Previous research has established that peer relationships are important for student success, yet little research has examined connections made in the classroom, as opposed to residence life or extracurricular activities. This project utilized social network analysis in two cohorts of science and mathematics majors to investigate the degree to which students take multiple courses with the same peers. Results showed (1) wide variability in student networks, (2) course selection by students included more repeated connections than random course selection, (3) networks did not vary much by demographic variables (gender, race, first-generation status, and income), and (4) student networks significantly predicted graduation and grades. This correlational research provides a foundation for future experimental research testing the causal impact of classroom-based student networks. This research also serves as a model for how other institutions may analyze institutional data to understand patterns of peer connections and course enrollment at their institution.
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Previous research has established that peer relationships are important for student success, yet they can be hard to form at regional universities with large commuter populations. In these settings, connections in the classroom become critical. In an effort to gauge the degree to which students have the opportunity to form peer relationships in the classroom, this project utilized social network analysis to investigate to what degree students take repeated courses with the same peers. We report here on the number and nature of connections for a cohort of students who began STEM majors in Fall 2015. Two key findings include that White students have more peer connections than students of color, and the degree of connectivity correlates with graduation rates. Implications for these findings regarding curriculum design will be discussed.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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A curricular approach to supporting low-income STEM Scholars is outlined and initial associations with retention, social and cultural capital, perception of science, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations are examined. Details are provided for the curricular support program based on interdisciplinary research, service learning, and an explicit examination of the interpretation of science based on culture and social location. We show that Scholars had increased retention and graduation within STEM majors compared to a control group. Further, Scholars self-report in surveys and interviews increased social and cultural capital, motivation, and related outcomes that they attribute to the interdisciplinary coursework that comprises the bulk of the program.more » « less
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Promoting Students Engaging In Scientific and Mathematical Interdisciplinary Collaborations (SEISMIC) requires careful thought. At Bridgewater State University, teams of SEISMIC Scholars are supported by an NSF S-STEM grant for low-income, academically talent STEM majors. SEISMIC Scholars engage throughout a three-year period in a series of humanities, social-science, service learning and STEM research courses that explicitly help Scholars frame their studies of Science and Mathematics as socially relevant and fundamentally interdisciplinary. This poster will report on the structure of the SEISMIC courses, providing examples of assignments and activities, all of which help to tie students together in a community that views Science as socially relevant and culturally informed.more » « less
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Abstract Background Glucocorticoids and asparaginase, used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), can cause hypertriglyceridemia. We compared triglyceride levels, risk factors, and associated toxicities in two ALL trials at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital with identical glucocorticoid regimens, but different asparaginase formulations. In Total XV (TXV), native
Escherichia coli l ‐asparaginase was front‐line therapy versus the pegylated formulation (PEG‐asparaginase) in Total XVI (TXVI).Procedure Patients enrolled on TXV (
n = 498) and TXVI (n = 598) were assigned to low‐risk (LR) or standard/high‐risk (SHR) treatment arms (ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: NCT00137111 and NCT00549848). Triglycerides were measured four times and were evaluable in 925 patients (TXV:n = 362; TXVI:n = 563). The genetic contribution was assessed using a triglyceride polygenic risk score (triglyceride‐PRS). Osteonecrosis, thrombosis, and pancreatitis were prospectively graded.Results The largest increase in triglycerides occurred in TXVI SHR patients treated with dexamethasone and PEG‐asparaginase (4.5‐fold increase;
P <1 × 10−15). SHR patients treated with PEG‐asparaginase (TXVI) had more severe hypertriglyceridemia (>1000 mg/dL) compared to nativel ‐asparaginase (TXV): 10.5% versus 5.5%, respectively (P = .007). At week 7, triglycerides did not increase with dexamethasone treatment alone (LR patients) but did increase with dexamethasone plus asparaginase (SHR patients). The variability in triglycerides explained by the triglyceride‐PRS was highest at baseline and declined with therapy. Hypertriglyceridemia was associated with osteonecrosis (P = .0006) and thrombosis (P = .005), but not pancreatitis (P = .4).Conclusion Triglycerides were affected more by PEG‐asparaginase than native
l ‐asparaginase, by asparaginase more than dexamethasone, and by drug effects more than genetics. It is not clear whether triglycerides contribute to thrombosis and osteonecrosis or are biomarkers of the toxicities.
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