Over a period of six years, three different types of recitation sessions were implemented into the large enrollment section of a college calculus course. During the fall semesters, the results on the departmental final examination, the DFW rates, and the one-year retention rates of students as STEM majors were examined by the type of recitation session used with the large enrollment section. The three types of recitation sessions studied were: (1) optional mentoring sessions at the Math Assistance Center conducted by undergraduate students (peer mentors), (2) required mentoring sessions conducted by graduate students, and (3) required VGNA (Verbal, Graphical or Geometric, Numeric, and Algebraic) Concept activities, which were also coupled with mentoring sessions conducted by graduate students. The success of the students in the large enrollment section of the course, which included one of the three different types of recitation sessions, was compared to the success of students in the small enrollment sections of the course (enrollments less than 50 students). The effects of using each type of recitation session on raising departmental final examination scores, lowering DFW rates, and raising one-year retention rates is presented. The results of this study demonstrate methods of raising student success rates in large enrollment (lecture-format) courses.

The first version of the Analytical Instrument Association Data Interchange Specification for Mass Spectrometry was released in the second quarter of 1993. This specification has two components: a model which describes the information content of mass spectrometric experimental data sets and spectral libraries, and an implementation of the model as a programming tool kit in portable computer source code. This model and tool kit evolved during four years of discussions, proposals, reviews, and prototypes involving a large group of participants from the vendor and end-user communities. External resources and support, including the AIA, the ADISS Project, the Unidata Program Center, and the American Society for Mass Spectrometry were essential in identifying key technologies used in the specification and in providing a platform for promotion and discussion.

Abstract--Funded by 5-year, $2M grant from the National Science Foundation, the Central Indiana STEM Talent Expansion Program (CI-STEP) at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) is creating a pipeline of students and a campus culture change to increase the number of undergraduates obtaining Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) degrees. CI-STEP addresses initiatives needed for transforming the undergraduate STEM experience by propagating, expanding, and creating new evidence-based educational innovations in undergraduate STEM education at IUPUI.The primary goal of the project is to employ and assess the impact of several intervention strategies focused on student success, leading to higher numbers of students graduating with STEM degrees. These interventions include: new STEM Summer Bridge Academies; strengthened articulation agreements; peer-mentoring, and academic advising support for community college transfer students; expansion of Peer-led Team Learning, Just-in-Time Teaching, and other facultyinitiated, evidence-based educational opportunities; and development and expansion of career development services and internships for undergraduates. This paper will describe CI-STEP, including the project's purpose and progress-to-date. Specific attention will focus on ways to involve faculty in implementing, adopting, and adapting evidence-based approaches to educating STEM undergraduate students. Successful strategies, conclusions-to-date, lessons learned, and implications for replication, scalability, and sustainability will also be discussed.

Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) is a pedagogical system that uses the WWW to enhance learning in the classroom setting. JiTT was developed for use in the introductory physics classes taken by engineering majors at IUPUI and the US Air Force Academy, but its use has spread to a wide range of fields and institutions. At IUPUI, JiTT is now used in physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, sociology, and writing. Elsewhere, in the US, Europe, and Israel, over 100 instructors are using JiTT methods. The JiTT system is built around web-based preparatory assignments that are due a few hours before class. The students complete these assignments at their own pace and submit them electronically. In turn, faculty adjust and organize the classroom lessons in response to the student submissions "Just-in-Time." This establishes a feedback loop between the classroom and the web. The feedback cycle occurs several times each week, encouraging students to stay current. At IUPUI, we have been testing and revising the JiTT method for twelve semesters and are encouraged by the results. Working with the JiTT strategy has convinced us that the web, combined with live teachers in the classroom, can humanize instruction for all students and make a real difference in results, particularly for at-risk students. At IUPUI, attrition in our introductory physics courses has declined by over 40%, and the numbers of students choosing physics as a major or minor has risen significantly. When asked their preferences in post-course surveys, over 90% of students expressed a preference for JiTT over traditional course formats.

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