STRIDE
STEM Foundational Course Initiative
The STRIDE program is a unique opportunity for faculty teaching high-enrollment introductory STEM courses to collaborate with a CTAL Educational Development Specialist (EDS) in a 3-year commitment to course improvement (minimum of 3 semesters of iterative adaptations, data collection, and improvements). Participation in this program includes a commitment to sustainable, iterative, and well-documented changes to the design or delivery of a course that may include drafting of new/revised student learning outcomes, authentic assessments, student engagement strategies, and learning activities that are grounded in evidence-based teaching practices. This initiative, and our other Foundational Course Initiatives, are backed by the full support of the Office of the Provost.
Examples of Potential STRIDE Projects:
- Flipped classroom design
- Metacognitive exam wrapper implementation and assessment
- New/revised student learning outcomes
- Authentic Assessments
- Student engagement strategies
- Improved workshop/classroom activities
- Improved Peer Mentor training
STRIDE program goals
- Implement learning-centered practices within foundational STEM courses.
- Develop assessments that authentically measure student fulfillment of course-level student learning outcomes.
- Increase course retention and the likelihood of students enrolling, and succeeding in, upper-level STEM curricula by introducing STEM persistence strategies into coursework.
- Empower faculty to consider and adopt inclusive pedagogies.
Questions about STRIDE?
Contact CTAL’s STRIDE Program Lead: Anne McDuell
Who is STRIDE designed for?
Instructors in a STEM discipline teaching high enrollment introductory courses looking to make sustainable, incremental, and lasting changes in their course. These changes should be geared towards increased student support and retention in a STEM field.
How do I participate in STRIDE?
Contact Anne McDuell (aterrell@udel.edu) or Rose Muravchick (rosemur@udel.edu) for more information and a consultation on whether your course would be a good fit for STRIDE.
How does participating in STRIDE help me?
Participating in STRIDE provides you with a dedicated Educational Development Specialist (EDS) from CTAL to assist you in the identification, implementation, and assessment of course adjustments. You’ll receive both one-on-one and small group collaborative instruction on course design and assessment. A yearly stipend based on your years of involvement in STRIDE, as well as the official title of “Provost Teaching Fellow” will be provided.
What does the STRIDE process look like?
- June your first year: participate in CTAL’s Course Design Institute (CDI) to learn about backwards design, Canvas design considerations, and more
- Summer your first year: put your new knowledge of CDI to work in planning and implementing changes to your course and Canvas course development with the coaching and assistance of your Educational Development Specialist
- Fall: Put your changes to work and start collecting data!
- Winter/Spring: Data evaluation & cohort retreat to share data, help analyze outcomes, and discuss potential future changes
- Summer: Identify your next steps for course adjustments with the help of your Educational Development Specialist. Start designing the next steps of your course adjustments
- Repeat for 3 successive years (minimum of 3 full semesters of adjustments and data collection)
- Culmination: Production of a Course Redesign Report to showcase your progress and involvement in STRIDE
Current STRIDE Provost Teaching Fellows (2021 - 2022)
Lauren Genova
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
“Spearheading the transformation of a course certainly may sound daunting, but one of the best parts about being in STRIDE is that you are never alone. From one-on-one collaboration sessions with CTAL staff to biweekly discussions with my Professional Learning Community (PLC), I have been able to freely exchange ideas with many accomplished colleagues across disciplines. Through this process, I’ve received invaluable feedback and support as I propose and make data-driven changes to my courses. The biggest takeaway for me is that the classroom is truly a laboratory: when trying out new inclusive teaching practices, it is essential to manipulate just one variable at a time, collect data to the point of statistical saturation (whenever possible!), and take appropriate action informed by careful analysis of the data.”
STRIDE course: General Chemistry (CHEM103)
STRIDE Interventions
- Improved workshop activities
- Implementation of a creative final exam portion
- Development of Scientist Spotlight videos and reflections
- Use of new technology to engage students in the classroom
Bruce Hietbrink
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
STRIDE course: Organic Chemistry I (CHEM321)
STRIDE Interventions
- Development of Metacognitive Exam Wrappers
- Identification of key study skills and habits for successful CHEM321 students
Haritha Malladi
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
“Participating in CTAL’s Foundational Course Initiatives has been invaluable to me. As a new faculty member starting my position at UD during the pandemic, it was fantastic to have the opportunity to connect with fellow instructors through PLC, learn from them and share our strategies. Teaching a large-enrollment class is a challenge in any modality. Having CTAL’s expertise on my side through the STRIDE program gave me the tools to reflect on my teaching, brainstorm ways to improve my students’ experiences, gather data to test what works, and use these results to iterate on my class structure.”
STRIDE Course: Introduction to Engineering (EGGG101)
STRIDE Interventions
- Improved course infrastructure
- Flipped classroom design
- Hybrid classroom design utilizing online lecture and in-person workshops
- Peer-Leader led discussion sections
- Improved formative assessments
Check out the January 07, 2022, UDaily story – “How I Teach – Engineering” highlighting Professor Malladi’s approach to teaching Introduction to Engineering.