Working with learning maps to align instruction in STEM course sequences
Prerequisite course sequences are ubiquitous in post-secondary STEM education. For undergraduate students to succeed in their degree, they must retain and transfer learning from prerequisite coursework into new and more advanced learning contexts. If knowledge transfer is incomplete, students may struggle in subsequent courses or need to retake those courses. Further, STEM curricula are notoriously complex. Failure of key foundational courses (e.g., Calculus, Physics) in the first and second years, can lead to major setbacks ranging from course repeats, delayed graduation, change of degree, or stop-out.
In this project, we leverage instructional design to mitigate curricular barriers to student success. These barriers could include misalignment of learning outcomes across the sequence, non-ideal timing of learning outcomes, differences in language and notation used across the sequence, or differences in assessment style and classroom teaching, among others. The goal is not to make every aspect of the sequence identical. Rather, it is to bring instructors together to learn about each others’ teaching methods, exchange ideas, and (re)design critical aspects of the course sequence together.
Importantly, the Learning Maps approach brings faculty that teach in a common course sequence together. It focuses on aligning and positioning teaching practices with students’ entire curriculum and learning progression in mind, incorporating evidence-based practices, and building community within and across academic programs. In the first stage of this project we focus on a foundational physics and engineering mechanics course sequence common to many engineering degrees in the U.S. (Physics for Engineers – Statics – Dynamics) and the development of instructional design resources that can be applied in other curricular contexts.
NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (Award: 2315492)