Celebrating SEISMIC 1.0: The Final Summer Meeting

Posted on 07/06/202308/16/2023 by Ashley Atkinson

2023 SEISMIC Summer Meeting

By Ashley Atkinson, edited by Nita Tarchinski

Celebrating SEISMIC 1.0: The Final Summer Meeting

The SEISMIC Community gathers one last time to share accomplishments and discuss hopes for the future!

2023 SEISMIC Summer Meeting Group Photo

In early 2019, members of ten public research institutions came together to address a common observation: there is a persistent problem of inequity and non-inclusion in STEM introductory courses. Regardless of where in the country an institution was located, data analysis showed that student performance was affected by identity. Educators, researchers, students, and staff alike knew that change needed to happen, and that change needed to be both at a local level and, ultimately, across institutions. Thus, SEISMIC – Sloan Equity and Inclusion in STEM Introductory Courses – was formed.

Fast forward four years, and SEISMIC has made shockwaves that traveled far beyond its epicenter. With four themed working groups engaging in collaborative work as well as individuals from different institutions teaming up, a plethora of presentations and publications have radiated from SEISMIC. In addition, ten Weeks of SEISMIC, three cohorts of SEISMIC Scholars, and four Annual Meetings have kept the community rumbling with enthusiasm.

As the original grant SEISMIC was founded on ends, one last Summer Meeting was needed to celebrate the collaboration’s accomplishments. The 2023 SEISMIC Summer Meeting took place Wednesday, June 21 through Friday, June 23 in Ann Arbor, MI. Featuring both in-person and hybrid events, the SEISMIC community gathered one final time to share research talks, workshops, panels, and posters. Just as importantly, the community considered what a “SEISMIC 2.0” would look like, and how momentum could continue.

Day One: Wednesday, June 21

The conference began Wednesday morning, with swag bags and breakfast for all. After participants had settled in, the Collaboration Council (CoCo) kicked off the conference with their Opening Remarks. The CoCo, designed to guide the activities of the collaboration and uphold the SEISMIC principles of operation, went over the 2023 SEISMIC Climate Survey Report by CEDER and shared some of our members’ accomplishments over the past year. Awarded grants, publications, podcasts, and other resources all deserved recognition.

After the CoCo’s presentation, participants had the opportunity to visit one of two rooms to participate in workshops and listen in on research talks. The first workshop was titled “Integrating Critical Perspectives into STEM Education” and was given by Dr. Natasha Turman. Dr. Turman did a fantastic job explaining the concepts of Deconstruction and Reconstruction and how they can be applied to STEM education. Dr. Matthew Kaplan and Dr. Denise Galarza Sepúlveda conducted a workshop called “The Ecosystem of Large Foundational Course” and explained how the complex web of relationships, motivations, and constraints at the instructor, departmental, and school levels function much like an ecosystem. Overall, both workshops provided important perspectives and effective tools for creating change in the classroom.

The Collaboration Council (CoCo)

Two research talks were given on Wednesday morning as well: “Leveraging cluster analysis to more deeply examine student success across SEISMIC campuses” presented by Dr. Kameryn Denaro and Dr. Brian Sato followed by “From courses to curricula: Integrating data science skills into life science education” presented by Dr. Nate Emery. Dr. Denaro and Dr. Sato described the Bright Spots project and how courses with minimal opportunity grade gaps can serve as models for more equitable STEM outcomes. Similarly, Dr. Emery discussed how The Biological and Environmental Data Education (BEDE) Network works to support instructors as they integrate data science skills into undergraduate biology and environmental science curricula. Already, the SEISMIC Summer Meeting was sparking conversation and inspiration, with plenty of discussions happening afterward!

That afternoon, conference participants enjoyed lunch while listening to keynote speaker Dr. Tati Russo-Tait, an Assistant Professor from the University of Georgia, present on her experience examining instructors’ beliefs to advance equity and justice in STEM learning environments. Dr. Russo-Tait described her process of interviewing STEM instructors and their attitudes towards deficit narratives, as well as how well they could identify racial injustice.

Afterward, three different panels took place, continuing the choose-your-own-adventure theme. Nita Tarchinski, SEISMIC’s Project Manager, hosted a panel on The STEM Equity Learning Community (SELC) Grant, and facilitators of the project shared their plans. Emily Bonem and her panel discussed Purdue’s Student Pedagogy Advocates (SPA) program, which enhances STEM teaching through student partnership. In addition, Lalo Gonzalez hosted a panel about the Office Hours project, giving an overview of the SEISMIC Project, and prompting other panelists to share their experiences. All three of these panels were a fantastic way to get a sneak peek at what it’s like to be a part of these projects.

The SELC Project Panel

One last workshop also occurred that afternoon, hosted by members of the Center for Academic Innovation at the University of Michigan: Kyle Small, Ben Hayward, and Holly Derry. They provided an overview of the ECoach technology developed to support students in their largest and most difficult courses. This workshop was also continued Thursday morning, where participants had more practice applying the ECoach technology.

Wednesday was wound down with a Tai Chi class with Madeleine Gonin and a Tap Dance Class with Kameryn Denaro – they were definitely needed!

Day Two: Thursday, June 22

After breakfast and some individual conversations Thursday morning, the momentum continued with participants breaking out into parallel sessions to listen to more research talks. Dr. Kameryn Denaro began the session with her presentation of the effects of concurrent enrollment preparatory courses on persistence in general chemistry. She discussed how various factors make preparatory courses either more successful or less, including how closely the prep class aligns with the core course and both the students’ and instructors’ attitudes toward the class. William Nicholas Bork Rodriguez also presented on a concurrent intervention: digital backchannels. Using an online forum board such as Piazza, students were able to ask questions anonymously during class or after. While Rodriguez’s study is still ongoing, gender-based performance gaps are already beginning to close.

Dr. Sean Garrett-Roe’s research talk focused on student-centered assessment in large general chemistry courses. Dr. Garrett-Roe explained how Marzano’s Taxonomy could be applied to mastery-based grading and how this can increase student motivation to study for the course as well as improve grades. Dr. Jill Robinson’s research talk also focused on assessments in large chemistry courses. She described how by flipping her classroom, recruiting more undergraduate learning assistants, and offering additional assessments, she was able to promote and increase student success and sense of belonging.

