QUALITY EDUCATION FOR MINORITIES (QEM) NETWORK

Professional Development Workshop:

Fundamentals of Research in STEM Education

Supported by the National Science Foundation

Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings

Embassy Suites Hotel • 315 Julia Street • New Orleans, La

October 26-27, 2007

AGENDA

Note: Participants supported by QEM are expected to take advantage of the free

Full Breakfast available each morning at this Hotel.

Day One – Research Fundamentals and Case Studies

AM

8:00 Registration

8:30 Opening Plenary Session Diamond B

Welcome, Purpose, and Introductions

Shirley McBay, President, QEM Network

8:45 Research in STEM Education: Background and Context

(Origins, Development, Current Standing, and Guiding Principles)

Monica Mitchell, Associate, QEM Network (.pdf of presentation)

9:15 Research Design – Asking the Right Questions

(What is meant by Research Design? What attributes should a research question

satisfy so that the question is deemed important to ask? What are some of the

common forms/types of research questions?)

Robert Sherwood, Professor, Science Education, Indiana University (.pdf of presentation)

9:45 Introduction of Case Studies

Shirley McBay, QEM Network

10:00 Case Study I: STEM Learning Communities and the Freshman Year Experience (.pdf of presentation)

Janice Kennedy Sloan, Program Manager, HBCU-UP Project

Johnson C. Smith University

10:30 Break

10:45 Case Study II: Langston University’s STEM Digital Village (.pdf of presentation)

John Coleman, HBCU-UP Project Director, Langston University

11:15 Case Study III: Peer Led Team Learning at Morehouse College (.pdf of presentation)

Susan Hall, Vice-President, Transformational Consultants International

11:45 Case Study IV: Supplemental Instruction in Mathematics at Claflin University (.pdf of presentation)

J. Arthur Jones, Senior Associate, QEM Network

PM

12:15 Lunch and Plenary Session

12:45 Methods of Educational Research

(Most common methods in educational research; purpose and review of various

methods: quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods; controversies and ethical

considerations related to methods; and research instruments)

Olatokunbo (Toks) Fashola, Adjunct Research Scientist (.pdf of presentation)

John Hopkins University

Participants will be assigned to four Working Groups

[with Group Leader and Reporter]

Group I: Case Study I (Freshman Year Academy) Diamond B

Group II: Case Study II (Digital Village) Diamond A

Group III: Case Study III (Peer Led Team Learning) Suite 211

Group IV: Case Study IV (Supplemental Instruction) Suite 212

1:30 Four Concurrent Sessions – Asking the Right Question

(Charge: Identify/formulate significant research question(s) for

assigned case studies)

2:30 Four Concurrent Sessions – Utilizing Appropriate Methods

(Charge: Identify appropriate methods for the specific case studies and

provide rationale for the methods selected)

3:30 Coffee Break

3:45 Plenary Session: Data Collection, and Data Analysis Diamond B

Robert Sherwood, Indiana University (.pdf of presentation)

4:15 Four Concurrent Sessions - Collecting Useful Data

(Charge: Identify data collection and analytical strategies for investigating

the research question(s) formulated during 1:30 pm session. Identify

any specific data collection concerns and ethical considerations)

(Same Groups and Locations as earlier sessions)

5:00 Plenary Session: Group Reports – Questions, Methods, Diamond B

Data Collection and Analytical Strategies for each Case Study

6:00 Dinner (on your own)

Day Two – Issues in Educational Research

AM

8:30 Plenary Session Diamond B

Research at the K-12 Level – Considerations and Challenges

Patricia F. Campbell, Associate Professor, Mathematics Education (.pdf of presentation)

University of Maryland College Park

9:15 Research in Undergraduate STEM Education

(Student Learning, Program Intervention, and Instructional Methodologies)

Patricia B. Campbell, President, Campbell-Kibler Associates, Inc. (.pdf of presentation)

10:00 Break

10:15 Implementation, Research, and Evaluation

(Is there unavoidable tension and/or conflict? What is the role of research in

implementation? What is the role of evaluation in research? What is the role of

evaluation in implementation? Can a researcher wear both hats?)

Olatokunbo (Toks) Fashola, John Hopkins University (.pdf of presentation)

11:00 Four Concurrent Sessions - Implementation, Research, and Evaluation

(Charge: Develop evaluation questions and distinguish between the research

and evaluation questions formulated)

(Same Groups and Locations as previous day’s sessions)

NOON/PM

12:00 Lunch and Plenary Session

12:45 Group Reports – Evaluation Questions for each Case Study

1:45 Plenary Session Diamond B

The Socio-cultural Context of Research in STEM Education

Patricia B. Campbell, Campbell-Kibler Associates, Inc. (.pdf of presentation)

2:30 Staying Current in the Field

Monica Mitchell, QEM Network

3:00 Dissemination of Research Findings

Patricia F. Campbell, University of Maryland College Park (.pdf of presentation)

3:45 Break

4:00 Potential Funding Sources

J. Arthur Jones, QEM Network

4:30 Observations, Lessons Learned, and Concluding Comments

Workshop Participants, Case Study Leaders, QEM Consultants, and QEM Staff

5:00 Adjournment