ABSTRACT
The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study is to better understand the climate for LGBTQ+ science major undergraduates in their departments through a transformative queer theory lens with intersectionality. Prior research demonstrates inclusion issues continue to persist for LGBTQ+ individuals in STEM. One such issue is discrimination in the form of microaggressions, which have been demonstrated to cause physical, mental, and academic harm. In the literature, there is limited information on how microaggressions impact students in particular STEM subfields. LGBTQ+ science undergraduates from public colleges and universities in one US Midwestern state were recruited via e-mail to participate in semi-structured interviews to learn about their experiences with and perspectives on microaggressions. Participants completed a first interview to learn more about their experiences, an online training related specifically to LGBTQ+ microaggressions, and a second interview. Emergent coding was utilized to capture the full perspectives of participants to follow themes related to the research questions and that the participants brought to the conversation. The study demonstrated LGBTQ+ science students are aware of potential issues, but many struggle to articulate the issues in ways they find meaningful. This paper explores the experiences LGBTQ+ science students described in their departments and other science spaces.
ABSTRACT
Online learning in higher education has been increasing for many years. This is happening across all of higher education and it is happening more specifically within STEM fields. The growth of online learning has significantly accelerated the past couple of years during the COVID-19 pandemic as colleges and universities have sought ways to continue educating students while also keeping students, faculty and staff safe. As result, many college faculty and instructors across all fields of study including STEM fields have made and continue to make the transition to teaching online for the first time. Teaching in an online environment is different from traditional classroom teaching in many ways and presents a unique set of challenges to college instructors. This study documents the development of an instrument used for instructors to self-report their instructional techniques and practices. Data from 251 instructors is also used to examine how this instrument can be used to better understand particular practices, with a focus in this study on discussion facilitation. The results align with the Community of Inquiry framework, including indicating that teaching through discussion forums involves direct contribution and/or facilitation.
