Taking Advantage of Diversity within the Classroom

Nov 29, 2017 - ABSTRACT: The persistence of a diversity deficit in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields has motivated much res...
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Cite This: J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX

Taking Advantage of Diversity within the Classroom Emily V. Goethe† and Coray M. Colina*,†,‡ †

Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611 Florida, United States Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611 Florida, United States

‡

ABSTRACT: The persistence of a diversity deficit in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields has motivated much research and discussion aimed toward creating a more representative student body and workforce. However, once these students and workers are in the field, their diverse traits are often ignored. Minority groups are known to be less likely to pursue more advanced education and careers in STEM. STEM instructors can support the retention of diverse students by using culturally relevant teaching practices, rather than only focusing on recruitment. When STEM faculties learn how to take advantage of diversity, all students benefit from engaging with multiple perspectives. Their diverse peers are allowed to enrich the classroom, and educational outcomes and retention are improved. KEYWORDS: First-Year Undergraduate/General, Minorities in Chemistry, Collaborative/Cooperative Learning, Women in Chemistry, Second-Year Undergraduate, Upper-Division Undergraduate

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hile teaching undergraduate and graduate chemistry and engineering classes over the past 10 years, we routinely pose this question to our students as an early semester icebreaker: How many continents are there in the world? Most students anticipate a simple answer. Yet as individuals with different backgrounds respond, all students realize that the truth is more complex. Many students answer that there are seven continents, but two smaller groups respond with six or five. To resolve their disagreement, the faculty consults the Wikipedia1 entry, “Continent”.2 The majority group is typically relieved to see the entry has an image of the world divided into seven different colors, until that image changes, replaced by a world represented in only six colors, followed by five, and then four. This unassuming question reveals to students the importance of perspective. Whether they were taught that the world contained seven, six, or five continents, they had believed this to be an unmovable fact. Through this exercise, students learn that they can expand their knowledge when they engage in discussions with individuals who have different perspectives. The importance of having a diverse and representative group of students pursuing STEM majors is well-recognized, and major efforts have been made on this avenue. To be able to capitalize on these efforts, instructors need to be aware of how to best include and incorporate diverse perspectives into the learning process for their students. Diverse traits are often silenced or ignored in STEM classrooms. When professors choose to incorporate diversity into their instruction, they can foster a more intellectually challenging learning environment in which all students, and thus society, will benefit. © XXXX American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.

DIVERSITY DEFICIT

Defining Diversity

It is important to note that much of the available data measuring diversity utilizes more traditional definitions of diversity, such as differences of race, ethnicity, or gender. While these traits may be the most easily observable, they are not the only ways in which individuals differ. The authors encourage a more complete understanding of diversity, one that considers differences in migration history, sexual orientation, disability, culture, and disciplines, among other traits. This approach is in line with the University of Florida (UF)’s Diversity Action Plan,3 which utilizes “the broadest definition of diversity” including a diversity of “experience, perspectives, disciplines, geographic background, talent, socio-economic background, disability, ethnicity, race, gender, and other characteristics”. Measuring Diversity

Over the past two decades, significant research has been dedicated to the issue of the diversity deficit within the STEM fields. The National Science Foundation identifies the following groups as underrepresented: women, persons with disabilities, and racial and ethnic groups including Hispanic, Black, and American Indian or Alaska Native.4 The 2011−2015 US Census estimates 30.5% of the US population identifies with these racial and ethnic groups,5 yet they represent only 15.1% of those employed in the science and engineering fields.6 Although these demographic groups do not encompass a broad Received: July 12, 2017 Revised: November 29, 2017

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DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.7b00510 J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX

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definition of diversity, these figures reveal that, even for the categories in which diversity is measured, there is a deficit that is both unjust and an underutilization of our nation’s human resources.7−10 Many researchers and institutions address this deficit by asking how to best attract underrepresented groups into STEM fields through recruitment efforts and targeted scholarships.7,11 To create a more just and representative STEM workforce, it is important to continue recruiting diverse students. However, we need to look beyond recruiting. Instructors need to learn how to actively include an increasingly diverse student population within the STEM classroom, thereby increasing underrepresented student retention rates.10

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complex thoughts” and even challenge biases that are present in the learning materials.14 Differing viewpoints should be both represented and vocalized in a class, as “it may take interaction with someone from a different background to introduce or illuminate new perspectives”.18 Indeed, the benefits of including diverse individuals in a working group include increased creativity and higher-quality problem solving, as confronting differing perspectives can serve as a catalyst for new innovations.19−21 Beyond increasing the learning capabilities of all students in the classroom, addressing diversity will improve the retention of diverse students. Research has shown10,22,23 that underrepresented minorities in STEM do not progress through educational levels as quickly or in the same volume as their majority-group peers. If instructors create a space for discussion about diversity, they can contribute to a more supportive and inclusive field that is free from discrimination.13 By utilizing diversity as a powerful learning tool rather than ignoring it, students will have a more positive classroom experience and be more likely to continue their pursuit of a STEM career.

