Research Universities Aim to Strengthen STEM Teaching

Research Universities Aim to Strengthen STEM Teaching The Association of American Universities on Wednesday announced a five-year effort to improve the quality and effectiveness of undergraduate teaching in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, focused on the 61 U.S. and Canadian research universities that are its members but in tandem with similar initiatives in other sectors of higher education. The AAU plan, more details of which can be found here and here, was announced by the group's new president, Hunter R. Rawlings III. It seeks to spread the use of existing, successful methods of teaching undergraduates (not just STEM majors) in math and the sciences, through demonstration projects and other means. “A number of our universities are already leading the way in developing and implementing these new ways of teaching," Rawlings said in a news release. "But there is a long way to go, and there is an urgent need to accelerate the process of reform.” The AAU effort won early praise from several Obama administration officials in a post on the White House's blog http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/09/14/bold-initiative-improve-undergraduate-stem-education