Lessons Learned from a Quality Enhancement Plan

Abstract

The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) at one university aimed to improve academic performance in two gateway science courses that all STEM and pre-health sciences majors must take that were known to be barriers to student success. The project sought to achieve this primarily by a course redesign that incorporated an extra hour of instruction each week that provided active learning on historically difficult topics as well as lessons on metacognition. The literature on STEM pedagogy shows that faculty who successfully create active learning classrooms help to improve learning outcomes (Suchman, 2014). Additionally, planning, monitoring, and evaluating one’s own learning process through metacognition improves thinking skills and academic success (Tanner, 2012). The lessons learned from this project include important implications for the implementation of a directive such as garnering the support of faculty in the initial design, creating cohesion within the class, and ensuring a culture of active learning and student success across disciplines.