The POGIL Project's Second Strategic Plan (2018-23)

August 2018

The goals and associated strategies of this plan are designed to guide the activities of the POGIL Project over the next five years.  The plan sets priorities for The Project leadership and staff, members of the POGIL community, and those who are or will become interested in the work of The Project.  A shared understanding of where The Project plans to focus its resources is essential to accomplishing the goals articulated here.  It enables individuals and groups to move forward together, to find synergies, and to leverage the considerable talent, creativity, and energy within The Project.

These goals and strategies are consistent with the mission, vision and values of The POGIL Project.  However, for practical reasons, they constitute a narrower slice of what might be done to fully realize our vision.  They define our immediate future, but not everything The Project will ever focus on.  

The successful achievement of the plan’s goals requires participation from a large number of POGIL community members.  The POGIL Project will need to leverage existing structures and workflows within The Project, modify others, and build new ones to effectively expand and sustain The Project. 

We will return to the plan annually to frame and prioritize our activities.  We also intend to implement strategies to assess our progress on each of the goals, listed below.  

Goal 1  Grow and support the POGIL practitioner community by actively and intentionally reaching out to new populations of STEM educators at all levels (elementary through graduate school) by means of professional development events. 

Goal 2 Increase the availability of high-quality POGIL activities that incorporate a strong guided-inquiry structure and explicit development of process skills, embedded within a well-considered facilitation plan.

Goal 3 Increase the diversity and inclusivity of the POGIL community and the students it serves.

Goal 4  Gather and analyze data to provide comprehensive assessment of student learning and of POGIL learning environments. 

Goal 5 Develop and implement plans for the sustainability and growth of The Project.
 

Goal 1:  Grow and support the POGIL practitioner community by actively and intentionally reaching out to new populations of STEM educators at all levels (elementary through graduate school) by means of professional development events.

• Offer and promote professional development events to introduce instructors at all levels (elementary through graduate school) to POGIL.
• Offer and promote professional development events for advanced practitioners to enhance skills in writing, facilitation and Project leadership.
• Explore strategies that leverage technology to provide professional development.
• Evaluate the success of professional development events, including the impact of these events on adoption and continued implementation.
• Identify and market to professional development providers to spread the adoption of POGIL pedagogy.
• Promote participation in regional/national meetings to disseminate POGIL best practices.
• Assess feasibility and develop plans for involving practitioners in disciplines outside of STEM.

Goal 2:  Increase the availability of high-quality POGIL activities that incorporate a strong guided-inquiry structure and explicit development of process skills, embedded within a well-considered facilitation plan.

• Solicit and compile exemplar POGIL activities for a wide variety of disciplines to promote understanding and adoption of POGIL pedagogy and engagement with The POGIL Project.
• Increase the number of POGIL activities authored and submitted by practitioners to The POGIL Project for feedback.
• Maintain a list of POGIL authors working in various disciplines to facilitate connections and collaborations among them.
• Plan development and publication of POGIL materials for targeted disciplines.
• Maintain a clearinghouse of reviewed and endorsed POGIL activities (both collections and individual activities) that are readily available for adoption or publication.
• Leverage technology to enhance the delivery and use of POGIL materials in diverse course environments.
• Create an explicit alignment of current and future POGIL materials with national curriculum standards.
• Develop a monitoring and action plan for protection of intellectual property.

Goal 3:  Increase the diversity and inclusivity of the POGIL community and the students it serves.

• Ensure that POGIL materials are reflective of a multicultural society.
• Work in partnership with minority-serving institutions to identify and meet specific needs related to POGIL best practices.
• Identify and decrease barriers to participation in Project activities for faculty who serve in under-resourced environments.
• Support professional development focused on issues of power, privilege, and social justice throughout the POGIL community.
• Translate targeted POGIL resources into other languages.
• With the assistance of language specialists, adapt current secondary-level POGIL materials for learners with a wider range of English language proficiency, and attend to this issue in developing new materials.
• Collect and analyze demographic data regarding POGIL practitioners and the students they serve.

Goal 4:  Gather and analyze data to provide comprehensive assessment of student learning and of POGIL learning environments.

• Identify and, where necessary, develop a set of easily administered instruments that can be used to collect data regarding student attitudes, perceptions of learning gains, and process skill development.
• Promote the use and refinement of the ELIPSS (Enhancing Learning by Improving Process Skills in STEM) rubrics for assessment and improvement of student process skills.  
• Promote the use and refinement of the OPTIC (Observation Protocol for Teaching in Interactive Classrooms) classroom observational tool to help practitioners document, reflect on, and improve their practices.
• Provide guidance regarding targets and scope for well-designed studies of student learning and development including equity of outcomes across race, gender, socioeconomic status, and other aspects of student diversity.

Goal 5: Develop and implement plans for the sustainability and growth of The Project. 

• Pursue multiple revenue streams to fund Project activities.
• Continually assess structures and processes to ensure the efficient development and use of financial resources and the productive involvement of POGIL community members, in service to The Project and the strategic plan.
• Foster an organizational structure that builds community, supports personal and professional growth, encourages collaboration and mentoring, and effectively accomplishes the work of The Project. Intentionally utilize technology to these ends.
• Identify and empower individuals within the broader POGIL community to contribute to the activities of The Project.
• Use effective communication and marketing strategies to inform and engage the POGIL community, key audiences, and the broader public.
• Develop collaborations with other organizations or projects that are aligned with and further The POGIL Project mission.
• Use research to improve the quality and efficacy of POGIL materials, facilitation, and workshops.

This Strategic Plan was constructed and approved by The POGIL Project Steering Committee in 2018 with considerable input from the larger POGIL community. The POGIL Project Board of Directors officially adopted the Strategic Plan in August 2018. This strategic plan is a retooling of The Project's first 5-year plan, which was adopted in January 2013.