CREATE for STEM is a Michigan State University sponsored research institute with a broad mandate for Collaborative Research in Education, Assessment and Teaching Environments for the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The Institute is a collaboration between the colleges of Education, and Natural Science in coordination with the Office of the Provost.
Our goals are to improve teaching and learning in the STEM disciplines for students from grades K-16 through research and development efforts. We bring together STEM faculty and faculty from the College of Education and serve as a springboard and a hub for innovation, research, and intellectual collaboration. Together, we help bring to fruition ideas and projects that will make a difference in the teaching and learning of STEM for all learners regardless of their cultures or experiences.
Within the STEM education fields, we aim to
- Innovate by being on the forefront of developing new curriculum materials, use of technology, professional development, policy approaches, and research methods to improve teaching and learning;
- Investigate by researching the effectiveness of innovations in the fields of STEM education; and
- Inform by publishing research and other materials to researchers, teachers, scientists, and policymakers to support continued improvement in both understanding and outcomes in the field.
Research Areas
CREATE has five major focus areas for its work: Creating and Investigating Change in K-16 STEM Education, Educational Policy in STEM fields, Discipline-Based Undergraduate STEM Education, Developing Innovative and Digital Materials, and International Engagement with the Global STEM Education Community.
Within each of these areas, we build interdisciplinary and intergenerational research groups, foster new talent, provide seed money for initial work and support the grant writing process. CREATE is also a hub for the exchange of information and ideas, sponsoring conferences, workshops, seminars, and visiting scholars to enhance the interest in STEM Education and develop capacity in these fields here at MSU.
