UTILIZING CASE-BASED
LEARNING IN A SUMMER
PRE-FRESHMAN BRIDGE
PROGRAM TO IMPACT
STEM RETENTION RATES
Drew Kohlhorst, PhD
Emory Center for Science Education
Assistant Director &
Bridge Program Director
Atlanta, GA
TALK OUTLINE
• What is a bridge program?
• Program Objectives/Design
• Curriculum Development
• Program Assessment & Findings
• Future Directions
BRIDGE PROGRAM
• Role: Provide a controlled transition for pre-freshman
entering an institution while focusing on needed skills or
topics.
• What needs does this bridge program address?
• Improvement of Retention and Graduation rates in STEM
• Building of skills, campus resource usage and learning
community for continued success in college
• What makes this program unique?
• Utilizing Problem-based learning (case studies)
• Residential and Online Bridge Programs
• Google Apps for Higher Education
• How were students selected?
• Standardized Testing Scores, GPA & Parental Education
Career/
Campus
Resources
Problem
Based
Learning
(Case
Studies)
Social
Activities
Summer Bridge Program
Residential Program
3 Weeks
Target Population:
24 Students
Online Program
6 Weeks
Target Population:
1 Facilitator/8
Students
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
• Problem Solving & Critical Thinking
•
•
•
•
Problem/Case-based Learning
Confidence & Attitudes
Science Process Skills
Math Skills
• Career/Professional Development
• Science Writing
• Mentoring (2013)
• Life as a scientist
• Skills Development
• Study Skills & Time Management
• Resource Awareness – Career Center, Pre-health Careers Office,
Instructional Technology Center
• Personal Awareness – MAPP & Myers Briggs Testing/Interpretation
• Community Building & Group Interaction/Work
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
Quantitative
Analysis
Biology
Data
Visualization/
Literacy
Chemistry
Major
Cases
(n=4)
Physics
Minor
Cases/Science
& the Media
(n=5)
Communicating
Science
Public
Health
Ethics
Globalization
Monday
Week 1
Starbucks
&
Pink Drinks
Meet an Intro
Professor
Week 2
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Cholera : An
Infectious Cure
Technology &
The Digital World
Science
Writing
A Can of
Bull?
Cholera : An
Infectious Cure
Meet an Intro
Professor
Science
Writing
Technology &
The Digital
World
April 26,
1985:
Chernobyl
Science
Writing
Group Movie
Night
Week 3
Tupac’s
Hologram
April 26, 1985:
Chernobyl
Indoor Air Quality: A Global
Health Issue
Science
Writing
Meet an Intro
Professor
Major Case Study
Group
Social
Event
Group Movie
Night
Science & the Media
Social Event
Group
Social
Event
INDOOR AIR QUALITY: A
GLOBAL HEALTH ISSUE
• Description: Exploration of the issue of indoor air pollution
and how particles, chemicals can cause illness and effect
quality of life
• Topics: Public Health, Biology, Ethics
• Activities: Videos, Case Reading & Questions, Research
Indoor Air Pollutant, Indoor Air Audit
• Program Differences:
• Online: Audit was conducted of parent’s house
• Residential: Students were given GPS coordinates of oncampus buildings, pictures of buildings were required
• Program Integration:
• Residential program created map for Online students with
pictures
COACHELLA & TUPAC’S
HOLOGRAM
• Description: How does a singer who died in 1996
appear on stage “live” at the 2012 Coachella festival?
• Topics: Physics, Communicating Science, Data Literacy
• Activities: Videos, Online Research, Creating PSA
• Program Differences:
• Online: Development of PSA script only
• Residential: Creation of Pepper’s Ghost model,
Development of Online script and creating PSA
• Program Integration:
• Online program judged Residential PSA and gave
awards
ADAPTING &
DEVELOPING CASES
• Focus on skills development:
• Quantitative skills
• Development of Math Problem Sets
• Critical Thinking skills
• Problem Analysis
• Data literacy
• Data Visualization skills
• Scientific Process
• Communicating Science
WHERE TO FIND CASES?
• Text Publishers
• National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
(NCCSTS)
• CasesONLINE (http://www.cse.emory.edu/cases/)
• BioQuest (bioquest.org)
• ScienceCaseNet (sciencecasenet.org)
• Adapt & Adopt
ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS
Scientific Literacy
Testing
Reflection Journals
• Learning Gains
• Program Interest
• Development
• Attitudes
• Learning Styles
Pre & Post
Motivational
Assessment of Personal
Potential (MAPP)
• Basic Scientific
Knowledge
• Critical Thinking &
Analysis
Program Evaluation
Survey
•Curriculum Interest
•Learning Gains
•Program Mechanics
Engagement
Survey
•Program Evaluation
•Curriculum Impact
•Career Impact
•Personal
Development
Response Survey
• Demographics
• Science Process
Skills
• Attitudes &
Confidence
Pre & Post
Program
Evaluation
Performance
Evaluation
Semester
• Course Grades
• Course
Progression
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
• Who were SUMMER BRIDGE participants?
• What were participants’ impressions of each aspect of
their experience with SUMMER BRIDGE?
• Did SUMMER BRIDGE enhance participants’ attitudes
about science?
