READY OR NOT
Global Challenges, College Learning, and America’s Promise

January 21-24, 2009
Seattle, Washington

Project Kaleidoscope

As announced in early November, AAC&U is very pleased to be partnering with Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) to  advance and amplify work on improving undergraduate education in mathematics, technology, and the various fields of science and engineering (STEM) in colleges and universities across the country.

This partnership between PKAL and AAC&U will strengthen both entities by increasing the opportunities for all those involved in AAC&U and in PKAL to learn from one another and from decades of work in both organizations designed to improve student achievement of important learning outcomes.

PKAL will be co-sponsoring the Pre-Meeting Symposium on “Sustainability:  Place, Responsibilities, and the Curriculum” (Wednesday, January 21) and will be offering two sessions at the Annual Meeting.

Thursday, January 22, 10:45 am-12:00 pm

Pedagogies of Engagement and Collaborative Initiatives
Academic and corporate communities agree on the urgent need for contemporary, research-based pedagogies of engagement in STEM fields. Participants will learn how leaders from academic departments and institutions have collaborated with leaders from the corporate and business community in regional networks to ensure that graduates meet the expectations of prospective employers and the public. Such graduates must demonstrate higher-order thinking skills and the ability to solve problems within diverse, multidisciplinary teams. Collaborating partners within PKAL’s NSF-funded Pedagogies of Engagement initiative will share their experiences and lead discussion.
Judith Greiman, President, Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges; Jeanne L. Narum, Director, Project Kaleidoscope; James Swartz, Dack Professor of Chemistry, Grinnell College, and Project Kaleidoscope Pedagogies of Engagement Project Coordinator

Thursday, January 22, 2:45-4:00 pm

Leadership in Shaping Interdisciplinary STEM Learning Environments
Achieving an effective interdisciplinary (ID) environment for undergraduate STEM learning requires attention to: programmatic implications of an ID curriculum; institutional policies for building a faculty, developing budgets, shaping spaces; and understanding how people learn in such environments. Participants will explore promising practices in establishing introductory ID courses; developing ID programs such as environmental science, health and society; and creating institution-wide ID initiatives. Panelists will discuss lessons learned from the PKAL ID Initiative, funded by the Keck Foundation.
Susan Elrod, Professor of Biological Sciences and Director, Center for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education, California Polytechnic State University; Michael Kerchner, Associate Professor of Psychology, Washington College; Stephanie Pfirman, Hirschorn Professor and Chair, Department of Environmental Science, Barnard College