Browsing by Author "Peters, Vanessa"
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Item Broadening Participation in STEM College Majors: Effects of Attending a STEM-Focused High School(AERA Open, 2018-11) Means, Barbara; Wang, Haiwen; Wei, Xin; Iwatani, Emi; Peters, VanessaTo increase participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) studies and careers, some states have promoted inclusive STEM high schools. This study addressed the question of whether these high schools improve the odds that their graduates will pursue a STEM major in college. State higher education records were obtained for students surveyed as seniors in 23 inclusive STEM high schools and 19 comparison schools without a STEM focus. Propensity score weighting was used to ensure that students in the comparison school sample were very similar to those in the inclusive STEM school sample in terms of demographic characteristics and Grade 8 achievement. Students overall and from under-represented groups who had attended inclusive STEM high schools were significantly more likely to be in a STEM bachelor’s degree program two years after high school graduation. For students who entered two-year colleges, on the other hand, attending an inclusive STEM high school was not associated with entry into STEM majors.Item Designing Gateway Statistics and Chemistry Courses for Today’s Students: Case Studies of Postsecondary Course Innovations(Digital Promise, 2022-08) Peters, Vanessa; Pakhira, Deblina; White, Latia; Fennelly-Atkinson, Rita; Means, BarbaraScholars of teaching and learning examine the impacts of pedagogical decisions on students’ learning and course success. In this report, we describes findings from case studies of eight innovative postsecondary introductory statistics and general chemistry courses that have evidence of improving student completion rates for minoritized and low-income students. The goal of the case studies was to identify the course design elements and pedagogical practices that were implemented by faculty. To identify courses, Digital Promise sought nominations from experts in statistics and chemistry education and reviewed National Science Foundation project abstracts in the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) program. The case studies courses were drawn from 2- and 4-year colleges and were implemented at the level of individual instructors or were part of a department or college-wide intervention. Among the selected courses, both introductory statistics (n = 5) and general chemistry (n = 3) involved changes to the curriculum and pedagogy. Curricular changes involved a shift away from teaching formal mathematical and chemical equations towards teaching that emphasizes conceptual understanding and critical thinking. Pedagogical changes included the implementation of peer-based active learning, formative practice, and supports for students’ metacognitive and self-regulation practices.Item Enabling Analytics for Improvement: Lessons from Year 2 of Fresno’s Personalized Learning Initiative(Digital Promise, 2018) Peters, Vanessa; Means, Barbara; Langworthy, Maria; Neufeld, Phil; Coe, Ryan; Meehan, Kenneth; Smith, StevinItem Lessons From Remote Learning During COVID-19(Digital Promise, 2021-03) Means, Barbara; Peters, Vanessa; Neisler, Julie; Wiley, Korah; Griffiths, RebeccaThe abrupt transition to remote instruction in response to COVID-19 posed significant challenges for both students and instructors. This report provides data on the prevalence of the different kinds of challenges college students faced during the shift to remote instruction and the nature of spring 2020 courses from the perspectives of both students and instructors. These descriptions are complemented by survey data on the prevalence of online instructional practices that are generally recommended in the online learning literature and analyses of the relationship of these practices to student satisfaction with their course. This report describes findings from two research activities conducted concurrently: a survey of a nationally representative sample of over 1,000 undergraduates who were taking online courses that included in-person meetings when they began and had to switch to entirely remote instruction; and qualitative descriptions of 29 courses offered by 10 institutions, based on interviews and focus groups with students and instructors.Item Meeting Learners Where They Are: Using Microsoft Forms to Drive Improvement in Learning Outcomes(Digital Promise, 2018) Peters, VanessaItem Principal Leadership in a Virtual Environment(Digital Promise, 2021-11) Patz Stephenson, Stefani; Hardy, Angela; Seylar, John; Wayman, Jeff; Peters, Vanessa; Bellin, Melissa; Roschelle, JeremyThe sudden and unexpected shift to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic has brought new awareness of the need for school leaders who can ensure that high-quality, equitable education can take place virtually as well as in the classroom. How can school districts develop a large corps of such principals? Research on the topic is still emerging, and this report offers early considerations for decision-makers based on an examination of research literature, interviews with 11 principals and administrators knowledgeable about virtual learning, and Digital Promise’s experiences in the field. The authors say high-quality, equitable learning in a virtual environment—“powerful learning”—is enacted through three essentials: meaningful use of technology, inclusive access to it, and the efforts of principals who know how to lead for meaningful use and inclusive access. The report also poses questions for district leaders to answer if they want to develop such principals. Among the questions: “What does a principal need to know and be able to do in order to effectively lead in a virtual context?” In addition, the report discusses how cultivating adeptness at leadership for high-quality, equitable virtual learning might be made part of effective principal pipelines. These pipelines, which research has shown can result in effective school leaders, are “comprehensive” because their seven parts cover the span of principal talent-development actions, and “aligned” because these components reinforce one another. The authors look at each of the pipeline parts, known as domains, and provide considerations for possible district action for each one.Item STEM Courses During the COVID Pandemic: Lessons from Spring 2020(Digital Promise Global, 2020-12) Means, Barbara; Peters, Vanessa; Neisler, Julie; Griffiths, RebeccaThe abrupt transition to remote instruction in response to COVID posed significant challenges for both students and instructors. This report provides data on the prevalence of the different kinds of challenges students faced and the ways in which low-income and minoritized students were differentially affected by the shift to remote instruction. It also describes the nature of STEM courses in spring 2020 as they were taught at a distance from the perspectives of both students and instructors. The report offers findings from two research activities conducted concurrently. It discusses a survey of a nationally representative sample of over 650 undergraduates who were taking STEM courses that included in-person meetings when they began and had to switch to entirely remote instruction. It also includes qualitative descriptions of 28 STEM courses offered by nine institutions, based on interviews and focus groups with students and instructors.