THE INCLUSIVE UNIVERSITY: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH (STEM)

This is a brief section concerning Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields and inclusive postsecondary education.

Dunn, C., Rabren, K. S., Taylor, S. L., & Dotson, C. K. (2012, September). Assisting students with high-incidence disabilities to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Intervention in School and Clinic, 48(1), 47-54.

Persons with disabilities have been underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields for many years. Reasons for this include low expectations for students with disabilities, limited exposure to prerequisite courses, lack of role models, and lack of access to individualized supports. This article identifies the issues related to the participation of students with learning disabilities and emotional and behavioral disorders in STEM college programs and provides transition planning strategies for assisting and encouraging students as they prepare for and succeed in STEM programs. A case study of a student with a disability who had a goal of pursuing a STEM career illustrates the issues commonly faced by students with disabilities. Research-based planning strategies addressing these issues that help ensure student success are provided.

Lee, A. (2011, August). Postsecondary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) enrollment comparisons for students with and without disabilities. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 34(2), 72-82.

The author examined enrollment differences at postsecondary institutions between students with and without disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors to investigate the extent to which students with disabilities, compared with their counterparts, pursue highly demanded STEM careers that require postsecondary STEM degrees. Using the data extracted from the National Longitudinal Transition Study–2 and the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002, the author uncovered three major findings: (a) Students with disabilities are more likely to select STEM majors in college than are students without disabilities, (b) substantially more students with disabilities enroll in STEM majors at 2-year colleges than do students without disabilities, and (c) for both cohorts, the enrollment proportion of female students is significantly lower than that of male students in STEM majors. These comparison analyses signify the importance of different learning processes and career advising tailored to the needs of different individuals.

Moon, N. W., Todd, R. L., Morton, D. L., & Ivey, E. (2012). Accommodating students with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM): Findings from research and practice for middle grades through university education. Atlanta: Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access, College of Architecture, Georgia Institute of Technology. Retrieved from: http://www.catea.gatech.edu/scitrain/accommodating.pdf.

“This current volume is an extension of SciTrain: Science, Math, and Technology for All, an NSF-RDE sponsored project (Award No. 0622885) designed to train high school math and science teachers to become more effective instructors for students with disabilities. As part of its efforts, SciTrain developed a resource database with publications on science and math accommodations (http://www.catea.gatech.edu/scitrain/kb/index.php). This book harnesses that database, but goes much further to survey the extant scholarly literature on the accommodation of STEM learners with disabilities from the middle grades through postsecondary education.” (p. 15)

Sevo, R. (2012) Recommended reading: Disabilities and diversity in science and engineering. In B. Bogue & E. Cady (Eds.), Apply Research to Practice (ARP) Resources. Retrieved July 18, 2012 from http://www.engr.psu.edu/AWE/ARPResources.aspx.

“Today, more students with disabilities are in the educational pipeline than ever before, as a result of special education, legally mandated services, and structural accommodations (McGuire & Scott, 2006). As many as 11% of undergraduate students in science and engineering fields have one or more disabilities (National Science Foundation (NSF), Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering [CEOSE], 2009). About 1% of people holding doctorates in science and engineering report having disabilities (CEOSE, 2009). If the United States is to have effective and productive learning environments in higher education, updating the nation’s understanding of disability and its implications and updating educational practices are critical.” (p. 1).

Sowers, J., Powers, L. E., Shpigelman, C. N. (2012). Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) mentoring for youth and young adults with disabilities: A review of the research [Monograph]. Portland: Regional Research Institute on Human Services, Portland State University. Retrieved from http://mentoringforums.educationnorthwest.org/sites/default/files/MONOGRAPH%205%2005-02-2012%20%282%29.pdf.

“Mentoring is one of the approaches that some of the RDE-funded Alliances for Students with Disabilities have employed as a means to increase the opportunities for students with disabilities to interact with and to receive encouragement from practicing STEM professionals in successfully moving through the critical junctures from STEM secondary education classes, to STEM postsecondary education majors, and finally to STEM careers” (p. 5).

Utschig, T. T., Moon, N. W., Todd, R. W., & Bozzorg, A. (2011, June). Faculty efficacy in creating productive learning environments: Universal design and the lens of students with disabilities. The International Journal of Process Education, 3(1), 51-63. Retrieved from: http://www.processeducation.org/ijpe/2011/efficacy.pdf.

