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Head, Heart, Hands: A Rubric for Creating Inclusive STEM Learning Environments

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Conference

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Portland, Oregon

Publication Date

June 23, 2024

Start Date

June 23, 2024

End Date

July 12, 2024

Conference Session

Milhouse's Moment: Engineering Inclusivity, Everything's Coming Up Milhouse!

Tagged Division

Pre-College Engineering Education Division (PCEE)

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/47524

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Paper Authors

biography

Meagan C Pollock Engineer Inclusion

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As an engineer turned educator, through her company, Engineer Inclusion, Dr. Meagan Pollock focuses on helping others intentionally engineer inclusion® in education and the workforce.

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biography

Lara Hebert University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

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Serves as the Outreach and Public Engagement Coordinator for The Grainger College of Engineering. She brings to this position and this initiative expertise in teacher education and curriculum design.

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Lynford Goddard University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

biography

Luisa-Maria Rosu University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

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Luisa-Maria Rosu is the Director of I-STEM (Illinois Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) Education Initiative.

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Abstract

This paper explores the implementation and efficacy of a novel rubric designed for pre-college STEM educators participating in a six-month professional development program focusing on creating inclusive STEM learning environments. The rubric, grounded in contemporary educational theory, emphasizes 27 key elements categorized under three main tenets: cognitive engagement (Head), emotional engagement (Heart), and active participation (Hands) in STEM. Educators first employed this rubric during a summer institute, applying it to observations made in engineering summer camps. Then, they used the rubric within their classrooms and STEM clubs. Their assessments aimed to classify observed teaching practices and learning environments as "Inequitable and Exclusive," "Performative or Status Quo," or "Equitable and Inclusive." Aside from an assessment tool, the rubric provides a framework for improving the learning environment. The paper investigates how educators integrated the rubric into their practice and its impact on enhancing inclusive teaching methodologies in STEM education. The study contextualizes the rubric within a rich theoretical framework, drawing upon literature in educational psychology, inclusive pedagogy, and STEM education research. The findings offer insights into how educators discern and foster inclusivity in STEM learning environments, providing evidence of the rubric's utility in professional development. This study contributes to the field by offering a validated tool for educators to self-assess and evolve their pedagogical approaches towards more inclusive STEM education, ultimately aiming to broaden STEM participation across diverse student populations.

Pollock, M. C., & Hebert, L., & Goddard, L., & Rosu, L. (2024, June), Head, Heart, Hands: A Rubric for Creating Inclusive STEM Learning Environments Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/47524

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