Dr. Corrin Clarkson gave a fantastic talk on how she is currently using the Indiana University Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PEER) program to promote participation in courses. Small peer-led study sessions, promoted via email messages, were advertised to students during the Fall 2022 semester. Dr. Clarkson discussed the results and plans for the future. Dr. Becky Matz gave an equally impressive talk on giving behavioral nudges in STEM introductory courses using ECoach. Students received emails about their course related to information, structure, or assistance for making decisions. So far, the messaging has helped students overall, and different techniques will be experimented with in the future.

Dr. Kameryn Denaro

Dr. Sean Garrett-Roe

Offering an alternative perspective, Dr. Chandralekha Singh presented on ecological belonging interventions in STEM courses. She defined important terms such as stereotype threat and self-efficacy and how classroom practices can impact these. By addressing insecurities and doubts in the classroom, students can reflect and are more likely to have a sense of belonging. Finally, Dr. Madeleine Gonin and Dr. Nikeetha Farfan D’Souza gave a talk on designing and building equitable large classes using student feedback. Using a faculty learning community model, they worked with groups of instructors to analyze student feedback and understand motivations.

Dr. Archie Holmes

After lunch, keynote speaker Dr. Archie Holmes gave a presentation titled “Beyond the Classroom: UT System’s Approach to Ensuring Equitable Opportunities for All Students to Achieve Educational and Post-Graduation Success”. He provided insight into the inner workings of the University of Texas System and the support structures that exist for students’ intellectual and social development. He also highlighted the work that still needs to be accomplished and the importance of continuing the fight for equity and inclusion in higher education.

To close out Thursday, participants gathered for a group picture in front of Angell Hall (see the top of this blog post) before enjoying a poster reception in the LSA Multipurpose Room. With 15 posters on display, the reception was incredibly informative and a blast at the same time. In addition, people voted on which posters they wanted to hear about the following morning!

Day Three: Friday, June 23

Before hearing more about the posters that received the most votes, participants were able to make their own Treat To-Go bag with books recommended or written by SEISMIC members, snacks from Ann Arbor, and “vintage” SEISMIC swag! Finally, the CoCo closed out the conference with a panel featuring past and current SEISMIC leadership and some group Jamboards. Spirits were high as the best parts of SEISMIC 1.0 were highlighted and the hopes for SEISMIC 2.0 were voiced. Overall, everyone could agree on one thing: the community is the core. We are more powerful in numbers, can impact more people, and can make more change.

Treats-to-go!

While no one is quite sure when the next in-person meeting will be, the need for the important work SEISMIC does remains. As SEISMIC 1.0 winds down, the motivation to fight for equity and inclusion in STEM introductory courses remains steadfast. Regardless of what the future of SEISMIC looks like, the members of SEISMIC will continue to fight for the progress that must occur.

The 2023 SEISMIC Scholars – Welcome!

Ashley Atkinson

Ashley Atkinson is a Program Assistant for SEISMIC Central, lending a hand to whichever projects need support. Her primary projects include the SEISMIC website, making graphics for various efforts, and editing a podcast. As an alum from Michigan State University, Ashley is passionate about equity and inclusion in STEM alongside science communication. She is currently pursuing an MA in Science Writing and Johns Hopkins University.

Nita Tarchinski

Nita Tarchinski is the Project Manager for the Sloan Equity and Inclusion in STEM Introductory Courses (SEISMIC) Collaboration, coordinating multi-institutional and multidisciplinary research and teaching projects focused on making introductory STEM courses more equitable and inclusive.

UC Davis Week of SEISMIC

Posted on 03/02/202303/03/2023 by Ashley Atkinson

University of California Davis Week of SEISMIC

By Nita Tarchinski, edited by Ashley Atkinson

I Open at the Close*

UC Davis Week of SEISMIC, February 6-8, 2023

And that’s a wrap! 10 Weeks of SEISMIC in the books. Excuse me while I go take a nap…

In all seriousness, the University of California Davis Week of SEISMIC was a lovely way to wrap up this year-long adventure. The weather was beautiful, the talks were highly engaging, SEISMIC Bingo brought out the SEISMIC pride, and the project meetings were quite productive.

The week began with project meetings for the SEISMIC STEM Equity Learning Communities (SELC) project. More information about this NSF-funded project can be found here. A big task for this team was to sketch out plans for the launch event taking place back in Davis in May. The multitude of white boards and big sticky notepads in the room did not disappoint. The team wrapped up the day with solid plans for the upcoming May Institute. Look for details on this project in an upcoming SEISMIC newsletter.

On Tuesday, Heather Rypkema launched us into a deep dive on “Course Equity Reports: Using Institutional Data to Inform Course Design and Promote Awareness of Outcome Disparities.” Participants learned about the importance for equity reporting, equity measures used in the University of Michigan Course Equity Reports, and other related initiatives. Meaghan Pearson presented next on the Student Perspectives project in the Constructs Working Group. Through this project, researchers interviewed students to understand how they describe inclusive and equitable classrooms. Common themes for inclusive classrooms included, “everyone participates” and “open to other perspectives.” For equitable classrooms, common themes included, “has support structures” and “instruction approachable.” Jonathan Bragg, our new UC Davis SEISMIC PI, took the stage next for an overview of the First-Year Experience Program: BioLaunch at UC Davis. Four undergraduate students – Freddy Camacho Oviedo, Anahí Mora, Gustavo Landeros Mireles, and Julia Estrada – joined us next for a panel on student experiences in STEM. One recommendation that came out of this panel for introductory STEM professors was – “forgiveness through the learning process.” We closed out the day with delicious guacamole and more tasty treats at happy hour, an energizing game of SEISMIC bingo with swag prizes, and dinner at My Burma. What a day!

Wednesday morning started with a presentation from Nikeetha Farfan D’Souza on the importance of equity in the classroom, how we conceptualize it, and current projects in the Constructs Working Group. Joel Ledford and Susan Keen then provided insights into “co-classes” and their utility for students. Our keynote presentation by Renée Link on specifications-based grading carried us through lunch, with great tips on how to really switch up assessment practices, even for huge classes. Natalia Deeb-Sossa, Lina Mendez, and Natalia Caporale presented on a recent project about gathering “student perceptions of spaces on campus” and shared interesting perspectives on safe vs. unsafe spaces. We wrapped up the afternoon and Week with presentations from Korana Burke (flexible grading), Robert Furrow and Cody Pham (creative and non-judgmental figure exploration as a way to reduce student fear of negative evaluation), and Victoria Farrar (perspectives on curving in classes)!

