NSF Award
2418046
A diverse and well-educated workforce is crucial for our nation to respond to challenges and seize opportunities. Providing effective undergraduate education is crucial to achieving this goal. Using evidence-based instructional practices (EBIP) can enhance student learning, boost academic achievement for historically marginalized groups, and improve student persistence and retention in STEM. However, implementing EBIPs can be especially challenging at two-year colleges (2YC) and minority-serving institutions where faculty may have higher teaching loads or fewer resources for professional growth. It is important for faculty at both two-year and four-year institutions to have open conversations to understand the challenges faced by students transferring into four-year colleges (4YCs). These conversations will enable faculty at 4YCs to support transfer students in acclimating and thriving and help 2YC faculty prepare students for the challenges they may face upon transferring. The RCN-UBE Fostering a Mentorship Network (FAMNet) will be designed to create a structured mentoring network and dynamic partnership between faculty at two-year and four-year colleges with a focus on implementing EBIP. FAMNet aims to mentor faculty in implementing EBIPs while seeking to promote a greater understanding of the culture and educational experiences to ensure students’ continued success.<br/><br/>FAMNet aims to establish a unique structured co-mentoring program and partnership between faculty at two- and four-year institutions, creating a learning community that fosters enriching collaborations that enhance the understanding, confidence, and implementation of evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs) at both institutions. Faculty mentors experienced in EBIP, mentoring capabilities, and discipline-based education research will partner with a faculty mentee. Mentors/mentee pairs will meet monthly virtually to discuss preselected topics and articles pertinent to EBIP and complete extension activities. The FAMNet cohort will also gather monthly to review related articles, share ideas, and discuss progress on the implementation of EBIP, including challenges faced. These regular meetings will allow for deeper insight into the pedagogical framework and facilitate discussions, thus building a community of instructors dedicated to EBIP. The final meeting will be in person at the annual SABER conference, where mentors and mentees will participate in workshops on EBIP, conduct micro-teaching sessions, plan EBIP activities for their classrooms, discuss student challenges, and network with other participants. The team will assess and evaluate the impact of the network through pre-and post-surveys, focusing on the implementation of EBIP as a result of participation in FAMNet and the effectiveness of the mentorship, which will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and presentations. This partnership will drive positive changes at mentor and mentee institutions, enhancing teaching effectiveness, building an understanding of the best climate for student success, and improving undergraduate biology education.<br/> <br/>This project is being jointly funded by the Directorate for Biological Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure, and the Directorate for STEM Education, Division of Undergraduate Education as part of their efforts to address the challenges posed in Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action (http://visionandchange/finalreport/).<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
