Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Working Title for Research Project: Redrawing Secondary STEM Education: Applying E-
Research Topic: How e-learning elements of learning technologies, instructional strategies, and
pedagogical models can be applied to improve access to science, technology, engineering, and
to ensure that e-learning elements are aligned with content areas. The research will explore how
e-learning at the secondary school level can reduce higher education challenges and increase a
students chances of success and in turn access to the STEM pipeline especially for women,
Reese, Bragg, Lang, & Zamani-Gallaher, 2015). The following additional questions will be
researched.
3. What groups are primarily affected by these barriers? Current social profile of
4. How can e-learning lower these barriers especially for the affected socio-economic
groups?
secondary education to increase access to STEM higher education for these at risk
groups?
Kay Venteicher-Shulman
OMDE 670 Section 9040
Research Proposal 2
Audience: The audiences for this paper are the stakeholders of e-learning STEM supplemental
education services which are divided into five groups: a) customers students, parents,
and administrators; and e) special interest groups students (Aparicio, M., Bacao, F., & Oliveira,
T., 2016). Each of these groups could benefit from understanding how access to e-learning
STEM supplemental education services can improve student opportunities for success and
persistence in STEM secondary and higher education. Further understanding of programs and
improve special interest STEM recruitment possibilities with the development of relationships
Methodology / Data: The research findings will be based on scholarly articles from the UMUC
Library. Relevant secondary data will be gathered from official sources including entities such
as the Department for Professional Employees, National Center for Education Statistics, and the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as well as the UMUC Library, Google Scholar, and the Internet.
Purpose and Goals: The National Center for Education Statistics reported that high school
senior completion rates for high-level coursework was 26.8 percent in 2004 (Boatman, Long, and
Bettinger, 2013, pg. 94). Remediation or lack of academic preparation can become a potential
barrier for the student impacting both student persistence and performance rates of student
success (Boatman et al., 2013). Data shows that remedial course work is completed by 35 to 40
Kay Venteicher-Shulman
OMDE 670 Section 9040
Research Proposal 3
percent of entering freshmen (Boatman et al., 2013, pg. 93). Navigation of the higher education
pipeline does bring significant academic challenges however, for the prepared high school
The National Science Board projects employment trends in science and technology rates
to increase faster than other employment (NSF, 2016). The 2016 U.S. News/Raytheon STEM
Index showed a mixed report in STEM growth with women and minorities lagging behind
(Neuhauser, 2016, para. 2). The White House is promoting commitment to broaden participation
Traditional higher education initiatives and research projects focused to close the access
gap for women and minorities in STEM education have not been realized (White House, 2014b).
The purpose of this research is to examine current e-learning examples in STEM at the
secondary education level that demonstrate e-learning lowering the access barriers to STEM
education in higher education and identify which supplemental support services have the greatest
impact. Additional review of the material will be conducted to determine the benefit to
underrepresented groups most affected by STEM access barriers which could significantly
contribute to improved access to STEM higher education (Gourgey, H., Asiabanpour, B., &
Relevance to the Distance Education Field: Improving access to STEM education is a national
Outline: The initial outline for the research is included in the Appendix.
Kay Venteicher-Shulman
OMDE 670 Section 9040
Research Proposal 4
Almarode, J. T., Subotnik, R. F., Crowe, E., Tai, R. H., Lee, G. M., & Nowlin, F. (2014).
Specialized high schools and talent search programs: Incubators for adolescents with
Aparicio, M., Bacao, F., & Oliveira, T. (2016, January 12). An e-learning theoretical framework.
Baber, L., Graham, E., Taylor, J.L., Reese, G., Bragg, D.D., Lang, J., & Zamani-Gallaher, E.M.