Thank you to everyone who presented, organized, participated, and engaged with our Weeks of SEISMIC! You made these Weeks. Looking forward to seeing you all in June for our SEISMIC Summer Meeting in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Registration details are posted on our Summer Meeting page.

* Harry Potter reference, anyone?

Nita Tarchinski

Ashley Atkinson

University of Pittsburgh Week of SEISMIC

Posted on 02/01/202302/03/2023 by Ashley Atkinson

University of Pittsburgh Week of SEISMIC

By Nita Tarchinski, edited by Ashley Atkinson

Talk, Eat, Talk, Repeat!

University of Pittsburgh Week of SEISMIC, January 16-19, 2023

Our ninth Week of SEISMIC kicked off on Martin Luther King Jr. Day last month with a virtual presentation by Kevin Binning and Erica McGreevy on “Creating Community in Large-Lecture College STEM Courses: An Ecological-Belonging Intervention.” The rest of the week followed parallel formats of a plenary talk or two, a series of lightning talks, then lunch and table discussions with the presenters of the day.

Tuesday’s plenary was by Chris Schunn and Jenny Ganger on “A New Model for Evaluation of Teaching at Pitt.” The new model includes, (1) an Annual Evaluation involving reflection and self-reporting, (2) Observation of Teaching, and (3) Addressing Promotion and Tenure / Reappointment Teaching Portfolios. Our speakers shared a useful webpage with resources they found helpful for improving their teaching (Teaching in Psych).

Lightning talk topics included the Pitt ECoach pilot, student perspectives on the barriers to office hours, TA training for introductory physics labs, and more. A hearty Chipotle lunch kept us fueled for the table discussions. Later that day we gathered again for a happy hour on the 7th floor of Alumni Hall, which included an incredible art installation showing perspectives of the city, all with the Cathedral of Learning somewhere in the view.

On Wednesday, Nita Tarchinski gave her usual talk on “Opportunities to Engage with the SEISMIC Collaboration,” with additional information on our two new SEISMIC grants and how the Pittsburgh SEISMIC community can get involved. Tim Nokes-Malach presented on “Developing and Testing a Mindfulness Intervention for Introductory Physics Courses.” Some of the themes that came up for student psychological threat included social comparison, exam worries, and lack of understanding. Lightning Talk presenters shared insights on co-teaching in Economics, inclusive teaching in large enrollment courses, ungrading in STEM courses, and plenty more. Delicious wraps, pita bread, and baklava from Forbes Gyro kept us energized for the small group discussions. Some members from the local SEISMIC team gathered for dinner that night at Butterjoint for absolutely delicious appetizers, desserts, and everything in between.

The final day began with Sean Garret-Roe’s plenary presentation on “Toward the vision of student-centered teaching and assessment in General Chemistry.” Sean emphasized the importance of developing assessments aligned with learning objectives and shared an interesting approach for creating assessment questions for general chemistry. We wrapped up our Week of SEISMIC with amazing bowls from Roots Natural Kitchen and one last session of table discussions.

Thank you to all of our presenters who contributed during this week: Kevin Binning, Erica McGreevy, Chris Schunn, Jenny Ganger, Jeremy Levy, Dan Wetzel, Russel Clark, Lingfeng (Kitty) Liu, Kirill Kiselyov, Eugene Wagner, Nita Tarchinski, Tim Nokes-Malach, Kevin Shaver, John Radzilowicz, Lizette Muñoz Rojas, Sean Garrett-Roe, Ben Rottman, Zuzana Swigonova, and David Sanchez!

Next up: Davis, CA for our 10th Week of SEISMIC!

Nita Tarchinski

Ashley Atkinson

Arizona State University Week of SEISMIC

Posted on 12/01/202212/01/2022 by Ashley Atkinson

Arizona State University Week of SEISMIC

By Nita Tarchinski, edited by Ashley Atkinson

Summer Sun, SEISMIC Fun

Arizona State University Week of SEISMIC, November 7-11, 2022

Our November Week of SEISMIC took place in Tempe, AZ at Arizona State University. Highlights of this week included the Natural Sciences Inclusion Summit, table-side guacamole at Barrio Queen, and a visit to the Desert Botanical Garden.

External participants arrived in town on Monday and spent some time exploring Tempe, including a lovely rooftop sunset view followed by a passionate race down 18 flights of stairs.

On Tuesday, members of the Constructs Working Group gathered to brainstorm new writing projects. After, multiple SEISMIC members presented to the Biology and Society Lab group at ASU on current SEISMIC activity. This included a presentation from Chris Mead on SEISMIC-type measurements, a presentation from James Hammond on central questions in the Constructs Working Group, and a presentation by Nita Tarchinski on how to get involved in SEISMIC. Particularly engaged audience members left the session with some new SEISMIC swag.

Later in the afternoon, Carson Byrd gave a talk on his book, “Behind the Diversity Numbers: Achieving Racial Equity on Campus.” We wrapped up the day with a visit to the Desert Botanical Garden with cacti aplenty!

Wednesday was the all-day Natural Sciences Inclusion Summit. This conference, co-sponsored by the ASU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Research for Inclusive STEM Education (RISE) Center, included several presentations from members of the ASU community and the SEISMIC community. Paul LePore shared a few measures to consider for student success, including retention in a major and retention at a university. Carson Byrd encouraged researchers to think about their ideal project to study racial (in)equity on their campus, and then to ask themselves:

“What is available on campus to pursue the project?
What other obstacles exist?
What questions and methodologies are left for viable projects?”

Susan Cheng emphasized the importance of “recognizing that presence isn’t automatic inclusion.” Following the packed day of presentations, several of us went to Barrio Queen for delicious Mexican food.

Thursday began with a presentation from Susan Cheng on “Gaining momentum for disciplinary change: A systems approach to departmental leadership in DEI.” Susan shared a design framework for department DEI momentum built on three stages – spark, solidify, and sustain – and used her own work in the mechanical engineering department at the University of Michigan for key examples.

