Using networks to scale improvement of STEM undergraduate education: A Comparative Study of Network Goals, Processes, and Strategies to Advance Organizational Change

The goal of this project is to advance knowledge of Organization-focused Change Networks (OCNs) as a potentially powerful lever for advancing improvements in undergraduate STEM education. Based on a theory of change that networks can scale advances in STEM education, this research builds on and integrates knowledge from literature and research on organizational change, networks, and STEM education. Six networks that connect organizations or that connect institutional leaders working directly with organizational units or departments are the focus of the study: the Advanced Technological Education Network (ATE); the Bay View Alliance (BVA); the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL); the Network of STEM Education Centers (NSEC); the Partnership for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education (PULSE); and the Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities (UERU).

The project has used document analysis, interviews, and site visits to examine three aspects of each network: (1) the purpose and the problem addressed; (2) the network’s lifecycle and processes, including stages of development, strategies used to advance the goals, issues and challenges, and how those issues are addressed; (3) the network’s outcomes, impacts, and scale, including processes used to gather feedback on progress, how outcomes and impacts are assessed, and strategies used to extend network reach and scale.