We are a group of Discipline-Based Education Research (DBER) scholars who came together with an interest in characterizing instructional practices in STEM courses at the university level. We attended and documented over 2,000 classes taught by more than 500 STEM faculty members across 25 institutions and analyzed them using the Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM (COPUS). We have two outcomes resulting from this project that we think will be of interest to the STEM education community:

1. We have recently published the results of our research and would like to engage the community in a conversation about the methods, findings, and implications of this study (http://science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6383/1468). We will be hosting a Science AMA (“Ask Me Anything”) session on Reddit on Friday April 6^th from 1PM to 3PM EST. Please either visit the following site https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/8a8x2p/science_ama_series_we_are_a_group_of_science/ 

Note: you will need to create an account in Reddit in order to participate; it is free to do so.

We are looking forward to rich conversations.

Our large-scale cluster analysis of STEM instructional profiles has come to publication near you! Check it out for a baseline of the common instructional profiles observed in STEM instructors!

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6383/1468.full

The ACS Symposium Series – Computer-Aided Data Analysis in Chemical Education Research (CADACER): Advances and Avenues – has been published after first being presented back at ACS San Diego in 2016. I hope that my book chapter called “Putting the R in CER” can serve as a great guide for researchers interested in clustering techniques in CER settings.

 

I am excited to announce a postdoctoral position in my research. Please read the following description and let me know if you have any questions (jharshman@auburn.edu).

Postdoctoral Position in DBER at Auburn University

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral research assistant position in Discipline-Based Education Research (DBER) under the direction of Dr. Jordan Harshman (http://www.auburn.edu/cosam/faculty/chemistry/harshman/index.htm). The successful candidate will conduct work primarily on a project that investigates the knowledge and skills that graduate students in the chemical sciences will need for their careers and obtain throughout their studies. Independent project ideas are also welcomed. Duties will include collecting, managing, and analyzing interviews and surveys. Quantitative data analysis will likely involve coding in the R language.

The successful candidate will have earned a Ph.D. in Chemical Education Research or a Ph.D. in another DBER discipline; candidates with a Ph.D in a traditional area of chemistry will also be considered. Candidates should demonstrate a strong record of disseminating research through publications and presentations. Preference will be given to candidates with strong backgrounds in quantitative (statistical) training. The successful candidate will also demonstrate excellent written and interpersonal communication skills. The candidate selected for this position must be able to meet eligibility requirements to work in the United States at the time the appointment is scheduled to begin and continue working legally for the proposed term of employment.

Applicants interested in this position should submit a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, and the names and contact information for three professional references online at: https://aufacultypositions.peopleadmin.com/postings/2149. The review date for applications will be December 1, 2017; earlier applications are strongly encouraged. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. The successful candidate may start at any time from January 1, 2018 to September 1, 2018. If you have any questions concerning the position please contact jharshman@auburn.edu.

Auburn University is an EEO/Vet/Disability Employer

I am excited to announce that this website is operational! Please check out some of the research that my group is planning on conducting in the near future. I hope you come back soon to find more about the results that my group will have!