DIVERSITY IN THE STEM CLASSROOM

Classroom Climate

Actively including diverse students involves openly addressing their different perspectives. Student diversity is readily explored in the social sciences; in classes pertaining to political science or regional studies, students from different backgrounds are encouraged to share their own beliefs, behaviors, and political experiences during class debate. Achieving this level of openness is a challenge in STEM classrooms.12 Instructors in STEM classes rarely pursue discussions about student experiences because it might be thought to be irrelevant to the learning material. As STEM students enter their professions, managers continue this aversion to discussing employee diversity in an attempt to maintain a “neutral” work environment.13 However, active inclusion of diverse students is valuable across disciplines, not just the social sciences, where culture is part of the syllabus.14 A classroom that is informed by the diverse experiences of all students will reach higher levels of discussion. Thus, although there is a greater challenge present to engage diversity in STEM classes, it is no less important. We suggest that faculty who are still hesitant to facilitate discussion about racial and cultural diversity in their classes can start to approach diversity by engaging diversity among disciplines. For example, the faculty can create a dialogue between chemists and engineers in their classrooms. Their differing discipline-based perspectives will provide all students with valuable insight and deeper understanding about the topic being discussed. This type of discussion can also serve as a step toward greater openness in the classroom about a variety of topics, including diversity.

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

The field of education research has offered valuable insight on how to best incorporate culturally diverse students in the classroom and reap the benefits of diversity. Ladson-Billings24 proposed the idea of a “culturally relevant pedagogy” (CRP) which engages diverse students by recognizing and incorporating their differences as a component of student instruction. Villegas and Lucas25 defined a “culturally responsive teacher” as one who can discuss “topics that, although relevant to the lives of the students, are regularly excluded from classroom conversation”. CRP occurs when a teacher shifts away from entirely ignoring student differences, or from viewing them as a burden to academic achievement, and instead embraces their contributions and capabilities.12 The scientifically “neutral” environment prevents many instructors from discussing their students’ differences and creating valuable lessons based on student diversity. By utilizing CRP, instructors have the power to create an inclusive classroom climate and “provide space” for divergent ideas to be presented.18 Culturally relevant lessons incorporate students’ experiences and connect them to the learning material. For example, one teacher gave students a “cell analogy” assignment in which they explained the parts of a cell in terms of something related to their own culture or interests, such as an instrument or a book.26 Alternatively, instructors in a region with high rates of Type 2 diabetes had students simulate a glucose tolerance test to determine a patient’s diabetic status, and then suggest nutritional changes that could mitigate the disease symptoms.12 In another class, the issue of race-based disease treatments and alternative DNA-based therapeutics and delivery systems was discussed.27 In a general chemistry or physical chemistry course, the instructor can introduce chemical reactions driven by sunlight by discussing urban smog and its connection with pollution in poor areas. Similarly, the discussion of the presence of nanoparticles in the ocean as a result of the reaction of plastics in the presence of sunlight and alkaline ocean water can be exploited, as well as the subsequent transport of these nanoparticles throughout membranes.28 At UF, an entire course is dedicated to integrating culture and science. In Chemistry en la Cocina Latina, students analyze the chemical reactions that occur in recipes from Hispanic cultures while exploring the historical and social significance of those foods.29

Diversity Benefits

There is much to be gained when instructors actively include their diverse students in the classroom. In the words of one student participant in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, “We bring a unique perspective, and I think having someone who has had a very different lived experience enriches the life of the lab.”15 This notion of differing perspectives enriching the learning environment is supported by the National Institutes of Health, which notes the many benefits of a diverse scientific workforce.16 When instructors allow or initiate a conversation addressing the diversity of those within a classroom, all involved will benefit. Gurin et al.17 have demonstrated that students who had experienced diversity among their classmates have improved educational outcomes, as these interactions can change the classroom climate to one “that supports active thinking and intellectual engagement”. When students and instructors interact with diverse perspectives, they can bring about “more B