After a hearty Mediterranean lunch, Constructs Working Group members gathered again to solidify writing plans. Meanwhile, Anna James was immersing herself in ASU’s Dreamscape experience.

We wrapped up ASU’s Week of SEISMIC with a pizza dinner and attendance at the ASU Pitchforks’ annual fall concert. What a blast! Thanks to ASU for hosting us!

Nita Tarchinski

Ashley Atkinson

Indiana University Week of SEISMIC

Posted on 11/03/202203/02/2023 by Ashley Atkinson

Indiana University Week of SEISMIC

By Ashley Atkinson, edited by Nita Tarchinski

Immersive Ideas in Indiana

Indiana University Week of SEISMIC, October 18-20, 2022

Indiana University’s Week of SEISMIC was jam-packed with action and excitement! From the Indiana Memorial Union to Cedar Hall, our schedule was filled with great people, fantastic presentations, and yummy food. All three days were filled with activities and everyone was exhausted by the end of Thursday’s presentations.

Martha Oakley, the Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and a Professor of Chemistry at Indiana University, kicked Tuesday morning’s session off with a warm welcome to both Zoom and in-person participants. Over 35 people attended total! After Martha spoke, Chantal Levesque-Bristol, Executive Director of the Center for Instructional Excellence at Purdue University, gave a fantastic talk on her book Student-Centered Pedagogy and Course Transformation at Scale: Facilitating Faculty Agency to IMPACT Institutional Change. During her presentation, she described the Purdue University IMPACT Program and how it has grown over time.

Book Cover

With the IMPACT Program launching in 2011, this project has been going for a long time. However, the theoretical framework guiding faculty development and course redesign has been around since 1985. Self-Determination Theory (or SDT) asserts that all humans – including both students and faculty – have three basic psychological needs: autonomy, which is comprised of having choice, options, and agency; competence, encompassing mastery of skills and knowledge, feedback, and structure; and relatedness, which embraces connection, belonging, and care. Using this framework as a launching point, IMPACT’s aim became to support instructors in bettering their teaching practices in order to create student-centered, autonomy-supportive, and inclusive learning environments to foster student success. With continuous efforts and education, the rate of students receiving a D, F, or W (withdrawal) in the courses fell by an average of 5%, but some of the 2000 courses involved saw up to a 30% reduction. Generating such positive results has led to institutional change, including the creation of a learning center.

Even though there is great progress being made to address the issues within higher education, Tim McKay’s talk on the next steps for addressing systemic inequities in higher education reminded us there’s still work to be done. Tim, the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education at the University of Michigan, reminded us that systemic inequities persist when they favor the privileged and we educate with rules established in the past and enforced by those who benefit from the current system. We continue to rely on standardized test scores and utilize ‘weed-out’ courses. Changing these structures requires collective action. Collective action can only be achieved when institutions and disciplines collaborate, and SEISMIC exists to create a space for collaboration and support new research projects. Throughout the past few years, we as an organization have produced papers, presentations, and – most importantly – change within classrooms. So what’s next?

flyer by Ashley Atkinson

Enter our new National Science Foundation awarded project: STEM Equity Learning Communities, or SELCs. The goal is to establish SELCs in universities across the U.S. that will foster impactful approaches for engaging people in equity-minded discussions of their STEM courses. We believe that when SELCs use course equity measures, co-develop interpretations of the data and action plans, and present their findings to campus leadership, they will develop equity-mindedness and be well-positioned to promote this mindset in their departments. The SELC project begins at the start of the 2023-2024 academic year and we are excited to see its progress!

Tuesday morning’s session concluded with a fantastic talk from Mary Murphy, a Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University. Mary spoke on creating cultures of inclusion in STEM, prompting all of us to reflect on what we were doing within our own classrooms to create a welcoming environment.

The afternoon began with talks from our Measurement Working Group after introductory remarks from Sabrina Andrews and Martha Oakley. One interesting talk was Kameryn Denaro’s presentation on opportunity gaps present across biology students. Kameryn – a Research Specialist within the Postsecondary Education Research and Implementation Institute at UC Irvine – and her team were able to gain access to five different institutions’ data on biology student demographics and performance. To assess for opportunity gaps, students were grouped by race, first-generation status, low-income status, and sex. Kameryn’s team found that opportunity gaps differed by institution, with some institutions having much larger student performance differences than others. The team’s next goal is to investigate what is causing those gaps.

Following the Measurement Group, Corrin Clarkson, Montserrat Valdivia, and Gipsi Sera shared their story and research on assessment quality in large undergraduate classes. They explained how some assessment questions can be inequitable for students. For example, a physics question involving a baseball game may seem like a fair question for all, but the question becomes unnecessarily difficult if a student is not familiar with how baseball works. By sorting questions by accuracy based on student demographics, inequitable questions can reveal themselves.

Madeleine Gonin and Nikeetha Farfan D’Souza spoke about designing and building equitable classes using student feedback and the session closed with Emily Bonem encouraging us all to think about what the future of SEISMIC should look like. What questions should we ask next? Where should we focus our efforts?

Tuesday evening ended with a reception, where many were able to catch up with old friends and make new ones. Afterwards, some headed to Taste of India for great food and more discussions. It was a fantastic way to end the first day of our week.

After a grant preparation meeting for the Bright Spots proposal team, Wednesday morning’s presentations were focused on fostering equity in STEM classrooms. The first presentation by Carmen Henne-Ochaoa was all about the Kovener Teaching Fellows Program and the ideas behind its goals. Carmen challenged us to look inwards and question why we find it uncomfortable to see and treat students as “people who have memories, families, religions, feelings, languages, and cultures that give them a distinct voice.” More importantly, why are we uncomfortable sharing all of that about ourselves with students? The key concept is vulnerability. Without vulnerability on both sides, faculty and students are unable to learn about each other outside of surface-level interactions. By thinking about who we are as people, or who we are as teachers, we can begin to explore sharing experiences with students and incorporating who we are into our lessons.

Rebecca Itow, David Pace, and William Robison spoke about the barrier between high school and college and how we can break down the transition to college. They informed us on the differing expectations between high school counselors and college admissions representatives.

