RUME 25
2023
Omaha, Nebraska
Centering Connections and Collaboration in the Evaluation of STEM Education Transformation
Page: 252
In this paper, we seek to understand the formation of a national network constructed for change in STEM education. To center the role of making connections in community and collaborations between network members, we use social network analysis (SNA) methods. We examine the impact of an in-person conference with the goals to bring together disparate groups around a common issue on network collaboration structure. We also examine the effect of post-conference virtual community building activities on network collaboration structure. A major limitation of SNA is response rate which, due to the pandemic, artificially drove a loss of collaboration. However, this loss was mitigated by new collaborations, particularly by influencers and boundary spanners. In addition, a sustained, year-long suite of virtual activities designed for community building and collaboration increased the collaboration activity in the network by 12.5%.