SEIRI Newsletter - Message #4

It is a pleasure to welcome you all back for the 2025-2026 academic year! Everyone at SEIRI is looking forward to another year of exciting collaborations. Best wishes as the Fall semester gets underway. We hope to see you soon!

- Dr. Pratibha Varma-Nelson, Founding Executive Director of SEIRI

SEIRI is pleased to announce that we have funded three new departmental-level projects through the SSG program this past summer. This summer we were able to fund two projects from the School of Science and one project from the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering. Across two years, these three projects will impact an estimated total of 23 courses and 3,286 students. We would like to extend our congratulations to our recipients!

Integrating Education About Generative AI into the Psychology Curriculum
Deborah Herold – Teaching Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Psychology
Amy Pearce – Teaching Professor, Neuroscience, Psychology
Tina Chen – Lecturer, Psychology

GeoEthics Modules (GEMs)
Catherine Macris – Associate Professor, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Kathy Licht – Professor and Department Chair, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Gabe Filippelli – Chancellor's Professor, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Samuel Nyarko – Assistant Professor, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Andrea Jain – Professor, Religious Studies
Samuel Kahn – Professor, Department of Philosophy
Rachel Wheeler – Professor and Department Chair, Religious Studies

Training Tomorrow’s Health AI Leaders: Cross-Disciplinary EMR Innovation for Experiential Learning
Saptarshi Purkayastha – Professor and Program Director of Health Informatics, Biomedical Engineering and Informatics

We are happy to announce that we will be hosting our annual SSG Symposium on Friday, December 5. We plan to hold it in the Lilly Auditorium in the University Library. We will hear from 2023 and 2024 SSG recipients on the progress of their projects. Event details and registration will come later this fall.

We would like to congratulate Dr. Andrew Gavrin and his team from the Physics department on receiving a Tier II IUSE grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for his project titled Collaborative Research: Creating Tools to Assess Students’ Achievement of Computational Learning Objectives in Undergraduate Physics. This is the second federal grant, with the first being a Tier I IUSE from NSF funded in 2021, that the team has received to continue their work on their 2017 SSG project on computational physics.

We would like to congratulate Dr. Monica Gibson and her team from the School of Dentistry for receiving recognition for their work on their 2023 SSG project. Their 2025 Assessment Institute session titled Progressive Learning Autonomy Assessment Tool to Improve Clinical Performance has been selected as a semi-finalist for the Research and Practice in Assessment Best Scholarly Presentation Award. Candidates for this award are selected based on the strength of their work’s theoretical foundation, methodological and analytical plan, conclusion, and potential impact.

Everyone in SEIRI would like to congratulate Dr. Stacy Yager for being awarded a two-year, NSF postdoctoral fellowship titled: “Discipline-Based Education Research to Investigate Teamwork Process Skills in Field-Based Geoscience Education.”

This project aims to iteratively (1) design and implement teamwork intervention lessons for geoscience students that makes explicit connection of teamwork skills to fieldwork, lab, and classroom activities and (2) evaluate the impact of the intervention on students’ content and teamwork process skills learning outcomes. To accomplish the first aim, design-based implementation research (DBIR) combined with the diffusion of innovation theory will be used to identify the design characteristics of teamwork interventions. Then, the intervention will be evaluated by lesson developers and field experts to identify compatibility of the lessons’ content, learning outcomes, and assessments to ensure they are adequate and right for the targeted student population and the field course. The interventions will be implemented in an inquiry-based workshop style format at four field camp/courses in four different institutions in the United States, and evaluated using multiple population quasi-experimental, mixed methods case study design to measure the impact of the intervention lessons. It is predicted that incorporating explicit instruction on teamwork skills will help students understand teamwork process skills and aid them to effectively utilize these skills in collaborative environments.

Everyone in SEIRI would like to congratulate Dr. Lyniesha Ward for being awarded a three-year, NSF IUSE Award titled: “Collaborative Research: Augmented Reality in Chemistry: Exploring Its Role in Symmetry Learning and Instruction.”

This project aims to explore the use of augmented reality (AR) as an educational tool in undergraduate chemistry courses. Since learning chemistry involves abstract structures and spatial reasoning, AR tools offer opportunities to help students visualize and interact with chemical phenomena in new ways. However, instructors and curriculum designers currently lack clear, research-based guidance on how to use AR effectively in teaching. This project investigates how AR applications can enhance learning by supporting student engagement with complex spatial concepts, using molecular symmetry as a test case. The research will identify which features of AR tools contribute to student understanding, how students with different learning approaches use these tools, and how faculty incorporate them into classroom instruction. Outcomes will help shape future AR tool development and inform best practices using them in the classroom. The project will also support instructor development and prepare future researchers in the field of chemistry education.

