Beyond Active Learning

Learning Assistant (LA) Supported Pedagogies in Large Lecture Science Courses

The University of Colorado at Denver, North Dakota State University Fargo, and Florida International University have received an NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education and Human Resources Design and Development tier award to observe, characterize, and interpret the active learning methods employed in a large sample of Learning Assistant (LA) supported and non-LA supported science courses at the three universities. The research will investigate how active learning methods and undergraduate LA support contribute to the learning gains, achievement, retention, and persistence of over 10,600 Biology students, 8,800 Chemistry students, and 7,600 Physics students during each year of the four-year project.

The Project will provide critical evidence on active learning as it 1) examines a large number of students and faculty in three STEM disciplines (Chemistry, Biology, and Physics) at three large public universities, 2) provides deep understanding of how active learning and LA support promotes student success, 3) examines student success through a variety of measures, 4) provides critical insight into the learning of underrepresented/minority (URM) students in STEM, and 5) directly informs the large International Learning Assistant Alliance, which currently consists of fifty-five (55) universities.

  • Focus: Undergraduate students
  • Funder: National Science Foundation
  • Team: Laird Kramer (Principal Investigator), Hagit Kornreich-Leshem (Co-Principal Investigator)
  • Award Number: 1525529
  • Amount: $359,774.00
  • Contact:Laird Kramer, Department of Physics