CEMSE: Center for Excellence

Principal investigator: Bill Moss

Goal/strategy: The goal of this project addresses the following ARC goals:

• Primary goal 2: “Strengthen the Capacity of the People of Appalachia to Compete in the Global Economy.”
• Strategic objective 2.3: “Increase Access to Quality Child Care and Early Childhood Education.”
• Strategy 1: “Support Efforts to Initiate and Expand Early Childhood Education Programs.”

The overall purpose of the “Making Mathematics Accessible to All” project is to strengthen Appalachia’s economic competitiveness by providing students with mathematical opportunities that show evidence of closing educational achievement gaps among diverse groups of students and improving the mathematical achievement of all students. By providing young students with mathematical experiences that enable them to develop confidence in their ability to learn and think mathematically, this project will prepare students for participation in higher level mathematics courses in middle and high school, thus making the possibility of higher education more accessible, and the probability of success more likely.

Principal investigator: Bill Moss

Full name of project: “Adapting K-8 Mathematics Curricular Materials for Pre-Service Teacher Education”

Fundamental to this project is the development of a framework for pre-service teachers to enable them to construct a meaningful understanding of the impact of curriculum on teaching and learning. In addition, research is being conducted by the project team to determine if the participation of pre-service teachers in a particular research initiative (with a focus on the algebra strand) improves their content and pedagogical knowledge. The research being conducted by the pre-service teachers in this project includes a cycle of curriculum investigation, experiencing (as learners) lessons adapted from the materials, and observing (as future teachers) classroom teachers and students experiencing the lessons.

Particular research initiatives for which the pre-service teachers are engaged involve adapting and modifying standards based K-8 student curriculum materials originally designed to be used to support teaching of K-8 in-service teachers. Adaptive tasks and instrumentation are being developed by the project leaders, and students use these as the basis for their curriculum investigation. An assessment instrument NSF-MSP No. 0335411 is being adapted to assess student (pre-service teacher) learning. The intellectual merit related to this project is substantial. Pre-service teachers are conducting research on the impact of curriculum on teaching and learning, and the project team, in turn, is conducting and evaluating research on the effects the students’ (pre-service teachers) research projects have on their content and pedagogical knowledge. Among the broader impacts of the project is the development of a research informed model for K-12 teacher preparation programs in mathematics as well as other disciplines.

Researchers at Clemson University have received a grant from the National Science Foundation to increase the number of students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics — STEM — fields of study.

The $1,989,621 grant, “CU-STEP: Enhancing the Undergraduate Experience Through Research and Curriculum Development,” will recruit and prepare first generation students for college and help undergraduates to remain in, and graduate from, STEM programs.

Barbara Speziale, associate dean of academic outreach and summer academic programs and professor in biological sciences, is the principal investigator of the project. “This grant is the result of collaboration between two of the University's five colleges, and three of its centers and institutes,” she said. “This project emphasizes the University’s commitment to undergraduate education.”

In addition to its focus on recruiting and retaining first generation college students, Speziale said the project also will enhance the preparation of secondary school students and increase their interest in attending Clemson. Some of the activities proposed to increase the number of students prepared for STEM disciplines at Clemson include enrichment programs for high school students, proactive mentoring for STEM freshmen, undergraduate research and service learning, and curriculum modifications. The time is right for an increased focus on STEM disciplines, according to Speziale, who said an increase in the number of students in STEM programs will support the rapidly rising sector of biotechnology and other STEM-intensive industries in South Carolina. The goal is to develop a technically competent workforce and build the leadership to expand these industries in the state and nation.

The Clemson University College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences and the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences, in conjunction with the South Carolina DNA Learning Center, Center of Excellence in Mathematics and Science Education, Institute of Modeling and Simulation Applications, and the Office of Undergraduate Studies, will partner to develop, direct, implement and evaluate a comprehensive strategy for the program.

Co-principal investigators on the project are Bob Ballard, professor of biological sciences; Calvin L. Williams, professor of mathematical sciences; Jeff Appling, professor of chemistry and associate dean; Matt Ohland, professor of general engineering; Steve Stevenson, professor of computer sciences; John Wagner, professor of geological sciences; and Sue Lasser, director of the Program for Engineering Enrichment and Retention.

Principal investigators: Matt Ohland and Bill Moss

Full name of project: “Adapting and Implementing the SCALE-UP Approach in Statics, Dynamics and Multivariate Calculus”

A multidisciplinary team of faculty at Clemson is working to deliver more effective statics and dynamics instruction. Their work builds particularly on two other NSF-funded projects. The project is developing cooperative learning activities that are complementary to those developed through Statics: The Next Generation and delivering them using the Student-Centered Activities for Large Enrollment University Programs model, teaching large studio classes where the primary emphasis is on learning by guided inquiry instead of by listening. The present lecture approach is being revised significantly and the two sequential courses are being integrated according to the needs of students in mechanical engineering and civil engineering.

A partnership to include learning exercises from multivariate calculus is helping students transfer knowledge and develop a more robust understanding of the course content. Improvements in student learning is being measured in terms of normalized gain on existing conceptual tests. Faculty development activities, including workshops and mentoring, are nurturing a cadre of faculty who are learning to design and implement cooperative learning activities. The mentoring of faculty in large-enrollment classes is helping expand the use of these teaching methods throughout the curriculum, and the materials developed in this project are applicable to statics and dynamics courses at other universities.