Women continue to be underrepresented in undergraduate STEM majors. Prior studies identify women's sense of belonging, or the extent to which one feels like an accepted member of an academic community, as a key contributor to their decisions to stick with or leave their STEM majors. Women's social connectedness and perceived competence have been…

The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of Real-World Experiences in Active Learning (R.E.A.L.) impacted student learning outcomes in an undergraduate information systems (IS) data communication and networking course. A quasi-experimental, quantitative approach was used to investigate whether the R.E.A.L. treatments, used as active…

This study aimed to learn the subjective experiences of higher education business students pursuing intercultural development goals. As part of their academic programs students completed the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) assessment and received intercultural competency scores. Subsequently, they created personal goals to further…

In 2010, the Institute of Medicine issued a report calling for the transformation of undergraduate nursing education to prepare new graduates for the complexities of practice. To improve preparation for practice, faculty responded by incorporating student-centered, active learning strategies (SCALS); however, the effectiveness of SCALS has not…

Research suggests learning assistant (LA) programs can be a change lever to support the institutionalization of active learning in postsecondary education. Some research suggests LAs offer unique benefits for STEM courses, independent from other change levers, but more research needs to be done to understand how LAs support active learning…

The purpose of this descriptive case study was to examine the impact of the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) on student engagement in the CHEM 100 course at Rider University. The action research study was conducted during the fall semester of 2022 with seven participants. The QFT protocol was taught separately from classroom instruction.…

Inquiry-based mathematics education (IBME) includes features such as: (a) Using tasks with authentic problem contexts, (b) building on students' everyday resources, (c) relying on small-group and whole-class discussions, and (d) establishing certain norms of participation for the inquiry classroom community (Laursen & Rasmussen, 2019). Prior…

Inquiry-based mathematics education (IBME) includes features such as: (a) Using tasks with authentic problem contexts, (b) building on students' everyday resources, (c) relying on small-group and whole-class discussions, and (d) establishing certain norms of participation for the inquiry classroom community (Laursen & Rasmussen, 2019). Prior…

Despite the standardization of calculus education as a Calculus and Analytic Geometry course after the 1950s, curriculum updates have been slow to penetrate the undergraduate mathematics classroom practice, taking decades to manifest. Common struggles with the teaching and learning of calculus, such as relying on a procedural understanding of…

Although many undergraduates begin college as STEM majors, attrition rates from the field are high and numerous reports suggest that evidence-based teaching methods are critical for retention. Despite educators' research and near consensus that active learning is more effective than lecture, there are many types of active learning and the…

Technological literacy for all is the goal of technology and engineering education (T&E) instruction. While this has been the goal for several decades, technological literacy is lacking in the United States. To address this problem the current study investigates student motivation toward making and doing. By understanding student motivation…

My thesis work is focused on conceptual and epistemic learning and characterizing the environments in which this learning takes place. Earlier studies conducted by the Stowe group explored how instructional practices, instructional emphasis, and assessment emphasis relate to student outcomes in general and organic chemistry courses. Student…

Engineering education has a long and well-researched history; however, recent declines in the number of undergraduate students entering and matriculating through to graduation has commanded the engineering education community's attention. To help counter the declining number of students entering and persisting in engineering, an engineering…

The use of student-centered instruction or active learning has been linked to higher rates of student success compared to traditional lecture. However, a mechanistic understanding of why active learning "works" has proven elusive. This dissertation explores active learning in Learning Assistant supported courses and makes the case for…

Games have shown to be great tools for learning a variety of topics, but few games have been developed mathematics topics at the undergraduate level. One possible avenue is to pursue digital game-based learning. The game "Vector Unknown" was designed from a task from the Inquiry-Oriented Linear Algebra (IOLA) curriculum to connect…