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Project-ACE Vision
Active-Learning: An Equalizing Educational Experience
A preponderance of evidence establishes that Active-Learning and Authentic-Learning Experiences, ALEs are an equalizing educational experience.
Categorized under inquiry-based learning in the theoretical framework of ‘How People Learn’(Council 2000), a significant body of research demonstrates that Active-Learning and ALEs are an effective pedagogical intervention for developing STEM core-competencies (Wu et al. 2021; Crowe and Brakke 2019; Hmelo-Silver 2004; Walker and Warfa 2017). ALEs are active-learning activities (Freeman et al. 2014) that engage students in quintessential engineering design and research practices that professionals employ to solve open-ended, real-world problems. The effectiveness of ALEs as a high-impact practice in improving retention rates (Kuh 2008), belonging (Rohde et al. 2019), self-efficacy (Robnett, Chemers, and Zurbriggen 2015), identity as engineers (Rohde et al. 2019), and in closing equity gaps among URM students (Wilson et al. 2009) is well established. In (Supiano 2022), Freeman argues that ‘it’s not about the evidence anymore’, as there is overwhelming evidence about the efficacy of active-learning based authentic learning experiences, based on the widely cited meta-analysis (Freeman et al. 2014).
Thus, the paradigm of Active-Learning is an inclusive and equalizing educational experience, that transcends socio-economic barriers and enhances learning-experiences for all students.
An Equity Crisis: Project-ACE is both urgent and relevant
Project-ACE at Sacramento State is particularly relevant and urgent for two reasons:
1) all the courses chosen for redesign have high fail-rates and large equity gaps, thereby posing significant
hindrances towards graduation for URM students; and
2) these equity gaps are magnified and affect a large number of URM students in the College of Engineering, by virtue of Sacramento State’s large, ethnically diverse student body as a minority-serving institution.
It is to be noted that the equity gaps are not unique to one particular university or institution. These are pervasive across the nation - its an equity crisis out there, however, by virtue of its diverse student population, the interventionsa are partocularly relevant at Sacramento State.
Sacramento State is an ideal venue for conducting this project also because of its strong Discipline-Based Education Research community and a commitment from upperlevel administrators to ensure success for all students.