Another insightful talk was Nikeetha Farfan D’Souza’s presentation on equitable STEM classrooms. Nikeetha, Associate Director for Student Support and Bias Responses at Indiana University, walked us through how our identity as an individual isn’t our whole story – we are also influenced by our culture, the people in power, and history. She went on to explain that equity is like gardening – you don’t punish a plant for not growing, you change the environment it’s growing in. It’s the same for students – if they are not succeeding, there are problems with the system they exist in, not problems within the student.

At lunch Nita Tarchinski, SEISMIC’s Project Manager, and Ashley Atkinson, one of our Program Assistants in SEISMIC Central, entertained participants with an exciting game of SEISMIC-themed Jeopardy! We tested our audience’s knowledge of our collaboration and we certainly had some superstars. Plenty of swag was won and we had a great time.

Wednesday afternoon brought the first part of our session focused on student-centered approaches. Amy Berndtson’s talk on using peer instruction to enhance student engagement and success in a biology course was quite engaging, especially with former undergraduate learning assistants in the audience. She explained that her undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs) were selected by hand and thoroughly trained on providing engaging and helpful instruction. Moreover, she provided them with tools to use while educating. Not only has this led to meaningful mentorship, but student success in the course has risen as UTAs have continued to be utilized.

Other presentations included Paul Graf and Gerhard Glomm speaking on the fundamentals of economics for a diverse student body, Gavin LaRose giving a talk on mastery grading in pre-calculus and how the calculus curriculum was reformed at the University of Michigan, and George Rehrey sharing about the TRESTLE Project and supporting communities around evidence-based teaching in STEM. We wrapped up the formal Wednesday activities with another meeting for the Bright Spots grant-writing team.

We had the pleasure of visiting Pottery House Studio and painting pottery pieces of our own. We highly recommend giving Pottery House Studio a visit if you are nearby!

Thursday morning began with another Bright Spots grant meeting. The team made progress outlining the needs of the grant and how individuals will be involved. Our final session of talks – the second part of our student-centered approaches theme – took place right after. So many fantastic presentations were given, including Jill Robinson’s talk on multiple assessment opportunities in a large general chemistry course. Typical chemistry courses tend to evaluate a student’s success based on a few large exams and maybe a number of quizzes. However, this leads to a high rate of students dropping or failing after one or two assessments. It was found that at Indiana University, combining flipped learning, second attempts at exams, and group exams increased the pass rate of the course.

Laura Brown, a senior lecturer at Indiana University, also discussed course modifications, although hers were within organic chemistry II. Combined with new assessments such as peer review assignments and weekly group discussion quizzes, Laura utilized modules that showcased the world of chemistry, created scientist spotlights that highlighted diversity in the field, and informed students what a chemistry degree could be used for. All of these efforts combined led to an overall decrease in “grade anomalies,” a phenomenon where a student receives a grade in a course that differs from their GPA. While some groups saw improvement (such as female and out-of-state students), other groups like first-generation students and Pell-eligible students saw an increase in grade penalty. Laura and her team are working to figure out why that is.

Other spectacular folks that presented include Martha Oakley discussing mastery-based grading in general chemistry, Akesha Horton with three approaches for supporting STEM pedagogical practices, and Renée Link with a thoughtful presentation on specifications grading.

Our final scheduled event of the day was the Student Panel and it was interesting to hear from students at Indiana University describe their experience with equity and inclusion in STEM introductory courses. The consensus was that while classrooms are not where they need to be in terms of equity, more and more people are beginning to try. We were left with the impression that we need to keep fighting for what we believe in and fight for the students that are living in the system we help to maintain.

Overall, the IU Week of SEISMIC was a success. The event sparked so many new ideas and discussions and many were able to form new connections. In fact, many began to wonder what SEISMIC 2.0 should look like, especially after Emily asked us to consider what we would envision if we had unlimited resources. We are looking forward to reconnecting at future Weeks of SEISMIC and our 2023 SEISMIC Summer Meeting in Ann Arbor, MI.

Ashley Atkinson

Nita Tarchinski

University of Minnesota Week of SEISMIC

Posted on 10/06/202203/02/2023 by Ashley Atkinson

University of Minnesota Week of SEISMIC

By Nita Tarchinski, edited by Ashley Atkinson

All Gas, No Breaks

University of Minnesota Week of SEISMIC, September 26-30, 2022

We kicked off our second half of the Weeks of SEISMIC with a lovely week in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Learning from the spring Weeks of SEISMIC, we narrowed down our activities to three days, with time to explore the local area as well.

Tuesday was a virtual day that began with lightning talks from five UMN speakers – Anita Schucardt, Joel Schneider, Michelle Driessen, Meaghan Stein, and Abdi Warfa. These lightning talks, affectionately referred to by Jesse Lewis as “midwestern thunderstorms” given their not-so-lightning pace, showcased local efforts to make introductory STEM courses more equitable and inclusive. Questions that came up during these talks pointed to shared challenges associated with changing introductory STEM courses. In particular, the common faculty question of, “how do I do these changes given the limited time I have with my students?”

Next up was a series of Measurement Working Group presentations from seven members of the Working Group – Becky Matz, Meaghan Pearson, Sarah Castle, Stefano Fiorini, Angel Sylvester, Kameryn Denaro, and Victoria Farrar. This session provided a phenomenal overview of projects in the Measurement Working Group and how our collaborators are approaching their work. Meaghan Pearson challenged us to consider the motivations for our work, consider how our lived experiences shape how we approach our work, and to use structural measures instead of individual identity variables for our Measurements work. We wrapped up the evening with a delicious dinner at Aster Cafe.

Day 2 started with a presentation from Project Manager Nita Tarchinski on the different aspects of SEISMIC and how to get involved. As usual, this presentation was accompanied by SEISMIC trivia questions and opportunities to take home some SEISMIC swag. Participants also shared ideas for advertising our 2023 SEISMIC Scholars undergraduate research program to wider audiences, including using the LSAMP and TRIO networks.

Sarah Hammarlund was up next with a presentation on the Belonging Project and its impact on STEM courses at UMN. Sarah shared insights on the efficacy of the sense of belonging interventions and how instructors might move forward to support students’ sense of belonging. Instructors interested to try the intervention in their courses are welcome to reach out to Sarah for materials (hamma111@umn.edu).

