RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Enhancing senior high school student engagement and academic performance using an inclusive and scalable inquiry-based program
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 822783
DO 10.1101/822783
A1 Locke Davenport Huyer
A1 Neal I. Callaghan
A1 Sara Dicks
A1 Edward Scherer
A1 Andrey I. Shukalyuk
A1 Margaret Jou
A1 Dawn M. Kilkenny
YR 2019
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2019/12/02/822783.abstract
AB The multi-disciplinary nature of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers often renders difficulty for high school students navigating from classroom knowledge to post-secondary pursuits. Discrepancies between the knowledge-based high school learning approach and the experiential approach of undergraduate studies leaves some students disillusioned by STEM. We present Discovery, a semester-long inquiry-focused learning model delivered by STEM graduate students in collaboration with high school educators, in the context of biomedical engineering. Entire classes of high school STEM students representing diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds engaged in iterative, problem-based learning designed to emphasize critical thinking concomitantly within the secondary school and university environments. Assessment of grades and survey data suggested positive impact of this learning model on students’ STEM pursuits, notably in under-performing cohorts, as well as repeating cohorts that engage in the program on more than one occasion. Discovery presents a scalable platform blurring the divide between secondary and post-secondary learning, providing valuable learning opportunities and capturing cohorts of students that might otherwise be under-engaged in STEM.