STEM identities:  integrating learning and socialisation for students on STEM common entry courses
Channel: National Forum T&L
Date: 20/11/2015

STEM identities:  integrating learning and socialisation for students on STEM common entry courses through an online collaborative peer learning community

Teaching & Learning Enhancement Fund 2015
Open Forum Presentations
Project Type B

Lead Partner:  Trinity College

Other Partners:
University College Cork
National University of Ireland, Galway

Abstract:
Research studies across STEM disciplines in recent years have found that student engagement is the strongest predictor of student performance, with low engagement leading to poor outcomes. This problem is exacerbated in general entry programmes which are currently favoured by government policy at third level Some students in common entry STEM programmes lack a coherent sense of identity within their discipline, feel disconnected from their institution and the discipline. As a result there can be low student engagement, poor learning outcomes and high attrition rates Interventions to tackle this issue tend to be fragmented within departments or schools and evidence of the success of individual interventions can often be anecdotal rather than systematic.

This project will create a digital forum for student socialisation and identity focused within a specific collaborative peer learning environment to address this problem. The project discipline is STEM, incorporating sciences, engineering and maths which share common entry programme structures. The project incorporates a full design cycle from concept development, through design, to implementation and evaluation. The concept development phase will bring together past and current students, academics, administrators and professional technical and design expertise, including champions and sceptics. The design and implementation phase will focus on a specific use case module taken by large student cohorts, e g maths. The evaluation phase will design qualitative and quantitative tools with a student advisory group to assess effectiveness of the intervention. The project will directly affect 2,000 students per year and is in line with the strategic plans of both partner institutions and the national forum for teaching and learning Project deliverables: Case study of a scalable digital collaborative peer learning tool; CPD for STEM academics in peer learning protocols; Evaluation of the tool for a specific use case; Dissemination of approach and findings.