Catalysts for Achieving Sustained Improvement in the Quality of Undergraduate STEM Education

Promoting excellence in undergraduate STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education at major research universities is necessary to ensure that we have the STEM-literate workforce and general population required to propel the nation forward into the twenty-first century and beyon...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inDaedalus (Cambridge, Mass.) Vol. 148; no. 4; pp. 29 - 46
Main Authors Coleman, Mary Sue, Smith, Tobin L., Miller, Emily R.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published One Rogers Street, Cambridge, MA 02142-1209, USA MIT Press 01.10.2019
Subjects
Catalysts
Colleges & universities
Education
Engineering
Higher education
Learning
Mathematics
Mathematics education
Quality of education
Research centers
Research facilities
Research programs
Science and technology
Science education
STEM education
Teaching methods
Technical education
Technology
Technology education
Undergraduate education
Workforce
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Summary:Promoting excellence in undergraduate STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education at major research universities is necessary to ensure that we have the STEM-literate workforce and general population required to propel the nation forward into the twenty-first century and beyond. This essay provides a brief contextual history of the Association of American Universities’(AAU) effort to improve the effectiveness of undergraduate STEM education at member campuses and delineates the specific goals of this initiative. The essay then illuminates the essential role of the academic department and department chair in achieving long-lasting change and improving the quality of undergraduate education. It also discusses critical strategies and approaches for promoting the most effective methods for undergraduate STEM teaching and learning, with numerous examples from AAU member universities. The essay concludes with an acknowledgment of key challenges and opportunities that continue to face undergraduate education at research universities.
Bibliography:Fall, 2019
ISSN:0011-5266
1548-6192
DOI:10.1162/daed_a_01759