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www.nsf.gov/statistics/2017/nsf17310/digest/introduction/ (accessed Nov 2017). (5) U.S. Census Bureau Comparative Demographic Estimates: 2011−2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. United States Census Bureau American Fact Finder Web site; 2017.https:// factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview. xhtml?pid=ACS_15_5YR_CP05&prodType=table (accessed Nov 2017). (6) Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering Data Tables. National Science Foundation Web site. https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/2017/nsf17310/static/data/tab9-39. pdf (accessed Nov 2017). (7) Wilson, Z. S.; McGuire, S. Y.; Limbach, P. A.; Doyle, M. P.; Marzilli, L. G.; Warner, I. M. Diversifying Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): An Inquiry into Successful Approaches in Chemistry. J. Chem. Educ. 2014, 91 (11), 1860−1866. (8) Laursen, S. L.; Weston, T. J. Trends in Ph.D. Productivity and Diversity in Top-50 U.S. Chemistry Departments: An Institutional Analysis. J. Chem. Educ. 2014, 91 (11), 1762−1776. (9) Carpi, A.; Ronan, D. M.; Falconer, H. M.; Lents, N. H. Cultivating Minority Scientists: Undergraduate Research Increases Self-Efficacy and Career Ambitions for Underrepresented Students in STEM. J. Res. Sci. Teach. 2017, 54 (2), 169−194. (10) National Academy of Sciences. National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine. Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation: America’s Science and Technology Talent at the Crossroads; The National Academies Press: Washington, DC, 2011. (11) Gazley, J. L.; Remich, R.; Naffziger-Hirsch, M. E.; Keller, J.; Campbell, P. B.; McGee, R. Beyond Preparation: Identity, Cultural Capital, and Readiness for Graduate School in the Biomedical Sciences. J. Res. Sci. Teach. 2014, 51 (8), 1021−1048. (12) Brown, J. C.; Crippen, K. J. The Knowledge and Practices of High School Science Teachers in Pursuit of Cultural Responsiveness. Sci. Educ. 2017, 101 (1), 99−133. (13) Cech, E. A. The Veiling of Queerness: Depoliticization and the Experiences of LGBT Engineers. Paper presented at 2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Atlanta, GA, June 2013. https://peer.asee. org/22628 (accessed Nov 2017). (14) Marin, P. The Educational Possibility of Multi-Racial/MultiEthnic College Classrooms. In Does Diversity Make a Difference? Three Research Studies on Diversity in College Classrooms; American Council on Education and American Association of University Professors: Washington, DC, 2000; pp 61−83. (15) Wang, L. Undocumented Students Remain in the Shadows of the Chemical Sciences. Chem. Eng. News. 2017, 95 (16), 36−41. (16) Diversity Statement, 2016. National Institutes of Health Office of the Director, Scientific Workforce Diversity. https://diversity.nih. gov/about-us/diversity-statement (accessed Nov 2017). (17) Gurin, P.; Dey, E. L.; Hurtado, S.; Gurin, G. Diversity and Higher Education: Theory and Impact on Educational Outcomes. Harvard Educational Review 2002, 72 (3), 330−366. (18) Haslerig, S.; Bernhard, L. M.; Fuentes, M. V.; Panter, A. T.; Daye, C. E.; Allen, W. R. A Compelling Interest: Activating the Benefits of Classroom-Level Diversity. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education 2013, 6, 158−173. (19) Robinson, G.; Dechant, K. Building a Business Case for Diversity. Acad. Manage. Perspect 1997, 11 (3), 21−31. (20) Milliken, F. J.; Martins, L. L. Searching for Common Threads: Understanding the Multiple Effects of Diversity in Organizational Groups. Academy of Management Review 1996, 21 (2), 402−433. (21) Wink, D. J. Immigrant Students in the U. S. Chemistry Classroom: An Educational Opportunity and Challenge. J. Chem. Educ. 2015, 92 (11), 1771−1772. (22) Felder, R. M.; Brent, R. Understanding Student Differences. J. Eng. Educ 2005, 94 (1), 57−72. (23) Moore, J. M. Diversity in Science. J. Chem. Educ. 2006, 83 (6), 823.

