Interdisciplinary Project-Based Learning to Strengthen Quantitative Literacy, Academic Achievement, and Career Readiness in Community College Pathways

This project aims to serve the national interest by strengthening quantitative literacy, student success, and career readiness for community college students through interdisciplinary project-based learning in foundational mathematics and biology courses for both STEM and non-STEM majors. Quantitative reasoning, data literacy, collaboration, and communication are increasingly important across STEM and non-STEM fields, and students benefit when these skills are taught through meaningful, applied contexts. This Track 1 Innovation in Two-Year College (ITYC) project plans to design, implement, and study the effects of interdisciplinary Project-Based Learning modules in foundational and gateway mathematics and biology courses at a commuter community college. Through structured, real-world, data-rich activities, the project plans to strengthen students’ technical, academic, and professional skills while helping them see quantitative reasoning as relevant, transferable across disciplines, and valuable for data-driven careers. The significance of the project lies in its focus on a high-impact two-year college setting and its potential to produce adaptable instructional materials and evidence-based practices that can support student success in community college pathways. The goals and scope of the project are to study the effectiveness of a modular interdisciplinary Project-Based Learning model in high-enrollment foundational and gateway mathematics and biology courses at Bronx Community College of the City University of New York. The project plans to develop, pilot, refine, and scale scaffolded modules that use real-world data, collaborative problem solving, transparent learning processes, and aligned assessments. A mixed-methods evaluation plans to examine student outcomes including content mastery, course pass rates, retention, progression through quantitative and STEM course sequences, self-efficacy, perceived relevance, identity and belonging, and collaboration and communication skills. The project also plans to compare outcomes in Project-Based Learning and non-Project-Based Learning sections using course-level assessments, rubrics, matched pre/post surveys, attendance data, institutional records, and qualitative feedback from students and faculty. Results and materials, including modules, implementation guides, rubrics, educator-facing briefs, and anonymized student artifacts, plan to be disseminated through a public open educational resource repository, conference presentations, campus workshops, and scholarly publications. By studying how structured interdisciplinary inquiry functions in a commuter community college environment, the project plans to advance understanding of conditions under which improved student learning, engagement, and academic momentum occur. The NSF IUSE: Innovation in Two-Year College STEM Education (ITYC) Program seeks to accelerate and advance knowledge about the impact of emerging and evidence-based practices in undergraduate STEM education at two-year colleges. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.