Stanford
IDEAL Research Lab

IDEAL Research Lab

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IDEAL Research Lab (IRL) Mission

To identify challenges in STEM pathways and co-construct effective active learning environments with undergraduate instructors and students to address these challenges using learning and cognition theories

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IDEAL Research Lab

We study what are the learning barriers in STEM pathways, and which evidence-based instructional and institutional practices can effectively address these barriers. In light of these overall goals, the projects of the lab can be divided into the following three main categories:

Understanding Learning Barriers in Higher Education

IRL has employed various qualitative and quantitative research methods to identify different learning barriers in college and graduate education. Our research examines these challenges in multiple contexts: in introductory STEM courses and the causes of these challenges, in pursuit of STEM pathways, in institutional academic resource usage, and graduate and undergraduate advising. The team's findings inform evidence-based interventions and institutional policy recommendations. 

Collaborative Course Redesign

Based on insights gained on STEM learning challenges as well as established cognition and learning principles, IRL team form close collaboration with instructional teams across different STEM, particularly introductory, courses to redesign course learning-goals; its corresponding learning-activities, assessments, and resulting feedback from the assessments. This course redesign process aims: 1) to improve effectiveness of instructional practices for all students regardless of their incoming preparation, and 2) to better support learning of effective problem-solving in STEM courses. The team has closely worked with instructors from introductory Physics, Chemistry, and Mechanical Engineering courses.

Developing Evidence-based Tools and Theories

Problem-solving is a crucial, yet elusive goal, for science and engineering education. While all agree on the need to train effective problem-solvers in STEM education, there is far less agreement about what the practices of effective problem-solving are, and how to teach and assess these practices. IRL has empirically and qualitatively identified the main practices of complex problem-solving, and the developmental levels for these practices. The team has also developed and tested instructional tools to support effective problem-solving that can be further implemented in course redesign projects.

Collaborations

Our lab welcome collaborations with faculty, staff, students, and organizations who interested in co-constructing ideal learning environments in STEM. We encourage you to reach out if you are:

  1. STEM instructors looking for support in redesigning your course to improve its effectiveness
  2. Education researcher interested in getting involved in our research
  3. STEM graduate students interested in education research
  4. Higher Ed institutional leaders interested in using our research

 

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Contact Us

Graduate School of Education
520 Galvez Mall, CERAS 429
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305

PI: Shima Salehi
email: salehi@stanford.edu

Postdoc: Karen Wang
please reach out to explore collaboration opportunities
email: kdwang@stanford.edu 

Lab Admin: Krezna Palces
please reach out for administrative and scheduling
email: kpalces4@stanford.edu

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