Events & Calendars "Classroom Writing Exercises to Promote Motivation and Persistence of STEM Students" - Seminar with Alegra Eroy-Reveles '01

Professor Alegra Eroy-Reveles '01, of the department of chemistry and biochemistry at San Francisco State University, will present a chemistry seminar on "Classroom Writing Exercises to Promote Motivation and Persistence of STEM Students."

In an effort to increase the number of students graduating with a STEM degree, it is important to address student motivation in the STEM classroom. When a student is motivated, they persist in the STEM major. Motivation is malleable. It can be enhanced or diminished based on experiences in college. This workshop will discuss two projects aimed at engaging STEM students in writing activities to motivate them to persist in the STEM major.

In the utility value project, students wrote essays that connected course content to their lives and/or society. In the heart check project, students wrote weekly journal reflections that prompted them to think about their purpose, values and goals for studying science. These projects present two strategies that motivate students to persist in the STEM major while fostering an affirming learning environment.