September 5, 2025; 2-3pm; Zoom

In this session, we will introduce the fundamentals of Logic Models, essential for structuring successful projects and programs. Participants will explore how to map out project resources, activities, outputs, and desired outcomes. Key topics covered in this session include understanding the purpose and value of logic modules, examining the core components of a logic model, and developing clear and measurable outcomes.

Participants will gain experience understanding the purpose and value of logic models, examining how to enhance and communication with stakeholders. Generate the core components of a logic model which include inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes (short-term, intermediate, long-term). Participants will learn how to develop clear and measurable outcomes including best practices for ensuring alignment between activities and expected results.

This session will include a mix of presentations, and interactive exercises. Participants will have the knowledge and tools to develop a draft Logic Model specific to their projects on their own, setting the foundation for further refinement in the next session.

October 3, 2025; Time TBD; Zoom

This workshop focuses on methods, tools, and best practices for collecting and analyzing qualitative data in STEM education research. It emphasizes how qualitative approaches help uncover the “how” and “why” behind educational experiences and can enrich quantitative findings. Participants will learn to design comprehensive qualitative studies, interpret data, and apply insights to real-world challenges, with practical examples from the presenter’s own research.

November 7, 2025; Time TBD; Zoom

This workshop will explore essential quantitative methods for analyzing educational data, with an emphasis on statistical techniques and their practical applications. Participants will engage in interactive activities to deepen their understanding of data analysis tools and enhance the rigor of their research. Whether you're new to quantitative methods or looking to refine your skills, this session offers valuable insights for advancing your work.

SEIRI will be resuming its monthly Journal Club starting September 16  at noon. Subsequent Journal Club meetings will be held at noon on October 21, November 18, and December 16.

We are launching a new workshop series for graduate students interested in educational research. Join our 1-hour Research Clinic to share your research and get valuable feedback! How it works: You will give a 10–15 minutes presentation, followed by 30–40 minutes of brainstorming to generate ideas, visualize your data, or refine your findings. At the end, you will present a 5–10 minutes summary of your takeaways.

share your availability

The Conversations in STEM Education series is intended to highlight the STEM education work of SEIRI Faculty Associates and other faculty members working in STEM education and STEM education research. As the word “conversation” implies, these events are less formal than a typical presentation. The format here is more akin to an interview. The special guest, or featured faculty member, works with SEIRI staff to identify a topic of interest and then to structure the conversation to ensure an engaging event for both the guest and the audience. The series will have four guests scheduled for the Fall 2025 semester and efforts to schedule guests are underway. The events will be held at 2 p.m. on the following Fridays: September 12, October 10, November 14, December 12. Be on the lookout for announcements and registration details as the date for the event approaches.

View our events page and register to attend!

SEIRI encourages you to Save the Date for the 2025 Welcher Lecture, November 19-20, featuring Dr. Melanie Cooper. More details to come.

Abstract: The “First Year Experience” is a critical component of retention of STEM majors. Often, general chemistry has been labeled as a “gatekeeper” course for STEM careers due to a high attrition rate and a course that leads to increased time for graduation when students are inadequately prepared. We demonstrate that the active learning strategy Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) model increases student retention (%DFW calculated from earned grades A through F plus withdrawals, W) and success (%ABC calculated from earned grades A through F). We have analyzed approximately 24 years of data in general chemistry I (~20,000 students), using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), which showed progressive, significant improvement in both student success and completion metrics. A Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM), using a combination of course and student-level variables, demonstrated the impact of PLTL on internal exam metrics and overall course grades. Further, HLM modeling assessed the impact of PLTL controlling for various student demographics. PLTL strongly impacted URM student completion rates to a greater degree than well-represented students, reducing the URM/non-URM achievement gap.

Basu, P., Malik, D. J., & Graunke, S. (2025). A 24-year longitudinal study on a STEM gateway general chemistry course and the reduction of achievement disparities. PloS one, 20(2), e0318882

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Abstract: STEM education integrates science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to tackle complex real-world challenges. This paper examines five key learning theories—constructivism, social constructivism, experiential learning, cognitive load theory, and situated learning—and assesses their roles in improving STEM pedagogy. It reviews the impact of each theory on curriculum design, classroom engagement, and higher-order thinking. A special emphasis is placed on inquiry-based, problem-based, and collaborative learning, as well as flipped classrooms, highlighting how these methods implement theoretical principles through learner-centered, hands-on activities. Significant challenges include professional development, effective scaffolding, authentic assessment, and opportunities to foster century skills. By combining theoretical and practical perspectives, this paper emphasizes the significance of a theory-informed approach that promotes critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration, ultimately equipping students for an increasingly complex global landscape.

Gavrilas, Leonidas & Kotsis, Konstantinos. (2025). Integrating learning theories and innovative pedagogies in STEM education: A comprehensive review. Eurasian Journal of Science and Environmental Education. 5. 11-17. 10.30935/ejsee/16538

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