Improved Online STEM Instruction for Rural Alaskan Native Students

Original Proposal Summary

Alaska Natives are poorly represented as post-secondary students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs.  This is largely a result of low science and math skills at the secondary level and the social insecurity of leaving their village for life on campus at a large university.  Both of these barriers could, at least partially, be alleviated by distance delivered technical courses that enable the students to develop skills and confidence while still in their home environment.

The University of Alaska, including the University of Alaska Southeast - Sitka Campus (UAS - Sitka), has, for many years, provided distance education opportunities for residents of Alaska’s remote, rural communities.  However, although distance delivery technologies have improved access, there has been very little effort made to deliver courses designed with the specific learning-style strengths of Alaska Native students in mind.

In response to a critical need for trained technicians to operate the water and wastewater systems in the native villages of rural Alaska, UAS - Sitka offers a distance delivered, Environmental Technology program to students statewide.  However, with it too, the pedagogy and delivery strategies have not been appropriate for Native students.

This project will address these issues; under-prepared Native students, poorly designed courses, and a need for water and wastewater technicians.  The project proposes to investigate the literature regarding Native American and Native Alaskan learning styles and to design, develop, deliver and evaluate six short, online technical courses for the Environmental Technology Program at UAS - Sitka.

The PI has broad experience in environmental technical training and years of teaching experience in Alaska with Alaska Native students.  More recently, he has developed several technical, CD/online courses.  This project will build on the experience of the PI and of UAS - Sitka, as well as existing knowledge of Native learning styles, to explore creative, culturally appropriate, and effective ways to deliver online, technical education to Alaska’s Native students.

Sound teaching strategies designed and tested through this project, will be adopted for the rest of the UAS - Sitka Environmental Technology Program, and other technical distance program at the university will be encouraged to use them.  Strategies will also be appropriate for other STEM courses and programs, and could be valuable for Native American students throughout the country.  Skills developed, during study in the security of their home community, will encourage Native students to enroll in STEM programs and should increase retention and graduation rates. 

Final Report
Final Report Abstract

The goal of this project was to enhance the quality of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) instruction delivered to native students in rural Alaska by improving the delivery and pedagogy of Environmental Technology course materials so as to be more responsive to the learning-style strengths of Alaskan Native students.  This goal was addressed by improving water and wastewater technology program materials and using the improved technical materials to increased the general success of native students in subsequent STEM education and careers, as well as to prepare them to enter the water and wastewater technology workforce. Literature search was conducted to discover the most effective pedagogical strategy for Alaskan Native learners.  Multiple learning styles were used, but the design was sensitive to the social and cultural impacts on learning.  In general, the design emphasized active and reflective processing, sensing perception, visual input, and global understanding.  Six, web-based, instructional modules on specific technical topics related to village water and wastewater utility operations were created.  The modules will be made available to students for continuing education unit (CEU) credit through the University of Alaska Southeast - Sitka Campus Environmental Technology Program.

Complete Final Report

On-Line Modules:

Community Water/Wastewater Operations Series

About the Modules
This series of short on-line training modules covers very specific water and wastewater system operation topics. They are designed to be completed in 1 - 2 hours and can be accessed at any time. The modules are highly visual and interactive. Each lesson has un-graded, "Self-Checks" to help review the important concepts. The modules can currently be viewed using this link.

The modules will be formated by the Alaska Training/Technical Assistance Center (ATTAC) for water/wastewater operators to receive continuing education units (CEUs). For more information please contact Nicole Duclos with ATTAC.

EMail ATTAC
Telephone: (907) 747-7756