Discipline: Biological Sciences
Subcategory: STEM Science and Mathematics Education
Chad Markert - Winston Salem State University
Co-Author(s): Co-Author(s): Dawn X. Henderson, NC A&T University, Greensboro, NC Breonte Guy, C. Edward Ebert, and Jill Keith, Winston Salem State University, Winston Salem, NC
Overview: Particularly at the graduate level, the discipline of Exercise Physiology is moving toward explaining phenomena by utilizing the same tools used at the laboratory bench in STEM areas such as chemistry, biology, and biophysics. This 3-year targeted infusion project (TIP) seeks to provide Exercise Physiology students with lab-bench experiences, using regenerative medicine modules as a vehicle. Broadly, our objectives are to increase the number of underrepresented students in the STEM pipeline. Specifically, this will be accomplished by enhancing cognitive and behavioral factors that predict persistence in STEM. The goal of this project is to infuse lab-bench modules into the Exercise Physiology curriculum at WSSU. Activities will include opportunities for further intensive research, and STEM career-focused colloquia. Objective 1: Improve student attitudes toward use of lab bench-based techniques: will be measured using a modified Science Attitude Inventory (SAI III), Moore and Hill Foy, 1998. Objective 2: Improve student perceptions of scientific inquiry in Exercise Physiology: will be measured with Views About Scientific Inquiry Questionnaire (VASI), Lederman J.S. et al, 2014. Objective 3: Increase student intentions to engage in undergraduate research: will be measured with Intended Research Involvement Measure, Deemer E.D. et al, 2014. Objective 4: Increase student intentions to persist in STEM-related fields: will be measured with Career Intention in Science Scale (CIS), Nassar-McMillan S.C. et al, 2012. Novel aspects of this proposal include: offering this experience to undergraduates (the graduate level may be too late); offering this experience using Exercise Physiology as a platform; infusing the lab-bench modules using a bioengineering project as a vehicle; and offering this experience at a HBCU, so that underrepresented students are funneled into STEM graduate schools and careers. Results: Our preliminary (Year 1) quantitative observations indicate that the TIP has limited effects on outcome scores related to the four objectives. Formative observations of summer intensive research experiences focused on strengths, weaknesses, accomplishments, and challenges. These observations show promise and will be discussed.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): NSF HBCU-UP TIP
Faculty Advisor: None Listed,