STEPping Up Undergraduate Research

加强本科生研究

• 批准号: 0431652
• 负责人: Thomas Cheatham
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Middle Tennessee State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-09-01 至 2010-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0431652&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: STEPping; Up; Undergraduate; Research

The goal of the STEPMT program is to improve retention and graduation rates in the science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines at Middle Tennessee State University through the use of undergraduate research as a broad defining theme. Three strategies are being implemented to realize these goals: (1) curriculum reform that emphasizes discovery-based learning and introduces elements of research, (2) creation of an undergraduate research community, and (3) partnerships with area high schools, universities, and industry. This three pronged approach provides a broad cross-section of STEM students beginning in their freshman year with an appreciation of the role of research in STEM disciplines, a peer support structure, and direct interaction with faculty and upperclassmen involved in research. The program impacts large numbers of students through the curricular reform efforts while offering focused attention to the diverse core of students in the undergraduate research community. The success of STEPMT is based on two premises: first, that incorporation of discovery-based learning can considerably reduce student dropout and failure rates, and second, that the one-on-one contact between a faculty mentor and an undergraduate research student has a significant impact on student retention. Both of these premises are supported by the literature and local experience.

STEPMT计划的目标是通过将本科研究作为一个广泛的定义主题来提高田纳西州立大学中部科学、技术、工程和数学学科的留校率和毕业率。为了实现这些目标，正在实施三项战略：(1)课程改革，强调基于发现的学习并引入研究元素；(2)创建本科生研究社区；(3)与地区高中、大学和工业界建立伙伴关系。这种三管齐下的方法为STEM学生提供了广泛的横切领域，从他们一年级开始，他们认识到STEM学科研究的作用，同行支持结构，以及与参与研究的教师和学长直接互动。该计划通过课程改革努力影响了大量学生，同时集中关注本科生研究社区中的不同核心学生。STEPMT的成功基于两个前提：第一，融入基于发现的学习可以显著降低学生的辍学率和失败率；第二，教师导师和本科生之间的一对一接触对学生留存有重大影响。这两个前提都得到了文献和当地经验的支持。