The UMN students of SEISMIC were next, reflecting on the work they’ve done in SEISMIC and where they are now. Former SEISMIC Scholars Arianna Stancari and Kaitlyn Mateychuk presented, as well as former Measurement fellow Angel Sylvester and current Research Coordinator Jesse Lewis. Some themes from the student presentations included SEISMIC doing a great job of providing connections for individuals and SEISMIC providing a way in for students to understand inequity in STEM education.

We wrapped up our presentations with a book talk from W. Carson Byrd on his recent book, “Behind the Diversity Numbers: Achieving Racial Equity on Campus,” followed by a book signing for in-person attendees.

Dinner was lovely in a private room at the Campus Club, with a sunset view of the downtown Minneapolis skyline.

The final day began with a presentation from Kristin Osiecki on lessons from the UMN Teaching and Learning Center. Kristin shared an important message that, “DEI is more than student demographics. Defining student groups creates stigmas and reinforces power and privilege structures.”

Lalo Gonzalez was our final speaker with a presentation on the Office Hours project. After collecting data for several terms on office hours practices and student experiences, Lalo had a few key recommendations for instructors. First, to “demystify and demythify” the purpose of office hours. This involves being explicit about what office hours are for and addressing misconceptions students may have about them. Another recommendation was to offer additional options for the timing of office hours.

We wrapped up the UMN Week of SEISMIC with reflections on how the week went and next steps for the UMN team. One more meal on the patio of the Campus Club, and the Week came to a close. One thing is for sure – with the packed afternoon schedule, we were really all gas, no breaks! We look forward to visiting again soon!

Nita Tarchinski

Ashley Atkinson

Michigan State Week of SEISMIC

Posted on 09/18/202203/02/2023 by Ashley Atkinson

Michigan State Week of SEISMIC

By Nita Tarchinski, edited by Ashley Atkinson

I’ve Never Seen So Much Green

Michigan State University Week of SEISMIC, May 16-19, 2022

The final Week of SEISMIC of the spring is here, is anyone else feeling a little teary-eyed? East Lansing was a wonderful venue to wrap up the first five Weeks, offering plenty of beautiful trees and walking paths to prompt reflection and mindfulness.

We started off with a meeting for the Backchannel Project research team to discuss analysis plans for the data already collected and to be collected, accompanied by some sweet pie from the Grand Traverse Pie Company.

From there we transitioned to STEM Education Presentations and Social to build connections across the MSU STEM Education community. Ryan Sweeder provided a brief introduction to the SEISMIC collaboration and MSU’s place in it. Nita Tarchinski gave a lengthier presentation on the different activities of the collaboration and how individuals can engage in it, followed by a SEISMIC Trivia game offering the chance to bring home some new SEISMIC swag. Perry Samson took the microphone next, sharing on the SEISMIC CLUEs project he leads.

After these talks, several attendees took the opportunity to participate in 1-minute lightning talks to provide brief introductions to themselves and their work at MSU. The lightning talks were a great way for audience members to learn just enough about each person to prompt deeper conversations over food and drinks later in the session.

In Day 2 we transitioned to an intense writing retreat for an upcoming SEISMIC grant proposal. 6 straight hours of work for the in-person contingent, 4 of which included our virtual team as well, resulted in a clear and concise 10-step project plan for the grant, as well as established writing roles for each member, a collective understanding of the goals and approaches for the project, and identified pilot data to be analyzed. A much-needed scenic walk following the retreat helped to clear the mind, and the cosmik fries at Hopcat did not disappoint.

Wednesday’s focus was on making connections between the STEM education community and university administrators. Mark Largent, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education & Dean of Undergraduate Studies, provided helpful context for those curious about MSU’s efforts towards an inclusive STEM community, followed by a presentation by Marco Molinaro on using institutional data to motivate change.Then, the in-person and virtual attendees engaged in small-group discussions on the question – “How can institutional data help advance teaching at MSU?”

Next, Renata Opoczynski, Assistant Dean for Student Success Assessment and Strategic Initiatives, provided a useful overview of the tools available to MSU members to examine student institutional and classroom data. This presentation was followed by more hybrid discussions, this time on “How can we create better communication between researchers and administrative policy makers at different levels to advance all our efforts?”

The MSU Week of SEISMIC wrapped up with one-on-one and small group meetings to reflect on the successes of this and the other Weeks of SEISMIC and how to move forward productively from here.

We hope to see you in the next academic year as we continue our Weeks of SEISMIC at the University of Minnesota, the University of Pittsburgh, Arizona State University, Indiana University, and the University of California Davis!

Nita Tarchinski

Ashley Atkinson

University of Michigan Week of SEISMIC

Posted on 09/12/202203/02/2023 by Ashley Atkinson

University of Michigan Week of SEISMIC

By Nita Tarchinski, edited by Ashley Atkinson

April Showers Bring May in Michigan

University of Michigan Week of SEISMIC, May 2-6, 2022

We’re not done yet! The fourth Week of SEISMIC brought collaborators to Ann Arbor, MI for a full week of activities. Eric Bell, Heather Rypkema, Nicholas Young, Becky Matz, and Cait Hayward started us off with a hybrid presentation on “Using equity data to inform campus change“, which explored the UM Assessment Toolkit Initiative’s role in promoting institutional change.

As Measurement project team members started to arrive in town that evening, we met up at Jolly Pumpkin for an informal and savory dinner. A few members even made the walk to Michigan Stadium for a view of the Block M.

With an early start on Tuesday, the Measurement team got right to work discussing revisions to their research design for a SEISMIC-wide parallel analysis project. Team members brainstormed new research questions, considered the possibilities and drawbacks of different analysis approaches, and worked to refine their population of study.

At midday we moved to the Michigan League for a presentation by Sara Brownell on “Creating more inclusive STEM learning environments for LGBTQ+ individuals”. Sara shared findings from several of her research studies to help attendees understand how active learning spaces and instructional strategies can better support LGBTQ+ students.

The Measurement team continued their discussions in the afternoon and ended the evening at Black Pearl for dinner.

As we reached the halfway point of our week, the Measurement team wrapped up conversations and made a plan for next steps. With a journal venue in mind, an established population of study, and clear research questions, the next step is to refine the analysis code.

