Carnegie Mellon University and Arizona State University partner to develop more equitable general chemistry courseware with grant from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
On average, Black, Latino and Indigenous students fail or withdraw from general education courses in their first year of college more often than their white peers. Similar trends are observed between students from lower-income backgrounds and their more affluent peers. Carnegie Mellon University and Arizona State University aim to change that, starting with general chemistry courseware that prioritizes equity through a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
A 2019 Gardner Institute study found that the percentage of Black students in first-year general chemistry classes who failed or withdrew was 47.2%, compared to 26.3% of their white peers. The percentage of Hispanic and Latino students who failed or withdrew was 42% and the American Indian or Alaska Native rate was 54.5%. When students do not succeed in gateway courses like general chemistry, their academic trajectory can be impacted for years, even leading to equity gaps that follow them their entire lives.
"Struggles in early chemistry courses can really disrupt students' STEM journeys. These challenges may particularly impact learners who have been historically discouraged from meaningful participation in chemistry education," said Rod Roscoe, human systems engineering associate professor at ASU. "That is one of the sources of disparities that we need to disrupt. On this project, I am excited to guide an equity-centered approach to innovative chemistry courseware. Our team believes that all learners will be served by empowering them to see themselves in the field of chemistry, form a personal and cultural connection to chemistry ideas, and take ownership of chemistry."
Ariel Anbar, director of the Center for Education Through Exploration (ETX) at ASU and Norman Bier, director of CMU's Open Learning Initiative (OLI) will serve as the primary investigators. The courseware will be made available through the Inspark Teaching Network, a part of ASU's Learning Enterprise, and OLI, which both distribute innovative online courseware designed to improve the success of disadvantaged students.
In collaboration with faculty from historically Black colleges and universities, predominately Black institutions, tribal colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions and community colleges that serve lower-income learners, the partners will design, develop, deliver and scale the chemistry course.