When student experiences, whether they concern geography, culture, or general interests, can be directly connected to learning materials, students will have greater motivation to learn the content.30 When implementing lessons on culturally relevant topics such as those mentioned above, instructors can promote dialogue among students to fully reap the benefits of diversity.18,31,32 Active teaching methods, such as open-ended question formats and team-based answering, can best serve to “activate” diversity within a classroom.14,18 Using group work assignments can increase student interaction, thereby increasing students’ exposure to different ideas.14 These methods of “activation” are necessary because the presence of diverse individuals does not inherently create an intellectually challenging environment.14,31 It is absolutely necessary that institutions continue to promote diversity among their members and recruit diverse individuals; however, if instructors do not take the extra step to engage diversity as an instructional tool, not only will retention be affected, but most importantly all will miss out on these educational benefits.

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CONCLUSION To maximize the potential of STEM fields, institutions must continue to recruit and retain individuals from diverse backgrounds. To maximize the learning potential of diverse STEM classrooms and encourage retention, instructors must incorporate and “activate” the diversity that is present. A classroom of diverse individuals in which perspective differences are never addressed is hardly different, in terms of educational possibilities, from a classroom of homogeneous individuals. Diverse classrooms enjoy a distinct advantage when diversity is addressed. STEM instructors can look to research regarding CRP33 to better understand how to take advantage of diversity for the benefit of all students. It is paramount that students are confronted with different perspectives, learn how to navigate this confrontation, and then form more innovative conclusions. When STEM instructors adopt these practices, the future STEM workforce will excel even further.

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AUTHOR INFORMATION

Corresponding Author

*E-mail: [email protected]fl.edu. ORCID

Coray M. Colina: 0000-0003-2367-1352 Notes

The authors declare no competing financial interest.

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REFERENCES

(1) The authors are not addressing the accuracy of Wikipedia content; for an example of this, please see Mandler, M. D. Glaring Chemical Errors Persist for Years on Wikipedia. J. Chem. Educ. 2017, 94 (3), 271−272. Rather, we are utilizing the example of the image found in this Wikipedia entry. (2) Continent entry at Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Continent (accessed Nov 2017). (3) Diversity Action Plan: President’s Council on Diversity, 2011. The University of Florida Human Resource Services Web site. http://hr. ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/publications/ Diversity%20Action%20Plan%20-%20August%202011.pdf (accessed Nov 2017). (4) Introduction: Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering; 2017. National Science Foundation. https:// C

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(24) Ladson-Billings, G. Toward a Theory of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal 1995, 32 (3), 465− 491. (25) Villegas, A. M.; Lucas, T. Preparing Culturally Responsive Teachers − Rethinking the Curriculum. Journal of Teacher Education 2002, 53 (1), 20−32. (26) Boutte, G.; Kelly-Jackson, C.; Johnson, G. L. Culturally Relevant Teaching in Science Classrooms: Addressing Academic Achievement, Cultural Competence, and Critical Consciousness. International Journal of Multicultural Education 2010, 12 (2). DOI: 10.18251/ ijme.v12i2.343. (27) Bonham, V. L.; Callier, S. J.; Royal, C. D. Will Precision Medicine Move Us Beyond Race? N. Engl. J. Med. 2016, 374, 2003− 2005. (28) A complete teacher’s guide to address this issue in high-school or second-year undergraduate courses can be found at https:// nanohub.org/resources/25697/download/Nanoparticle_Pollutants_ TG.pdf?f1eefd139bea49b00c9c62b913a78705=1. (29) Chemistry en la Cocina Latina; 2017. University of Florida Honors Program. http://www.honors.ufl.edu/current/courses/ archived-course-listing/spring-17/interdisciplinary-courses/ (accessed Nov 2017). (30) Vaino, K.; Holbrook, J.; Rannikmäe, M. Stimulating Students’ Intrinsic Motivation for Learning Chemistry Through the Use of Context-based Learning Modules. Chem. Educ. Res. Pract. 2012, 13, 410−419. (31) Gottfredson, N. C.; Panter, A. T.; Daye, C. E.; Allen, W. R.; Wightman, L. F.; Deo, M. E. Does Diversity at Undergraduate Institutions Influence Student Outcomes? Journal of Diversity in Higher Education 2008, 1 (2), 80−94. (32) Valentine, K.; Prentice, M.; Torres, M. F.; Arellano, E. The Importance of Student Cross-Racial Interactions as Part of College Education: Perceptions of Faculty. Journal of Diversity in High Education 2012, 5 (4), 191−206. (33) A compilation of further resources can be found at https:// learningcenter.nsta.org/mylibrary/collection.aspx?id=2chjOK8Rsi8_E.

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DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.7b00510 J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX