Making an Impact:
Building Transportable and
Sustainable Projects
(formerly Dissemination)
Webinar 4 of the
Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics Series
Don Millard dmillard@nsf.gov
& John Yu zyu@nsf.gov
Louis Everett leverett@nsf.gov
& Susan Finger sfinger@nsf.gov
April 17, 2012
April 18, 2012
Handout 1
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Before you leave, please complete the assessment
survey:
http://www.nsflsu.com
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
Most of the information presented in this workshop represents
the presenters’ opinions and not an official NSF position.
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Local facilitators will provide the link to the workshop slides at
the completion of the webinar.
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Participants may ask questions by “raising their virtual hand”
during a question session. We will call on selected sites and
enable their microphone so that the question can be asked.
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Responses will be collected from a few sites at the end of each
Exercise. At the start of the Exercise, we will identify these
sites in the Chat Box and then call on them one at a time to
provide their responses.
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Learning must build on prior knowledge
◦ Some knowledge correct
◦ Some knowledge incorrect – Misconceptions
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Learning is
◦ Connecting new knowledge to prior knowledge
◦ Correcting misconceptions
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Learning requires engagement
◦ Actively recalling prior knowledge
◦ Sharing new knowledge
◦ Forming a new understanding
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Effective learning activities
◦ Recall prior knowledge -- actively, explicitly
◦ Connect new concepts to existing ones
◦ Challenge and alter misconceptions
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Active & collaborative processes
◦ Think individually
◦ Share with partner
◦ Report to local and virtual groups
◦ Learn from program directors’ responses
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Coordinate the local activities
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Watch the time
◦ Allow for think, share, and report phases
◦ Reconvene on time -- 1 min warning
◦ With one minute warning, refer to Chat Box to see if you will be
asked for a response
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Ensure the individual think phase is devoted to
thinking quietly and not talking
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Coordinate the asking of questions by local
participants and reporting local responses to
exercises
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The session will enable you to design
transportable and sustainable engineering
and computer science education projects,
based on an understanding of how faculty
make decisions about their teaching.
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After the session, participants should be able to:
 Discuss the importance of project transportability
◦ Transfer or transmission model
◦ Readiness Change model
◦ Rational Faculty Model
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Discuss key components of institutionalization at home
institution
◦ Structural and cultural considerations
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Discuss types of transportability and sustainability
approaches
◦ Enabling, Facilitating, Encouraging, Collaborating
◦ Greater emphasis on designing for transportability than in the past
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Reflect on a specific change you have made in your teaching (e.g.,
active learning, concept inventory, online modules, or any other
changes)
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How did you first find out about it?
What convinced you to try it?
What aspects of the innovation (would have) made it easy to adopt?
What support from others (would have) made it easy to implement?
Exercise ---- 6 min
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Think individually -------- ~2 min
Share with a partner ----- ~2 min
Report in local group ---- ~2 min
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Watch time and reconvene after 6 min
Use THINK time to think – no discussion, Selected local facilitators report to virtual group
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With one minute warning, look at Chat Box to see if you will be asked for a response
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Usually you have a specific problem to solve
You want to adapt or experiment with the
change
It shouldn’t be too rigid or complicated
It should be compatible with your students,
department, academic term, IT systems
You need different information at different
times
◦ Evidence of student learning, assessment data
◦ Advice on how to implement
◦ Help processing “failures” and negative student reactions
Handout 2
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Reflect on your own experience to understand
your audience and design a plan to ensure
others will use your materials
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What motivates you to change can
◦ Inspire the need for a project
◦ Inspire the project transportability and institutionalization
◦ Also inspires others to use your materials and approach
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Develop and disseminate model
◦ Transfer or transmission model
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Developer (change agent)
◦ Creates instructional materials and strategies
 Significant effort
 Research-based
◦ Tries to convince other faculty to use them
 Postings, presentations, publications
 Short, one-time workshops
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Faculty may need more than one exposure to
materials/ideas
Importance of local factors may be overlooked
Faculty are likely to need ongoing support when
adopting materials of others
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Sequential change models
◦ Pre-awareness – Willing to read a one-pager
◦ Awareness – Willing to read longer summaries
◦ Interest – Willing to read journal or conference
publication
◦ Search – Willing to attend a 2-4 hr workshop
◦ Decision – Willing to attend a 1-2 day workshop
◦ Action – Willing to implement
◦ Trial period
◦ Decision to continue or discard
Rogers, Diffusion of Innovations, 1995
Froyd, FIE, 2001
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Faculty cannot be moved from Preawareness to Action with a single
workshop
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Change is not an event – it is a process
Froyd, FIE, 2001
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Matched to how faculty members actually change
Dancy and Henderson’s Rational Faculty Model
◦ Provide easily modifiable material
 Users will customize
◦ Provide research ideas with material
 Users understand the rationale
 If not, risk inappropriate adaptation, e.g., clickers for
attendance
◦ Make it clear what aspects will transfer under what
conditions
 Identify critical elements
◦ Recommend modification for different situations
Dancy and Henderson, NRC Workshop Report, 2008
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Can’t transform undergraduate education if TUES
projects are not sustained at the home institution
after NSF funding ends
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This process is called institutionalization
“when an innovation or program is fully integrated into an
organization’s structure”
Curry, ASHE Report, 1992
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What are some common reasons an education
project fails to be institutionalized after NSF
funding ends?
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Exercise ---- 6 min
◦ Think individually -------- ~2 min
◦ Share with a partner ----- ~2 min
◦ Report in local group ---- ~2 min
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Watch time and reconvene after 6 min
Use THINK time to think – no discussion, Selected local
facilitators report to virtual group
With one minute warning, look at Chat Box to see if you will be
asked for a response
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Enthusiasm wanes after grant ends
Money unavailable for personnel, supplies, travel, training, etc.
PI moves on
◦ Other teaching assignments
◦ Administrative responsibilities
◦ Moves to another institution
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Multiple/new instructors less comfortable with format
Specially trained TAs graduate
Technology changes (equipment outdated, new computers/software)
Budget cuts reduce offerings of elective courses
Changes to curriculum impact student demand
Administrators unaware or not convinced of value, may move to other
positions or change priorities
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Not just about money
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Two aspects
◦ Structural
 policies, curriculum, teaching load/assignments
◦ Cultural
 becomes part of normal expectations of how we educate
students (in topic X)
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The most successful efforts address both
structural and cultural
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For an idea you are considering for a TUES
proposal, what institutionalization strategies
can you pursue that address structural and
cultural aspects?
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Exercise ---- 6 min
◦ Think individually -------- ~2 min
◦ Share with a partner ----- ~2 min
◦ Report in local group ---- ~2 min
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
Watch time and reconvene after 6 min
Use THINK time to think – no discussion, Selected local
facilitators report to virtual group
With one minute warning, look at Chat Box to see if you will be
asked for a response
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State learning outcomes and align to curricula and values
Collect and distribute convincing evaluation data
Publicize successes to deans, chairs, faculty and teaching
assistants
Discuss at faculty and curriculum committee meetings
Adapt it to work for all students, faculty, departments (as
appropriate)
Recruit other faculty to learn about it and use it in their classes
◦ Provide data, advice, incentives and moral support
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Work to secure resources as needed: lab space, staff support
Work to integrate it into curricula (as appropriate)
Handout 3
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Questions
“Hold-up your virtual hand” and you will
be called upon after we unmute your
mike.
BREAK
15 min
BREAK
1 min warning
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Most NSF education programs require project
transportability (broader impact, dissemination)
Example –Review criteria for TUES Program include:
 Projects should produce exemplary materials, processes,
or models that can be adopted by other sites
 Projects should involve a significant effort aimed at
facilitating adaptation at other sites
 Projects should have the potential to contribute to a
paradigm shift in undergraduate STEM education
In this section we discuss how to address
these criteria in a proposal or project
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As you work on your project (or develop your
proposal) from the very beginning throughout the
entire project think about:
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Encouraging others
◦ Make others aware of and interested in your materials or approach
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Facilitating others
◦ Help others use your materials or approach
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Enabling others
◦ Designing your materials so that others can use them
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Collaborating with others
◦ Engage others in improving your materials or approach
The next activities will help you
understand what each of these means
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How do you make others aware of and interested in
your materials?

