Disciplinary Societies as Agents of Change to Contextualize STEM Teaching & Learning

1. Disciplinary Societies as Agents of Change to Contextualize STEM Teaching & Learning Beth Cunningham, American Association of Physics Teachers Robin Hailstorks, American Psychological Association Mary Kirchhoff, American Chemical Society

2. Organizing Partners: Sustainability Improves Student Learning (SISL) in STEM Project Kaleidoscope Funded by:

3. About the initiative… • SISL in STEM leverages the influence of 11 STEM disciplinary societies to contextualize teaching and learning in terms of sustainability challenges. • These societies are working together to use sustainability to underpin their programs, policies, strategic planning, and member activities.

4. Why sustainability? • The planet and its inhabitants are under unprecedented stress. Addressing our sustainability challenges will require citizens and professionals who understand the scientific and social dimensions of these challenges, and who are motivated and equipped to help solve them. • The complex, interdisciplinary nature of sustainability makes it ideally suited to to be taught via evidence-based high impact practices (e.g., service learning, learning communities, writing across the curriculum and others1). • Sustainability is an exemplar of the “big idea”: a concept central to a course of study that serves as a linchpin to meaningfully connect a multitude of disciplines and apply in diverse contexts2. • Kuh, G. (2008). High-impact educational practices: what they are, who has access to them, and why they matter. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges & Universities • Sherman, D. J. (2008). Sustainability: What’s the big idea? A strategy for transforming the higher education curriculum, Sustainability: The Journal of Record 1(3), 188-195.

5. Why sustainability? • Relevance helps to sustain student motivation and enhance student learning3,4 • Students care about sustainability! Among 7,445 college applicants Princeton Review surveyed in 2012, 68% said having information about a college's commitment to the environment would impact their decision to apply to or attend a school. This commitment specifically included a college’s academic offerings5. • 3. National Research Council (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington DC: The National Academies Press. • 4. DeHaan, R. L. (2005). The impending revolution in undergraduate science education. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 14, 253–269. • 5. See survey results at http://www.princetonreview.com/college-hopes-worries.aspx

6. Educating for a Sustainable Future “Education for a Sustainable Future enables people to develop the knowledge, values and skills to participate in decisions …, that will improve the quality of life now without damaging the planet for the future… ” -- UNESCO 2002

7. Who is part of SISL? • Disciplines represented: • Physical sciences • Life sciences • Psychology • Quantitative sciences/mathematics • Applied sciences/engineering/ technology • Outreach to more

8. The opportunity Each academic discipline has a unique and important contribution to make to solutions to our shared sustainability challenges. Over 50 members of the 11 partner societies have formed project teams to take action in support of SISL’s overarching objectives. “Genuine sustainability, in other words, will come not from superficial changes but from a deeper process akin to humankind growing into a fuller stature.” page 67

9. SISL objectives • Increase visibility of sustainability as an important concept for undergraduate STEM faculty to infuse into introductory STEM courses. • Examples: common statement; articles & news items through society communications; conference sessions and other outreach • Improve access to and promote the uptake of resources that increase student learning related to the Big Questions that our students will deal with as citizens, voters, teachers, and/or STEM professionals. • Examples: hosting faculty development workshops at conferences, contributions to SISL’s sustainability-focused resource collection

10. SISL objectives, cont’d • Promote the uptake of instructional strategies involving real-world issues by members of participating societies, including the adoption and adaptation of curricular materials and teaching approaches that relate to sustainability. • Examples: Outreach to members about resource collection via webinars, publications, and other means; working with publishers to connect them to reviewers of textbook content • Collaborate across participating societies on the activities that we advance, promote, and encourage; and, in the process, learn from each other about what works and what doesn’t. • Examples: Common statement; joint policy recommendations; shared panels and other conference sessions

11. SISL objectives, cont’d • Connect and sustain the efforts of participating societies in pursuing common efforts and leading the way for others to join these efforts.  • Ongoing communication among the partner societies; convocation at the National Academy of Sciences in September 2013 to share outcomes, lessons learned, and to widen the circle beyond STEM

12. Ultimately, the goal of our initiative is to increase student learning in undergraduate STEM courses in order to better prepare them for playing a role in solving the 21stcentury “Big Questions" that relate to real-world issues such as energy, air and water quality, and climate change.

