Undergraduate Science Course Innovations and Their Impact on Student Learning

本项目考察了已发表和未发表的关于教学创新和本科科学教学替代方法的教育研究，并将使用统计方法综合结果。本研究将对本科理科课程改革进行系统考察，以确定：(1)本科理科课程改革实施的范围；(2)创新的特征如何与认知科学学习理论和有效教学原则相契合；(3)课程创新方法如何与学生在每个特定学科中的学习收益差异相关联；(4)发现哪些方法是有效实施课程创新的关键。研究人员将在认知科学研究的基础上建立一个理论框架，并从具有教学策略、参考教室和已报告结果的项目中开发本科科学课程的有效学习环境。他们将对科学课程中发现的已发表论文和未发表文件（如NSF网站）中的课程创新进行文献分析。将根据确定的适当研究数量对每篇论文中可用的统计数据进行荟萃分析。这项研究更广泛的影响在于它对研究人员的贡献，这些研究人员将受益于对现有本科教学实践研究的系统分析，以及对希望获得如何应用新教学方法建议的教育工作者的贡献。该研究将产生两份文件：(1)描述和评估本科科学课程创新的框架；(2)在该领域观察到的课程转变类型、其有效性以及与其有效性相关的设计和实施特征的统计综合。该项目将出版论文，提交给各学科领域的期刊，并在专业学会会议上发表。

This project examines published and non-published education research studies of instructional innovations and alternative approaches to teaching undergraduate science and will synthesize the results using statistical methods. The study would conduct a systematic examination of undergraduate science course innovations to determine: (1) The range of course innovations that are being implemented in undergraduate science courses; (2) How the features of innovations are aligned with cognitive science learning theory and principles of effective instruction; (3) How course innovation approaches are associated with differences in student learning gains within each specific discipline; and (4) what methods are found to be critical for the effective implementation of course innovations. The researchers will develop a theoretical framework on the basis of cognitive science research and effective learning environments of undergraduate science courses from projects that have an instructional strategy, refer to classrooms, and have reported results. They will conduct a document analysis of course innovations in science courses as discovered in published papers and unpublished documents such as the NSF website. A meta-analysis of the statistical data available in each paper would be conducted depending on the suitable number of studies identified. The broader impact of the study is in its contribution to researchers who would benefit from a systematic analysis of existing studies of undergraduate teaching practices and for educators who wish for advice on how to apply new methods of teaching. The study will produce two documents: (1) a framework for characterizing and evaluating innovations in undergraduate science courses, and (2) a statistical synthesis of the types of course transformations observed in the field, their effectiveness, and the design and implementation characteristics that are associated with their effectiveness. The project would produce published papers that will be submitted to journals in each disciplinary area and presented at professional society meetings.