On behalf of the Sustainability Improves Student Learning initiative (SISL), you’re invited to participate in a one-hour discussion centered around the opportunities and challenges of teaching STEM content in the context of real-world societal issues such as sustainability, climate change, public health and others.
Background: The SISL initiative, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, is leveraging the influence of 11 STEM disciplinary societies to contextualize undergraduate STEM teaching and learning in terms of 21st century global challenges. The ultimate goal is to prepare students who not only understand the scientific and societal dimensions of the challenges we face, but who also are motivated and equipped to help solve the underlying problems. These discussions will contribute to this goal by helping to identify best practices, opportunities, barriers, and effective framing for infusing these issues into STEM curricula.
Who should participate: All faculty in the science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (STEM) disciplines, particularly those who teach the introductory courses, are invited to participate. Participants can be at any stages in their career and work at 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities. We encourage participation from those who currently incorporate societal challenges (e.g. sustainability, climate change, public health, etc.) into their teaching as well as those who do not currently do so. Participants need not be a member of one of the disciplinary societies engaged in SISL.
Structure and goals of the discussion: Each discussion will be hosted via a Webex webinar, and will be limited to approximately one dozen participants in order to facilitate interaction. Participants will share successful classroom strategies as well as challenges; they will also identify useful resources for teaching STEM in the context of societal issues. The facilitator will encourage reflection on effective faculty development, including what kind of support is needed from departments, administrations, and professional organizations, as well as opportunities that would encourage greater engagement of students in the exploration of solutions to global problems. Participants will also learn about resources available from the SISL initiative to support the infusion of real-world issues into STEM courses.
We hope you can join us for one of the following one-hour discussions:
- Monday, April 29 at 3:00 pm PDT/6:00 pm EDT: Please register here
- Tuesday, April 30 at 1:00 pm PDT/4:00 pm EDT: Please register here
- Wednesday, May 1 at 11:00 am PDT/2:00 pm EDT: Please register here
Please feel free to contact Catherine Fry with any questions. Your views and expertise will provide a valuable contribution to this effort!
Catherine L. Fry, Ph.D., Project Manager
- Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL)
- Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)
- 1818 R St., NW
- Washington, DC 20009-1604
- Direct Tel: 301-552-2240
- PKAL Tel: 202-884-7433
- https://www.aacu.org/pkal