Exercise ---- 6 min
◦ Think individually -------- ~2 min
◦ Share with a partner ----- ~2 min
◦ Report in local group ---- ~2 min



Watch time and reconvene after 6 min
Use THINK time to think – no discussion, Selected local
facilitators report to virtual group
With one minute warning, look at Chat Box to see if you will be
asked for a response
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Use a variety of strategies
Post, present, and publish it
Present workshops at your institution or at national meetings
Make personal connections to others’ needs
Post it on more widely accessed sites
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Connexions site (cnx.org)
National Instruments (ni.com)
NSF’s NSDL (nsdl.org)
Search engine optimization
Use technology
◦ Videos
◦ Social media (YouTube, Face Book, Google+)
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Provide a Information package (a “sales brochure”)
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Handout 5
Statement of need and importance, learning objectives
Summary of approach
Evaluation data, assessment evidence
Stories, scenarios, advice for use and troubleshooting
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How do you help others use your materials?

Exercise ---- 6 min
◦ Think individually -------- ~2 min
◦ Share with a partner ----- ~2 min
◦ Report in local group ---- ~2 min
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

Watch time and reconvene after 6 min
Use THINK time to think – no discussion, Selected local
facilitators report to virtual group
With one minute warning, look at Chat Box to see if you will be
asked for a response
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Continued support
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Organize a support group (a community of practice)
Virtual workshops and support group
Wikis
Series of workshops
Share evaluation instruments and processes
◦ Formative as well as summative
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Prepare a user’s guide
◦ Pitfalls
◦ Alternate approaches
◦ Video demonstrations
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Use “open source” approach
Handout 6
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What should you think about when developing
your materials so that the final product can be
used by others?
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Exercise ---- 6 min
◦ Think individually -------- ~2 min
◦ Share with a partner ----- ~2 min
◦ Report in local group ---- ~2 min



Watch time and reconvene after 6 min
Use THINK time to think – no discussion, Selected local
facilitators report to virtual group
With one minute warning, look at Chat Box to see if you will be
asked for a response
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Build in flexibility, e.g. software platforms
Consider how the approach could be used:
◦ In other curricular models, other courses, or other disciplines
◦ With other teaching styles
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State clearly the expected learning outcomes and link to needs
Minimize special equipment needs and implementation cost,
consider virtual approaches
Collect convincing evaluation data
Summarize the approach’s rationale (the research-base, false
starts, etc.) in a simple story
Provide options for gradual scale up
Recruit a few faculty at other sites that teach the course (potential
future users) and ask them periodically to consider
◦ How well the approach fits their course and their style
◦ How could it be made more compatible
◦ What data would convince them
Handout 4
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How do you engage others in designing and
developing your materials?
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Exercise ---- 6 min
◦ Think individually -------- ~2 min
◦ Share with a partner ----- ~2 min
◦ Report in local group ---- ~2 min



Watch time and reconvene after 6 min
Use THINK time to think – no discussion, Selected local
facilitators report to virtual group
With one minute warning, look at Chat Box to see if you will be
asked for a response
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Share control
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Allow others to develop pieces of the material
Enable partners to contribute to the posted material
Identify new partners at conferences and workshops
Give credit to collaborators
Develop a common evaluation process and data
base
Build in review and improvements at key points
Develop group approaches for engaging and
facilitating others
Include collaborators as Co-PIs, advisory board, etc.
Handout 7
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Does your proposal or your project have a strong
(sustainable, transportable) dissemination plan?
How can you improve it?
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Take ---- 4 min
◦ Think individually -------- ~2 min
◦ Report in local group ---- ~2 min
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Watch time and reconvene after 4 min

Use THINK time to think – no discussion, Selected local facilitators
report to virtual group
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Curry, B.K., (1992). Instituting Enduring Innovations: Achieving
Continuity of Change in Higher Education. ASHE-ERIC Higher
Education Report No. 7
Dancy, M.H. and Henderson, J.C. (2008). Barriers and Promises in
STEM Reform. Commissioned paper presented at NRC workshop on
Evidence on Selected Promising Practices in Undergraduate Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education,
Washington, DC. Retrieved from
http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/Dancy_Henderson_Commiss
ionedPaper.pdf.
Froyd, J.E., “Developing a Dissemination Plan,” Proceedings, 2001
ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference.
Rogers, E. (1995). Diffusion of Innovations.
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Questions
Hold up your “virtual hand” to ask a
question.
Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf11001/
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
To download a copy of the presentation- go to:
http://www.nsflsu.com

Please complete the assessment survey-go to:
http://www.nsflsu.com
39