Project Grant 2235705

This $300,000 National Science Foundation project grant supports the development of online learning modules to improve retention of STEM students at the City University of New York. Led by the Research Foundation of the City University of New York in partnership with the university system, the three-year project aims to design, implement, and refine eight modules focused on building students' sense of belonging and self-regulated learning skills. The modules will be piloted in two required civil engineering courses over two cohorts and evaluated for their impact on student development and learning outcomes. Feedback from students and an external evaluator will be used to refine the modules for broader use across STEM courses and to reduce attrition through strategies that can be directly embedded in coursework. If successful, the project has potential to advance knowledge around increasing completion of STEM degrees through approaches that engage learning of topics and skills shown to impact retention, such as sense of belonging and self-regulation. The work will be disseminated across academic and university communities and aligns with the goals of the NSF's STEM Education program to improve STEM education effectiveness for all students.