Difference between revisions of "Summer bridge programs"

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'''Name:''' Neena Cherayil
 
'''Name:''' Neena Cherayil
  
'''Comments:''' Main SBP Penn article outlines strategies for increasing women and minority interest/participation in biophysical sciences at the pre-college level [summer programs, "early alert" system] but also offers suggestions for increasing retention at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Might be outdated, and follow-up research from Penn could not be found.  
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'''Comments:''' Main SBP Penn article outlines strategies for increasing women and minority interest/participation in biophysical sciences at the pre-college level [summer programs, "early alert" system] but also offers suggestions for increasing retention at the undergraduate and graduate levels. More information from this article could thus be used elsewhere. Might be outdated, and follow-up research from Penn could not be found.  
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'''Rating:''' 5
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
 
* <cite id=refTanaka>{{cite journal| first=JC| last=Tanaka|coauthors= LD Gladney | title = Strategies for Recruiting and Retaining Minorities in Physics and Biophysics| journal =Biophysical Journal | volume =65 |issue=| pages =pp. 552-58 | date =1993| doi =| url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B94RW-4V9K7F1-2B&_user=421321&_coverDate=07%2F31%2F1993&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1628233995&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000019938&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=421321&md5=dded0ca224b04c559b82a67b52693c38&searchtype=a| publisher=Biophysical Journal, Vol. 65 }}</cite>
 
* <cite id=refTanaka>{{cite journal| first=JC| last=Tanaka|coauthors= LD Gladney | title = Strategies for Recruiting and Retaining Minorities in Physics and Biophysics| journal =Biophysical Journal | volume =65 |issue=| pages =pp. 552-58 | date =1993| doi =| url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B94RW-4V9K7F1-2B&_user=421321&_coverDate=07%2F31%2F1993&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1628233995&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000019938&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=421321&md5=dded0ca224b04c559b82a67b52693c38&searchtype=a| publisher=Biophysical Journal, Vol. 65 }}</cite>
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* Waller, TO. (2009).[http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-08312009-145520/unrestricted/WALLER_TO_D_2009.pdf  A MIXED METHOD APPROACH FOR ASSESSING THE ADJUSTMENT OF INCOMING FIRST-YEAR ENGINEERING STUDENTS IN A SUMMER BRIDGE PROGRAM] PhD Dissertation
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* Vazquez-Abad, J. ''et al.'' (1997). [http://mje.mcgill.ca/index.php/MJE/article/view/8378/6306] REVUE DES  SCIENCES DE  L· tDUCATION DE  MCGILL  •  VOL 32 N°  3 AUTOMNE

Revision as of 17:49, 27 March 2011

Summer bridge programs (SBP) are typically month-long intensive preparatory coursework offered to entering undergraduates with poor or little to no background in an academic subject.

Several studies have found that bad experiences or poor performance in core introductory courses lead to much of the documented attrition rate, particularly in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, for minority students <ref>Tanaka 554</ref>. STEM students with no previous experience in basic calculus, physics, chemistry, and writing are at a significant disadvantage in large introductory classes, which are gateways to upper-level coursework yet are not nurturing learning environments for students varying educational backgrounds.

Biophysics and biophysical chemistry professors at the University of Pennsylvania found that lengthening introductory coursework to allow for slower pacing of material more suited for diversity in learning style have lead to “problems in self-confidence for students enrolled in these courses since they carry the stigma of being remedial and also add significant delay to a costly college education. While extra time is needed for the core courses, usually an entire extra semester is not required”

The University of Pennsylvania investigated the efficacy of a 4-week residential SBP designed to ease transition to the college environment for “at risk” freshmen. Participants were selected on basis of school rank and standardized test scores and randomly assigned to experimental or control groups.

Courses undertaken included rigorous academic work in English, mathematics, and a course from the student’s intended major. The Penn SBP emphasizes collaborative learning, time management skill formation, individual- and team-based assessments, close faculty involvement, and one-on-one student-student interaction. After the program, participants were also encouraged to maintain ties with a faculty advisor and collaborative learning groups over the course of the regular semester.

The efficacy of the program was determined by comparing cumulative GPA, retention rate, interviews, and other standardized metrics between control and experimental groups. The physics SBP students “scored one letter grade higher in cumulative grade point average for the freshman year. [Additionally], all of the students from the 1991 stretch physics class subsequently joined in as research students during the summer of 1992.” Increased involvement with research is known to increase retention rates in STEM fields.

Citation: Tanaka, JC and Gladney, LD. (1993) "Strategies for Recruiting and Retaining Minorities in Physics and Biophysics". Biophysical Journal. 65:552-58

Name: Neena Cherayil

Comments: Main SBP Penn article outlines strategies for increasing women and minority interest/participation in biophysical sciences at the pre-college level [summer programs, "early alert" system] but also offers suggestions for increasing retention at the undergraduate and graduate levels. More information from this article could thus be used elsewhere. Might be outdated, and follow-up research from Penn could not be found.

Rating: 5

References

  • Vazquez-Abad, J. et al. (1997). [1] REVUE DES SCIENCES DE L· tDUCATION DE MCGILL • VOL 32 N° 3 AUTOMNE