Meanwhile, the Enriching Scholarship conference at UM was just starting, and several SEISMIC members were lined up to present. Perry Samson presented on the SEISMIC CLUEs project, Susan Cheng, Elizabeth Levesque, and collaborators shared on “Teaching the Whole Student – How to Create a Supportive Classroom Climate for Students and Instructors using Wellness Check-ins,” and Vanessa Woods, Mike Wilton, Sara Brownell, and Nita Tarchinski gave an overview of SEISMIC and some of our different classroom innovations instructors can use.

As the Measurement Team was wrapping up its meetings and the Constructs project team members were arriving in Ann Arbor, we made our way to the Michigan League once more for a launch of our SEISMIC Summer Book – Teaching to Transgress, and a lively game of SEISMIC Trivia. Lucky individuals went home with new SEISMIC swag and (we hope) a better understanding of the collaboration and their role in it.

A trip to Ann Arbor is not complete without a visit to Zingerman’s Delicatessen and Blank Slate Creamery, so on we went.

The next day members from the Constructs Working Group met to reflect on successes of the group and where to go from here. It was heartening to hear about all of the work of the group and realize the impact this group has made on the collaboration and our goals for STEM education.

Ginger Shultz led us into the afternoon with a talk on “Capturing the Collaborative Design of Culturally Relevant Inquiry Activities”, showing us how to create a more equitable experience for students by making cultural connections to academic content and activating the resources students bring to the classroom.

The Constructs Frameworks Project team gathered in the afternoon to review the team’s progress on the Critical Race Theory draft primer and to sign up to write new primers on other critical theories. Café Zola hosted us for a delightful Constructs dinner that night where we savored seasoned fries, tangy calamari, fresh meats and cheeses, and plenty more.

As we neared the end of the week SEISMIC members participated in a special tour of the new UM Central Campus Classroom Building, taking in the impressive classroom in the round, active learning classrooms, and 572-person auditorium.

Our final event was a presentation by Nikeetha Farfan D’Souza on “Remembering and Reclaiming the “Critical” in the Age of Anti-CRT America: What Does “Critical” Mean and Why is this Important for DEI in STEM Higher Education Now?“, prompting thoughtful discussions on critical theories and doing critical work.

And with that, the UM Week of SEISMIC came to an end. We’ll see you in two weeks for the final Week of SEISMIC of the spring!

Nita Tarchinski

Ashley Atkinson

Purdue Week of SEISMIC

Posted on 08/22/202203/02/2023 by Ashley Atkinson

Purdue Week of SEISMIC

By Nita Tarchinski, edited by Ashley Atkinson

Our Story Continues in Lively West Lafayette

Purdue University Week of SEISMIC, April 4-8, 2022

With barely 2 weeks to catch our breath, SEISMIC came together again for the 2nd Week of SEISMIC! And this time, we were looking at 5 days jam-packed with events. Whew!

Purdue’s Week of SEISMIC emphasized several types of collaborative activities. We began with a hybrid gathering of representatives from teaching and learning centers across SEISMIC institutions. Out of town participants arrived Sunday night at the beautifully renovated Purdue Memorial Union. Monday began with a viewing of an IMPACT session. IMPACT stands for Instruction Matters: Purdue Academic Course Transformation. IMPACT has been running since 2011 and is a great example of course transformation. SEISMIC attendees appreciated the opportunity to see it in action!

In the afternoon we had our official gathering in the form of a hybrid brainstorming session. Representatives from 9 teaching centers, including from several Purdue campuses, shared insights on a few key questions.

How do you currently support instructors (STEM in particular) to implement classroom innovations and create environments that are student-centered? If you are an instructor, how have you been supported by teaching and learning staff?
How do we support instructors with less institutional power (lecturers, non-tenure track faculty, instructors of color) who may not always have the agency to implement innovations?
How might lessons learned from these approaches be used to leverage or deepen collaborations between SEISMIC and teaching centers?

The hybrid format worked impressively well, with in-person and virtual attendees able to interact and learn from each other. These discussions resulted in over 90 ideas being posted on a Jamboard, with a few notable themes on the roles of our Teaching and Learning colleagues:

Provide multiple points of entry for faculty and instructors to receive support, such as individual consultations, provision of feedback, workshops, reading groups, classroom observations, peer review, and intentional course and curriculum design and redesign.
Find ways and encourage instructors to create student-centered environments that require minimal time-investment, but have the potential to lead to time savings in the instructional process.
Foster collaboration among instructors through informal learning communities and communities of practice supported by the faculty center but led by instructors, or through formal faculty learning communities (FLC) embedded in professional development programs or course/curriculum redesign programs, some of which are very large and multi-year (e.g. Foundational Course Initiative at Michigan and IMPACT at Purdue).

We were happy to hear at the end of this event there was clear interest from attendees to more formally connect through SEISMIC. We are considering the Implementing Change Working Group as a possible home for the SEISMIC Teaching and Learning Community, which will continue to share resources and ideas through this collaboration.

We wrapped up Day 1 with food and drinks in the Purdue Memorial Union’s new BoilerUp Bar and 8Eleven Bistro. Smiles all around!

Day 2 continued the Teaching and Learning theme with another IMPACT session available for attending in-person or viewing online followed by Lightning Talks on Course Innovations. Nine presenters shared classroom innovations they have tried, inspiring attendees on activities they could do in their classes.

As we wrapped up our Teaching and Learning centered events, our Measurement team members started to arrive in West Lafayette. We met up in the evening at Bru Burger for absolutely delicious burgers, fries, and homemade sauces

Our Measurement conversations kicked off on Wednesday with an interactive session led by Emily Bonem on challenges and potential solutions related to data access and structures across SEISMIC. Attendees brainstormed in teams and then shared with the whole group. Some ideas shared included

Addressing complex and ill-defined structures by setting local and group norms
Creating a safe place in order to address fear of failure and establish trust
Creating more documentation in order to increase accessibility to data sources

From there we did a gallery walk, adding our own ideas for how to address the common problems faced at our institutions. Solutions shared included

Using SEISMIC as an organization to nudge administrators about supporting equity research
Brainstorming more often so that solutions can be proposed and explored
Participating in professional development / engaging in dialogue to increase confidence

Meaghan Pearson kept our energy up with her presentation, “Integrating QuantCrit Approaches to Stem Equity Work” which provided key insights from her recently published SEISMIC paper, “Integrating Critical Approaches into Quantitative STEM Equity Work” and was followed by lively discussion with the audience.

