This paper introduces a novel framework aimed at supporting non-education faculty and facilitators in creating inclusive educational programs and learning opportunities that address the needs, interests, and priorities of underrepresented individuals and communities in the field of STEM. The framework centers on the fundamental concept of…

Education research provides a range of curricular reform options that can lead to improved student course outcomes. These options can appear easy to implement with the hope of immediate increases in student learning. In 2006 the Ithaca College Physics Department went down this path by moving all of their 100-level courses out of lecture halls and…

While there is considerable research on the first-year experience, much less has been written about the impact of assessment and feedback practices on that experience. This paper explores how formative assessment and feedback might be used to enhance the first-year experience and enable students to develop the skills needed for self-regulated…

What has transpired at James Madison University provides a model for the successful implementation of a basic communication education program required of all first-year students. This paper provides an accounting of the efforts that made possible the commitment to the development of the program. The paper is first divided into two columns. One…

In addition to experiencing the generic quality and cost problems faced by all colleges and universities, community colleges face problems particular to their student populations. They need to design more flexible schedules for working adult students, create a greater sense of community or engagement for commuting students, address the special…

Harvard University Law School's redesigned first-year curriculum is organized to convey the tradition of the first year and also to allow for the introduction of alternative ways of knowing, in response to changes in legal reality. Coordinated teaching, "bridge periods," and newly developed materials characterize the changes. (MSE)

A study investigated the success of a project to create a more student-centered engineering curriculum at a Dutch technical university by assessing how faculty's conceptions of teaching related to their teaching practices. Results indicated that although faculty had strong commitment to student learning, they also had misconceptions about…