We present findings from the SciTrain University project, particularly as it relates to faculty development efforts. SciTrain University is a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education to improve the accessibility of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education for students with disabilities. In this case study we investigate two broad research questions. First, what do participants learn about creating productive learning environments for all students, including disabled learners, as a result of program participation? Second, what actions have been elicited among various stakeholders toward improving the classroom learning environment, particularly for students with disabilities? In this paper we highlight some of the main features of SciTrain University including workshops and web modules for faculty development. We then introduce the project assessment and evaluation process. Next, we discuss the impact this project has produced for a set of 15 faculty participants. Impacts include transferring ownership of the learning process to students through several classroom activities such as group note taking; creating a greater
sense of community through enhanced online communication tools such as forums; and expanding assessment of student learning into the classroom using multiple modes of learning within a class period. Finally, we discuss the potential broader impacts of the SciTrain University project.

Dunn, C., Rabren, K. S., Taylor, S. L., & Dotson, C. K. (in press). Assisting students with high-incidence disabilities to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Intervention in School and Clinic.

Persons with disabilities have been underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields for many years. Reasons for this include low expectations for students with disabilities, limited exposure to prerequisite courses, lack of role models, and lack of access to individualized supports. This article identifies the issues related to the participation of students with learning disabilities and emotional and behavioral disorders in STEM college programs and provides transition planning strategies for assisting and encouraging students as they prepare for and succeed in STEM programs. A case study of a student with a disability who had a goal of pursuing a STEM career illustrates the issues commonly faced by students with disabilities. Research-based planning strategies addressing these issues that help ensure student success are provided.

Lee, A. (2011, August). Postsecondary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) enrollment comparisons for students with and without disabilities. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 34(2), 72-82.

The author examined enrollment differences at postsecondary institutions between students with and without disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors to investigate the extent to which students with disabilities, compared with their counterparts, pursue highly demanded STEM careers that require postsecondary STEM degrees. Using the data extracted from the National Longitudinal Transition Study–2 and the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002, the author uncovered three major findings: (a) Students with disabilities are more likely to select STEM majors in college than are students without disabilities, (b) substantially more students with disabilities enroll in STEM majors at 2-year colleges than do students without disabilities, and (c) for both cohorts, the enrollment proportion of female students is significantly lower than that of male students in STEM majors. These comparison analyses signify the importance of different learning processes and career advising tailored to the needs of different individuals.

Moon, N. W., Todd, R. L., Morton, D. L., & Ivey, E. (2012). Accommodating students with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM): Findings from research and practice for middle grades through university education. Atlanta: Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access, College of Architecture, Georgia Institute of Technology. Available: http://www.catea.gatech.edu/scitrain/accommodating.pdf.

“This current volume is an extension of SciTrain: Science, Math, and Technology for All, an NSF-RDE sponsored project (Award No. 0622885) designed to train high school math and science teachers to become more effective instructors for students with disabilities. As part of its efforts, SciTrain developed a resource database with publications on science and math accommodations (http://www.catea.gatech.edu/scitrain/kb/index.php). This book harnesses that database, but goes much further to survey the extant scholarly literature on the accommodation of STEM learners with disabilities from the middle grades through postsecondary education.” (p. 15)

Sevo, R. (2012) Recommended reading: Disabilities and diversity in science and engineering. In B. Bogue & E. Cady (Eds.), Apply Research to Practice (ARP) Resources. Retrieved July 18, 2012 from http://www.engr.psu.edu/AWE/ARPResources.aspx.

“Today, more students with disabilities are in the educational pipeline than ever before, as a result of special education, legally mandated services, and structural accommodations (McGuire & Scott, 2006). As many as 11% of undergraduate students in science and engineering fields have one or more disabilities (National Science Foundation (NSF), Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering [CEOSE], 2009). About 1% of people holding doctorates in science and engineering report having disabilities (CEOSE, 2009). If the United States is to have effective and productive learning environments in higher education, updating the nation’s understanding of disability and its implications and updating educational practices are critical.” (p. 1).

Sowers, J., Powers, L. E., Shpigelman, C. N. (2012). Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) mentoring for youth and young adults with disabilities: A review of the research [Monograph]. Portland: Regional Research Institute on Human Services, Portland State University. Retrieved July 18, 2012 from http://mentoringforums.educationnorthwest.org/sites/default/files/MONOGRAPH%205%2005-02-2012%20%282%29.pdf.

“Mentoring is one of the approaches that some of the RDE-funded Alliances for Students with Disabilities have employed as a means to increase the opportunities for students with disabilities to interact with and to receive encouragement from practicing STEM professionals in successfully moving through the critical junctures from STEM secondary education classes, to STEM postsecondary education majors, and finally to STEM careers” (p. 5).