Inclusive STEM: Closing the Learning Loop
The importance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines for the future economic and social well-being of all Australians cannot be underestimated: 75% of the fastest growing global occupations require STEM skills and knowledg
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Inclusive STEM: Closing the Learning Loop Patricia McLaughlin, Cindy O’Malley and Pauline Porcaro
Abstract The importance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines for the future economic and social well-being of all Australians cannot be underestimated: 75% of the fastest growing global occupations require STEM skills and knowledge (Becker and Park in J STEM Edu 12(6), 2011). Increased participation in STEM-related tertiary education is fundamental to the economic and social well-being of the individual and the nation, yet the number and capacity of STEM graduates Australia produced from tertiary institutions is inadequate (OECD in Over-qualified or under-skilled: A review of existing literature. OECD, Paris, 2011). Attracting and retaining STEM tertiary students will rely upon approaches to learning and teaching that engage, motivate and inspire more diverse cohorts. As the Australian Chief Scientist notes: STEM disciplines are critical engines of innovation and growth. The future of the Australian economy will be underpinned by the number and calibre of STEM graduates and the academic staff leading them. We are at present falling short: something different has to be done, demanding a paradigm shift (Office of the Chief Scientist, Australia, 2012).
This chapter discusses a recent initiative The RMIT Inclusive Teaching and Assessment Practices Project which was created to address the diverse needs of all learners across the university. Keywords STEM · Inclusive teaching · Laboratory medicine
P. McLaughlin (*) · C. O’Malley · P. Porcaro RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia e-mail: [email protected] C. O’Malley e-mail: [email protected] P. Porcaro e-mail: [email protected] © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2017 C. Reidsema et al. (eds.), The Flipped Classroom, DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-3413-8_9
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9.1 Introduction Like many other universities around the world, RMIT caters to an increasingly more diverse student cohort. This is evident in STEM disciplines at RMIT and provides new challenges and problems for both the University and the students. It is particularly problematic where more traditional, didactic, teacher centred, teaching styles have prevailed. Modern learners come with different degrees of abilities and the capacity to be successful at University requires different levels of support. The RMIT Inclusive Teaching and Assessment Practices Project was initiated with these students in mind, with the aim of providing a cohesive approach to learning and teaching practices that addressed the needs of all learners across the University irrespective of their background.
9.2 Inclusive Teaching Inclusive curriculum design recognises that students have multiple identities shaped by previous experiences and a diverse range of personal circumstances influencing how they study (http://reforma.fen.uchile.cl/Papers/Inclusive%20curriculum%20design%20in%20 HD%20-Morgan.pdf, accessed 12 January 2015).
Funded by the Federal G
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