Tensions ran high during Nita Tarchinski’s presentation on “Opportunities to Engage with the SEISMIC Collaboration” as both in-person and virtual participants vied to win SEISMIC swag items for knowing the most about the collaboration.

After a hearty lunch and walk around campus, we returned to the Purdue Memorial Union for an engaging presentation by W. Carson Byrd on his recently published book, Behind the Diversity Numbers: Achieving Racial Equity on Campus. Lucky in-person participants received the book and got it signed by the author!

Next up we had a “Future of Learning” presentation facilitated by Ed Berger and Jenna Rickus. Participants learned about innovative residential learning, focusing on when living and learning merge.

We wrapped up the afternoon discussing findings and recommendations shared by Shaun Harper at an earlier event, the Purdue Maximizing Student Potential conference. Finally, we returned once more to 8Eleven Bistro for a scrumptious dinner with colleagues. It was wonderful to meet so many new people in-person.

Promoting Equity and Justice Through Pedagogical Partnership

Day 4 continued the data conversations and transitioned us to questions on how to use institutional data at different levels of the university for different types of change. Anne Weiss, the assistant director of the IDAtA project, shared about Purdue’s plans for using a sense of belonging instrument to transform institutional data into a rich body of strategic intelligence that is accessible, well-defined and useful to decision-makers at all levels of the organization.

Susan Cheng and Heather Rypkema facilitated a workshop on “Questioning Classroom Routines to Develop Equity-Minded Practice”, helping instructors to see equity-minded ways classroom data about students can be measured, interpreted, and used. Then, Linda Adler-Kassner and Marco Molinaro presented for Purdue administrators on “Using DEI Data Wisely” They shared tools for cultivating one’s message, including setting up a graphic of communication strategies to tailor one’s message to their audience, while staying in line with one’s personal values.

On the final day Alison Cook-Sather gave the keynote presentation on her book, “Promoting Equity and Justice through Pedagogical Partnerships“. Alison, along with student partners from Bryn Mawr, consulted with faculty at Purdue on how faculty can work together to create opportunities for students from underrepresented and equity-seeking groups to collaborate with faculty and staff to revise and reinvent pedagogies, assessments, and course designs, positioning equity and justice as core educational aims.

Purdue is running a book group on this book this spring, led by Daniel Guberman. The first meeting took place on Day 5 of the Purdue Week of SEISMIC, and in-person participants received a copy of the book as well.

The jam-packed Purdue Week of SEISMIC came to a close on Friday, April 8 after a dinner with the keynote speaker. What a week.

Up next, Santa Barbara!

Nita Tarchinski

Ashley Atkinson

UC Santa Barbara Week of SEISMIC

Posted on 08/17/202203/02/2023 by Ashley Atkinson

UC Santa Barbara Week of SEISMIC

By Nita Tarchinski, edited by Ashley Atkinson

We Found the Big Plants and Big Smiles

University of California Santa Barbara Week of SEISMIC, April 18-22, 2022

And here we go again! The UCSB Week of SEISMIC kicked off on Monday with a meeting to formally connect SEISMIC with the UCSB Instructional Development Team. They discussed ways current SEISMIC Experiments projects could integrate with the work of the Instructional Developers. Following this, the core UCSB SEISMIC team got together to discuss how to expand involvement in SEISMIC at UCSB.

Several ideas were shared, including starting a UCSB-SEISMIC Seminar Series that meets 3 times per quarter. Members proposed that these seminars could consist of local talks, workshops, visitors, a coffee hour, and a journal club. This would provide a recurring opportunity for UCSB members to engage as a SEISMIC community.

Tuesday launched the work of the Access to Practice project team. The goal – get chemistry faculty at UCSB on board with using peer-reviewed writing activities in their courses. Laura Brown was a phenomenal advocate for this effort, having several success stories to share regarding her own experiences reforming introductory chemistry. After some informal conversations over lunch, Laura Brown, Vanessa Woods, and Maggie Safronova teamed up for an Access to Practice Roundtable conversation, providing the opportunity for interested instructors to learn about the project and how it could work in their contexts. The conversations continued over chips and guac at Carlito’s in the evening.

Meanwhile, the University of Michigan ECoach team was making their way to Santa Barbara. They arrived in time for a tasty meal at Finney’s Crafthouse, preceded by a walk along the pier at sunset.

The next day we were full steam ahead on consultations about new ECoach programs at UCSB. The ECoach team met with the UCSB Teaching and Learning team, including staff in Instructional Development and the Center for Innovative Teaching, Research, and Learning (CITRAL), to devise a plan for the development and implementation of a new ECoach for the Fall 2022 Intro Biology Cohort. This fall, students in two biology departments — MCDB and EEMB — will receive tailored messaging from Intro Bio Coordinators in an effort to help students successfully navigate the introductory Biology sequence. A scenic drive into the mountains and dinner at Flor de Maíz capped off the evening.

The next day brought the SEISMIC Scholars and Office Hours project teams to campus. The SEISMIC Scholars organizing team, consisting of Vanessa Woods, Mike Wilton, Anna James, Sabrina Solanki, Nita Tarchinski, and Karen Vega Vega, took a deep dive into planning for the 2022 SEISMIC Scholars program. After, we hosted a panel discussion for UCSB students, staff, and faculty to learn more about the SEISMIC Scholars experience from two past Scholars – Karen Vega Vega and Angela Torres. Having both worked on the Office Hours project last summer, Karen and Angela shared two perspectives on how a student can engage with the program and have their own distinct research topic.

After, the Office Hours project team met to get organized and prepare for the next day’s activities.

We closed out the afternoon with a stunning reception on the roof of the Mosher Alumni House.

SEISMIC Project Manager Nita Tarchinski hosted a rousing game of SEISMIC Trivia, resulting in several attendees leaving with some new SEISMIC swag.

The evening wrapped up with a fantastic dinner at The Leta Hotel for the Office Hours team. While some had to leave early, those who stayed until the end were rewarded with decadent desserts and a rainy drive home.

On the final day of the week, the Office Hours project team engaged in a full-day meeting to move their research agenda forward, including discussions on possible grant opportunities and organizing publication goals.

And there you have it. The third Week of SEISMIC brought on another round of productive meetings, engaging presentations, good food, and big smiles.