Welcome to the Trefny Institute for Educational Innovation
The John U. and Sharon L. Trefny Institute for Educational Innovation strives to both strengthen on-campus endeavors to enhance Colorado School of Mines’ distinction in undergraduate and graduate education and strengthen CSM’s leadership role in education research, curriculum development, and assessment. Key elements of the Trefny Institute are the
- Center for Engineering Education (CEE), which unites faculty interested in engineering education research;
- Center for Assessment of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (CA:STEM), which focuses on improving the methodologies used by evaluators in the assessment of educational interventions in the STEM disciplines; and
- Center for Professional Education (CPE), which is designed to support faculty and students as they develop effective classroom pedagogical knowledge.
Dr. Barbara Moskal directs the Trefny Institute and CA:STEM, Dr. Ron Miller directs CEE and Dr. Roel Snieder and Thomas Boyd co-direct CPE.
The Trefny Institute supports development of evidence-based curriculum and provides faculty development opportunities. Through CEE it awards mini-grants annually for curriculum development and sponsors guest speakers, faculty workshops, and faculty travel to meetings/conferences which align with the mission of the Institute.
By integrating its programs, the Trefny Institute seeks to form a cycle in which education research is conducted; theory is developed and tested; tools, materials, and methods are designed and then implemented in classrooms; interventions are studied and evaluated; and new insights and research questions are generated. This cycle helps to ensure that curriculum at Mines is based on good practice and solid educational research.