Results from a survey of national science foundation Transforming Undergraduate Education in STEM (TUES) program reviewers

Abstract

The purpose of this analysis is to understand the engineering education community's views on transformation and change. This is addressed by studying NSF's Transforming Undergraduate Education in STEM (TUES) program. TUES and its predecessor, Course, Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI), have been an influential and substantial source of funding for U.S. undergraduate STEM education change since 1990. A framework of institutionalization and transportability is used to understand evolution of the engineering education community's perceptions of change processes as demonstrated in NSF's CCLI-TUES program. We present the results of a peer review panelist survey organized by prior CCLI criteria and newer institutionalization and transportability TUES criteria. In July 2011, 133 TUES engineering panelists were surveyed about characteristics of the Type 1 proposals they had just evaluated. Analysis of their responses indicates greater consensus regarding the weaknesses of proposals than of the strengths. Weaknesses tended to focus on local impacts which had been emphasized in CCLI, while strengths were more closely related to TUES emphases on transformation and broad impact at multiple institutions. Evaluation and assessment remain prominent weaknesses to be addressed, along with dissemination and institutionalization. This paper informs prospective PIs of program expectations, provides baseline data for evaluating recent and future changes to the program, and allows program officers to reflect on program and policy needs. In the broader context of studies on change in engineering education, this study documents shifting values of peer reviewers and engineering educators to increasingly emphasize approaches that will broadly impact and transform how future engineers are educated. © 2012 American Society for Engineering Education.