Not knowing how to analyze data is a universal issue and we, as instructors in STEM, can and should teach our students how to analyze data. It is in grappling with data that deep learning can occur.

From Christmas to Hannukah, Diwali to Kwanzaa this time of year there are many celebrations in many different cultures. Why is this so? Explore the science behind this time of year and how different cultures celebrate this natural phenomenon.

We need to be cognizant that we and our students have different cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds and work to shape our instruction to be inclusive. In this week’s blog, we take a look at the racial and ethnic gap in the STEM workforce in the United States

In the last two blogs, we identified the magnitude of the STEM gender gap and some reasons why this gap exists. If the past blogs were a call to action to bridge the gap, this blog is the action plan.

Closing the gender gap in STEM professions requires a thoughtful review of why the gap exists. Contrary to popular belief, boys aren’t inherently better at math than girls. There are far more nuanced reasons why women don’t choose to pursue STEM professions. One of them being, that they don’t see themselves in these professions.

STEM-based occupations are projected to grow more than any other in the next ten years. So there is a need for more students to study STEM to fill those jobs - a need that could be filled by reducing the gender gap. This brings up many questions. How big is the gap? When does it start? Why is there a gap? And the most important, what can we, as teachers in STEM, do to help close that gap?

STEM subjects are integrated and that this integration needs to be emphasized in education. But we do face some challenges in realizing this vision. What are the challenges and how can we overcome them to support our students as they engage in STEM?