Search for: All records

Abstract Pre-engineering Collaboration as a Tool to Facilitate Decolonization of Native American Students The intent of this paper is to describe how a collaborative engineering education program operating on a number of tribally controlled colleges and universities, TCU’s, across a particular geographic region of the United States may, through thoughtful application of best educational practices including a community-based approach, be seen as a tool that moves decolonization within Native American communities and education systems forward. Put in terms of a research question: “How effective can the funded program be when considered as a method to move decolonization forward in Native American engineering education and could it increase enrollment?” This collaborative education effort which is been going on for the past 10 years and is soon to graduate its 10th student with a Baccalaureate of Science in either Civil, Mechanical, Electrical or Agricultural Engineering, is using this milestone as an opportunity to do some introspection on the program, its achievements, the processes that were used and some long-term outcomes. In recent history great consideration has been given by indigenous peoples to the recognition of colonial influences on their current lives. Much discussion has taken place among Native Americans regarding efforts to mitigate or reverse these influences on their reservations and lives. This paper will offer a working definition of decolonization as it might be applied to educational activities and specifically engineering education involving Native Americans. The paper will present information about the effectiveness and costs of considering and supporting the “total student” and how it may be augmented to accomplish decolonization. The steps and procedures utilized to affect this transformation will be presented and discussed, along with basic numerics to indicate effectiveness. Relevancy of this activity to other situations in other underrepresented or under-resourced communities will be discussed. 

The current state of math education at a tribal college / university, TCU, will be presented, particularly with respect to entry into STEM majors. The alternative developmental math curriculum offered at a TCU institution using a modified pedagogical delivery system offers sound mathematical principals based on life-skills with relevant problem-solving, while explicitly addressing other holistic needs of the student such as math anxiety, persistence, mindset, and the value of collaboration (group work). This cooperative work is intended to create a community of learning which is in tune with traditional Native American cultural practices. Students learn to be responsible for their learning, engage in team work, and develop a “can-do” attitude towards mathematics. Implementation of two separate approaches at two separate institutions will be presented. 

Typically college STEM instructors implicitly expect a level of meta-cognition, emotional resiliency, and general student readiness that largely exceeds any training or preparation students receive in K-12. Not meeting such expectations is perhaps a more significant barrier to student success than deficits in subject-based knowledge. This paper discusses initiatives at Sitting Bull College that seek, without substantial curricular change, to enhance student meta-cognition and emotional intelligence through the use of contextualized & project-based learning in a cohort model that incorporates specific skills training (such as Motivational Interviewing) for both students and instructors.