13. American Association of Physics Teachers • AAPT Executive Board endorsed statement on Education for a Sustainable Future (slightly modified) in May and placed on AAPT webpage - http://www.aapt.org/Resources/policy/Education-for-a-Sustainable-Future.cfm • Summer Meeting 2011 (Omaha, NE): 3 workshops, 1 round table, 5 sessions, and 21 presentations, Omaha Energy Tour, and Plenary/Award Lecture by James Hanson • Winter Meeting 2012 (Ontario, CA): Plenary talk about global issues by Richard Muller (“Physics for Future Presidents”) followed by round table discussion

14. American Association of Physics Teachers • Plans for upcoming meetings: Sessions planned on how to work in environmental physics and real world problems into upper division courses for WM 13 (New Orleans) & SM 13 (Portland, OR) • Plans to publish information about the project in AAPT’s journals (The Physics Teacher and TheAmerican Journal of Physics) and engage Society of Physics Students on discussion • Work with new Task Force reviewing undergraduate physics curriculum

15. American Psychological Association • APA Task Force on the Interface Between Psychology and Global Climate Change • May/June 2011 American Psychologist Special Issue: Psychology and Global Climate Change • APA Resolutions on Sustainability • Educating the Public (APA Science Directorate’s Exhibit on “Psychology’s Role in Solving Environmental Issues”)

16. American Psychological Association • APA Division Collaborations: Divisions 9, 34, and 8 • Society for Environmental, Population, and Conservation Psychology, Division 34 Teaching Psychology for Sustainability (http://www.teachgreenpsych.com) • February 2012 Monitor on Psychology (Going Green) • National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology (NITOP)

17. American Chemical Society • Policy statements on sustainability issues • Sustainability of the Chemical Enterprise • ACS Green Chemistry Institute® • ACS Committee on Environmental Improvement • Award for incorporating sustainability into chemical education • Environmental film series at ACS National Meetings

18. American Chemical Society • National Meeting Programming • ACS textbooks • Chemistry in the Community • Chemistry in Context • Summer School on Green Chemistry and Sustainable Energy • ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering • New ACS journal in 2013

19. Discussion • Have you infused sustainability into your teaching? If so, how? • Discuss in small groups for 5 minutes.

20. Discussion • What do you know about your disciplinary society or professional organization’s efforts around sustainability? What resources or support from your organization would help your efforts? • Discuss in small groups for 5 minutes.

21. Reflection & Writing • Write down one thing you will do on campus and one thing you will do with your disciplinary society or professional organization after you return from this conference. • 5 minutes for writing

22. Report-out and Group Discussion • Each small group will share their best ideas.

23. Resources & opportunities available from SISL • Statement on Educating for a Sustainable Future, as endorsed on AAPT’s website: www.aapt.org/Resources/policy/Education-for-a-Sustainable-Future.cfm • Curricular resources from DANS: dans.aashe.org/content/resources • Call for reviewers of sustainability content in textbooks: www.aashe.org/announcements/textbooks • On the SISL web site, you can also find: • A printable brochure to share with others • Articles from our partner disciplinary societies on the importance of and their commitment to education for a sustainable future • More resources are currently in development, so please check back!: www.aacu.org/pkal/sisl

24. Questions or Comments? • Contact the presenters: • Beth Cunningham, Executive Officer, AAPT: bcunningham@aapt.org • Robin Hailstorks, Associate Executive Director and Director, Precollege and Undergraduate Education Education Directorate, APA: rhailstorks@apa.org • Mary Kirchhoff, Director, Education Division, ACS: m_kirchhoff@acs.org