Using a natural experiment which randomized class times to students, this study reveals that enrolling in early morning classes lowers students' course grades and the likelihood of future STEM course enrollment. There is a 79% reduction in pursuing the corresponding major and a 26% rise in choosing a lower-earning major, predominantly influenced…

This article's authors use student transcript data to identify differences in the study of economics among Black students at HBCUs and PWIs. The data show that a higher fraction of Black students at HBCUs initially intend to study economics, relative to those at PWIs (4.0% vs. 1.3% of micro principles enrollees) and persist in the major (9.4% vs.…

Intuition is one of the main factors that drive our everyday decision-making which happens quickly and unconsciously. Individuals often rely on the use of intuition to solve either simple or complex problems. The purpose of this research study is to further break down an individual's thinking processes by understanding how different groups of…

What happens when college students are not able to enroll in the courses they want? We use a natural experiment at Purdue University in which first-year students are conditionally randomly assigned to oversubscribed courses. Compared to students who are assigned a requested course, those who are shut out are 40% less likely to ever take the…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of three schedules of practice on high-level violinists' learning. The contextual interference (CI) effect occurs when two or more tasks are practiced in an interleaved manner, which has been shown to impair initial learning but improve retention. How a musician alternates between tasks…

Over the past 10 years, the Psychology Department at Indiana University Kokomo has worked to incorporate more opportunities for students to engage in undergraduate research throughout the psychology curriculum. Our previous requirements included a lower level methods course that most students took prior to statistics, with the result that students…

In this design case, we describe a multi-year process during which a team of faculty designed a four-year undergraduate major in user experience (UX) design at a large research-intensive institution. We document the program- and course-level design experiences of five faculty members. This multi-year process has culminated in a dual-strand,…

Meeting the current demand for STEM graduates requires significantly increasing the number of students majoring in STEM fields. One program designed to increase the number of STEM majors is Project Lead The Way (PLTW). Using statewide data from Indiana, this research examined the effects of PLTW participation in high school on the likelihood of…

Using student transcripts from six institutions over a 23-year timespan, the authors investigate the movement of students into and out of the economics major. Considerable movement between majors occurs with 83 percent of economics graduates switching in after their first principles course. These eventual majors come from a variety of sources, but…

This essay gives a broad overview of a team-taught course on Alexander Hamilton that merges discourses in music theory and political science. Authors describe pedagogical approaches to teaching both the musical "Hamilton" to non-musician students and Hamilton's history and politics to students not majoring in these fields. Contrasting…

The emphasis on intercultural competence is more prevalent in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) majors as the world shifts towards a more globalized economy. When entering higher education, students have differing levels of cultural interaction due to varying peer interaction, family experiences, international travel, and…

In response to both nationwide calls for reform and a perception that the existing chemistry curriculum was not meeting the needs of life science students, faculty in the department of chemistry at Purdue created a redesigned chemistry course sequence specifically aimed at preparing biology majors. The new sequence, called the 1-2-1 curriculum,…

While most law enforcement agencies recognize the importance of physical fitness for their officers and encourage them to maintain an adequate level of fitness, many find it difficult to implement a fitness program successfully. Prior studies and literature support the implementation of community-centered fitness initiatives. The purpose of this…

The chemistry curriculum for undergraduate life science majors at Purdue University has been transformed to better meet the needs of this student population and prepare them for future success. The curriculum, called the 1-2-1 curriculum, includes four consecutive and integrated semesters of instruction in general chemistry, organic chemistry, and…

Exacerbated by the pandemic, the decline in Indiana's college-going rate for recent high school graduates has accelerated. This presents stark challenges which must be addressed with urgency and thoughtfulness. Fewer Hoosiers are pursuing education or training after high school. The state's college-going rate fell from 59 percent for the high…