• Did SUMMER BRIDGE increase participants’ confidence
in their own scientific skills and abilities?
• Did SUMMER BRIDGE increase participants’ scientific
literacy?
PARTICIPANT GENDER
STUDENT PARTICIPANT
INFORMATION
HIGH SCHOOL TYPE
Male
25%
Private
12%
Parochial
5%
Female
75%
EXPOSURE TO CASE STUDIES
No
36%
Yes
64%
Public
83%
STUDENT PERCEPTIONS
OF BRIDGE PROGRAM
100.0%
90.0%
80.0%
Program prepared students for college
70.0%
Program made students think about
future career plans
60.0%
Program offered students a sense of
community
50.0%
Program helped students develop
scientific and life skills
40.0%
Program curriculum was interesting and
challenging
30.0%
Program made students excited about
science and the scientific process
20.0%
Program offered students an
opportunity for self-reflection
10.0%
0.0%
Analysis of Student Reflection Journals – Grounded Theory – Unprompted Responses
PARTICIPANT ATTITUDES
OF SCIENCE
• Increased students’ endorsement of the statement “I am
knowledgeable about the many different career
opportunities in science (t(20) = -4.8, p < .001)
• Increased students’ endorsement of the statement “I have
come to think of myself as a scientist” (t(20) = -2.9, p < .01)
• Increased students’ perception that scientists don’t interact
well with others. (t(20) = -2.8, p < .01)
• Increased students’ perception that scientists don’t have
time for their family. (t(20) = -2.4, p < .05)
• Decreased students’ perception that scientists can easily get
a job. (t(20) = 3.3, p < .01)
PARTICIPANT CONFIDENCE
AND ATTITUDE
SUMMER BRIDGE increased students’:
• Confidence in their ability to find scientific literature relevant to a particular
program using online resources (t(20) = -2.9, p < .01)
• Confidence in their understanding of scientific principles (t(20) = -2.7, p < .05)
• Confidence that they will do well in a very hard science class in college (t(20) = 2.2, p < .05)
• Feeling that they belong in the field of science (t(20) = -3.5, p < .01)
• Belief that studying in teams is a productive way for them to learn (t(20) = -2.6, p <
.05)
• Confidence in their ability to assess the validity of scientific evidence presented
on TV, radio, magazines, or the newspaper (t(20) = -2.4, p < .05)
SUMMER BRIDGE decreased students:
• Comfort with writing papers (t(20) = -2.2, p < .05)
• Comfort with conducting lab experiments (t(20) = 3.0, p < .01)
SCIENTIFIC LITERACY
• Participation in SUMMER BRIDGE increased student
overall science literacy & problem solving skill
Number
correct- Pretest
Number
correct- Posttest
N
Mean
21
19.33
Std.
Deviation
2.97
21
22.71
2.31
(t(20) = -5.1, p < .001)
STUDENT COMMENTS
Prompt: How would you describe SUMMER BRIDGE
to an incoming freshman?
•
“SUMMER BRIDGE will open your eyes and show
you different paths. You will have fun with
science and learning.”
Prompt: What did you learn about college during
SUMMER BRIDGE:
•
- Female Participant
– Male Participant
•
It’s an amazing opportunity to learn about the
science fields and general science. It is also a
great way to meet people who share the same
passion for science.
– Male Participant
•
I learned college life will be fun, but difficult
because now you are responsible for you.
•
A lot of time is expected to be utilized outside of
class.
- Female Participant
•
SUMMER BRIDGE is an excellent science
enrichment program that helps to prepare one
for success in not just the classroom but your
future path.
I learned about the importance of networking
and talking to your professors during office hours.
But I still don’t feel ready about networking like
that but I guess that it is a skill that comes with
practice.
- Male Participant
– Female Participant
•
The campus has several resources that students
can take advantage of.
- Female Participant
FUTURE DIRECTIONS
o Tighter integration between Residential and Online
Programs
o Refinement of Selection Model
o Evaluation of Case outcomes and refinement
o Evaluation of Campus resource usage
o Learning Community Building
o SUMMER BRIDGE Mentors
o Course Cohort Development
o Role of Online/hybrid learning
o SUMMER BRIDGE for ALL Pre-Freshman STEM Students
o Improve use of Social Media & Interactive Technologies
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• NSF – STEP
•
•
Grant: 1068238
PI: Dr. Patricia Marsteller, Dr. Nancy Bliwise & Dr. Nytia Jacobs
• Summer Bridge Program Instructors
•
Residential
•
•
•
Online
•
•
•
Dr. Adrianne Edwards (2012)
Dr. Kristen Gordon (2013)
Dr. Keifer Orion (2012),
Dr. Yoskaly Lazo Fernandez, Colin Harrison, Felicia Fullilove (2013)
Staff
•
Andrew Singletary
• Internal Advisory Board
•
Introductory Science Course Faculty
• University Advisory Board
•
Provost, Dean CAS, Office of Institutional Research
• External Advisory Board
• Morehouse College
UTILIZING CASE-BASED
LEARNING IN A SUMMER
PRE-FRESHMAN BRIDGE
PROGRAM TO IMPACT
STEM RETENTION RATES
Drew Kohlhorst, PhD
Emory Center for Science Education
Assistant Director &
Bridge Program Director
Atlanta, GA