Our October webinar was hosted by Jen Mansfield and Andrew Salcido, who joined us from the Fulton School of Engineering at ASU. Both shared that future engineers need to be able to engage constructively with peers - be it in a room full of fellow students or in a online setting! To address this fundamental skill, learning activities are purposely designed to foster thoughtful conversations across the engineering curriculum. click on slide The first part of the webinar focused on creating quality online discussions for courses with small and large enrollment. Helpful strategies that were shared include: (a) engaging prompts; (b) providing structure & roles; and (c) setting expectations. In addition, the audience shared a few examples from different subject areas, such as engineering and history. The second part of the webinar focus on 'Tips & Trick' for Canvas, ASU's new LMS. Instructors and students can now subscribe to and participate in discussions i...

Today's blog is written by Logan Gin, PhD Student in Biology and Society, and member of Sara Brownell's Biology Education Research Lab What are bridge programs? The transition to college can be difficult for students from a variety of different backgrounds as they attempt to adjust to the rigor of college courses, adapt to a novel university setting, and become members of a university community. Summer bridge programs, sometimes called boot camps or early start programs, have been developed as a way to ease the academic and social transition to college. They are intensive experiences for incoming students that can provide early exposure to the opportunities, knowledge, and skills it takes to succeed in college. How can bridge programs help STEM students? Surprisingly, there is limited research on the goals and effectiveness of bridge programs. A recent review of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) bridge programs (Ashley, Cooper, Cala, and Brownell, 2017)...