ERIC Number: EJ1486708
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 37
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-2334-4822
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Centering Student Perspectives and Equity Data in a Multi-Institutional Learning Community Program
Nita A. Tarchinski; Thomas Matthew Colclough; Ashley Atkinson; Emily Bonem; Nathan Emery; Victoria Farrar; Madeleine Gonin; Daniel Guberman; Eleanor Louson; Matthew Mahavongtrakul; Timothy McKay; Marco Molinaro; Meryl Motika; Lizette Alda Muñoz Rojas; Hurshal Pol; Kem Saichaie; Kelsey Smart; Megan Stowe; Natasha T. Turman; Jenna Marie Thomas Vest; Ryan Sweeder
To Improve the Academy, v44 n2 p310-346 2025
The STEM Equity Learning Community (SELC) project guided multidisciplinary teams from nine large, public research institutions through a yearlong experience. We aimed to support instructors and undergraduate students in developing equity-mindedness to drive structural change efforts on their campuses. The SELCs were supported by access to equity data, which included student enrollment and performance in courses disaggregated by student demographics. The learning communities prioritized collaborations between students and instructors that facilitated authentic interactions and cross-institutional partnerships. In this paper we investigate the value added of the SELC experience, measuring impact on participants and institutions and highlighting the power of student voice throughout the project. An analysis of pre- (N=55) and post-survey data (N=58) from program participants and reflections from project leadership reveal key nuances of the program that can inform best practices for equity-minded STEM reform. Participants indicated that the project was worth the investment of time and effort, that they had increased access to equity data, and that they intended to both expand access to equity data for others and use the data for making future decisions both inside and outside the classroom. We argue that the approach to equity work described in this paper--sustained, multi-institutional, multidisciplinary, multi-role learning communities leveraging equity data--drives equity-minded change in courses and departments across the higher education landscape.
Descriptors: Undergraduate Students, Equal Education, STEM Education, Educational Change, College Faculty, Communities of Practice, Data Analysis, Access to Information, Student Participation, Teacher Participation, Program Effectiveness
Michigan Publishing. 839 Greene Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Tel: 734-764-3417; e-mail: mpublishing@umich.edu; Web site: https://www.toimprovetheacademy.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Michigan; Indiana; Pennsylvania; Maryland; California
Grant or Contract Numbers: 2215398; 2215689
Author Affiliations: N/A

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