(2015). Illinois STEM college and career readiness: Forging a pathway to postsecondary
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED558789.pdf
Constan, Z. & Spicer, J. J. (2015). Maximizing future potential in physics and STEM: Evaluating
Department for Professional Employees. (2016, June). The STEM workforce: An occupational
sheets/the-stem-workforce-an-occupational-overview/
Espinosa, L. (2011). Pipelines and pathways: Women of color in undergraduate STEM majors
and the college experiences that contribute to persistence. Harvard Educational Review.
http://dx.doi.org/10.17763/haer.81.2.92315ww157656k3u
Kay Venteicher-Shulman
OMDE 670 Section 9040
Research Proposal 5
Franco, M. S., Patel, N. H., & Lindsey, J. (2012). Are STEM high school students entering the
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ973549.pdf
Glennie, E., Mason, M., & Dalton, B. (2016). The role of STEM high schools in reducing gaps in
science and mathematics course taking: Evidence from North Carolina. RTI Press
Publication No. RR-0025-1603. Research Triangle Park, NC: RTI Press. Retrieved from
http://dx.doi.org/10.3768/rtipress.2016.44.0025.1603
Gourgey, H., Asiabanpour, B., & Fenimore, C. (2010). Case study of manor new tech high
Hussar, W. J., & Bailey, T. M. (2016, April). Projections of education statistics to 2023. National
Institute of Education Sciences. (2014). Enrollment in distance education courses, by state: fall
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014023.pdf
Institute of Education Sciences. (n.d.). Fast facts. National Center for Education Statistics.
Mills, L. A. & Angnakoon, P. (2015). How do high school students prefer to learn? Paper
the Digital Age (CELDA 2015), Maynouth, Greater Dublin, Ireland. Abstract retrieved
from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED562121
Kay Venteicher-Shulman
OMDE 670 Section 9040
Research Proposal 6
Morse, R. & Mason, M. (2016, May 17). Methodology behind the 2016 STEM index. U.S. News
17/methodology-behind-the-2016-stem-index
National Science Board, (2004, May). Higher education in science and engineering: Structure of
http://nsf.gov/statistics/seind04/c2/c2s1.htm#c2s1l2
National Science Board. (2014). Science & engineering indicators. special report NSB 14-01.
National Science Board. (2016). Science & engineering indicators: special report NSB-2016-1.
National Science Foundation, (2015). Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in
science and engineering: 2015. special report NSB 15-311. National Center for Science
Neuhauser, A. (2015, June 29). 2015 STEM Index shows gender, racial gaps widen. U.S. News
index/articles/2015/06/29/gender-racial-gaps-widen-in-stem-fields
Olson, S. & Labov, J. B. (2012). Community colleges in the evolving STEM education
Osler, J. E., Bull, P. H., & Eaton, D. (2012, May.). Dynamic education collaboration between
university and high school faculty promoting partnership in teaching and learning in the
Report of the Diversity Subcommittee Governor Deval Patricks STEM Advisory Council
http://www.ncgs.org/newsandevents/symposium/PostMaterials/DiversitySubcommitteeR
eport.pdf
SRI Education. (2015, October). Expanding STEM opportunities through inclusive STEM-
http://inclusivesteminsights.sri.com/downloads/JESPAR_SRI_Oct2015.pdf
Tofel-Grehl, C. & Callahan, C. M. (2014, June 17). STEM high school communities: Common
and differing features. Journal of Advanced Academics. 25(3). 237-271. Retrieved from
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1932202X14539156
Triplett, E. & Drew, J. C., (2016, January 06). The STEM education landscape: Identifying the
major barriers to online STEM degree programs. The Evolllution: A Destiny Solutions
streams/distance_online_learning/the-stem-education-landscape-identifying-the-major-
barriers-to-online-stem-degree-programs/
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2014). Occupational outlook quarterly spring 2014. Retrieved
from http://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2014/spring/art01.pdf
Wang, X. (2013, October 01). Why students choose STEM majors. American Educational
http://dx.doi.org/10.3102/0002831213488622
Kay Venteicher-Shulman
OMDE 670 Section 9040
Research Proposal 8
Appendix
Proposed Outline
I. Introduction
A. What is STEM
C. STEM Workforce
D. STEM Education
1. Secondary Education
2. Higher Education
A. Terminology
C. Access Barriers
D. Student Factors
1. Women
2. Minorities
3. Socio-Economic Groups
III. Methodology
1. Content Areas
Kay Venteicher-Shulman
OMDE 670 Section 9040
Research Proposal 9
2. Classroom
IV. Analysis
B. Success of Programs
C. Limitations of Programs
V. Conclusion
A. Summary of Findings