their entire first year so that they have help in taking corrective actions. https://peer.asee.org/gifts-retention-improvement-efforts-in-the-undergraduate-living-and-learning-community-at-the-university-of-south-carolinamore » « less
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Norwich University, a private military college that serves both civilian and Corps of Cadets students, secured an NSF S-STEM award to develop a program to attract and retain highly talented, low-income students. Norwich recognizes that students who enter college with less experience in mathematics are less likely to graduate with a degree in a STEM discipline. With that in mind, the project aims to measure the benefits of a corequisite implementation of precalculus and calculus to help students complete the required calculus sequence by the end of their first year. In the first year of the study, 34 engineering students among 72 total STEM students that placed into precalculus by an institutional math placement exam were randomly allocated into either precalculus or a pilot corequisite calculus course with precalculus review. The content, delivery, and outcomes of the first semester offering of the corequisite implementation of precalculus and calculus will be discussed. The short-term success of the corequisite course using survey results, DFW rates, and retention in the engineering major will be examined.more » « less
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