Improving STEM Retention through Instruction: Leveraging Faculty Expertise

这个STEP 2型项目的目的是通过重新制定核心课程序列的教学来提高生物科学的本科保留率。之前使用全国样本的研究表明，90%离开STEM专业的本科生将糟糕的教学列为主要原因。此外，74%的学生成功地从他们的STEM课程毕业，认为教学质量差是一个主要障碍（西摩和休伊特，1997年）。 使用双盲设计，拟议的研究正在测试的假设，即缺乏明确的指示，在科学问题解决是一个主要因素，在低干保留。通常，一个领域的专家（例如，生物科学教授）在多年的培训和专业实践中自动化了他们的程序知识（安德森，2005年; Bereiter和Scardamalia，1993年; Feldon，出版中）。因此，当他们通过讲座或指导对话提供指导时，他们经常忽略许多完成问题所需的步骤，而不一定意识到他们正在这样做（Chao和Salvendy，1994; Feldon，2006）。然而，认知任务分析（cognitive task analysis，CTA）正在成为一种可行的手段，可以从专家那里获得准确和完整的信息，作为高效教学的基础（Feldon，in press）。该项目的智力价值在于将认知科学研究中的强大发现应用于STEM教学。几十年来，认知心理学家一直呼吁在复杂教学的设计中更多地考虑技能自动性（例如，Schneider，1985; Clark and Estes，1996; Rogers，Maurer，Salas，and菲斯克，1997）.那些明确适应其主题专家知识的隐性性质的培训系统已被证明比那些没有的培训系统有效得多（例如，梅里尔，2002年; Schaafstal、Schraagen和货车Berlo，2000年; Velmahos等人，2004年）。然而，基于大学的STEM教学并没有反映出教学设计中对这些进步的任何考虑（货车Merrienboer，1997）。由此产生的教学内容的差距会导致学习者的认知负荷更高，这通常会导致学习效率降低，对具有挑战性的材料的动机显著下降（布里特，2005; Kirschner，Sweller和Clark，2006; Paas，Tuovinen，货车Merrienboer和Darabi，2005）。由于这项研究包括遗传学，分子和细胞生物学核心实验室课程的教学设计过程和实施，因此它能够很好地（1）记录通常包括在基于技能的STEM教学中的知识差距，（2）系统地消除治疗组中的这些差距，（3）纵向跟踪每种教学条件对学生生物学本科课程作业的影响。预计CTA治疗条件下的学生将更有可能在基于实验室的课程中表现更好，并且比对照条件下的学生更大程度地留在生物科学专业。首先，它是确定明确的，全面的解决问题的指导有助于STEM保留的程度。以前的描述性研究提供了强有力的相关性证据，但很少有实验研究研究了直接的因果关系（Seymour，2001）。其次，该项目正在验证STEM学科教学设计的一般模型，该模型可以轻松地跨领域和机构进行转移和调整。利用认知任务分析方法来识别和生成课程的教学设计方法对许多非学术领域的复杂技能培训的有效性和效率产生了重大影响（Clark等人，出版中）。这项研究可以验证和利用其优势，以加强未来科学家的准备，并为进入科学相关领域的大学毕业生提供更强的科学推理能力。

The purpose of this STEP Type 2 project is to improve undergraduate retention in the biological sciences through the reformulation of instruction in the core course sequences. Prior research using a national sample indicates 90% of undergraduates who leave STEM majors cite poor instruction as a primary cause. Further, 74% of students successfully graduating from their STEM programs identify poor instruction as a major obstacle (Seymour and Hewitt, 1997). Using a double-blind design, the proposed study is testing the hypothesis that the lack of explicit instructions in scientific problem solving is a major factor in low STEM retention. Typically, experts in a field (e.g., professors in biological sciences) have automated their procedural knowledge during years of training and professional practice (Anderson, 2005; Bereiter and Scardamalia, 1993; Feldon, in press). As such, when they provide instruction through lectures or mentoring conversations, they frequently omit many of the steps necessary to complete a problem without necessarily realizing that they are doing so (Chao and Salvendy, 1994; Feldon, 2006). However, cognitive task analysis (CTA) is emerging as a viable means to elicit accurate and complete information from experts to serve as the basis for highly effective instruction (Feldon, in press).The Intellectual Merit of the project is its application of robust findings in cognitive science research to STEM instruction. For several decades, cognitive psychologists have called for greater consideration of skill automaticity in the design of complex instruction (e.g., Schneider, 1985; Clark and Estes, 1996; Rogers, Maurer, Salas, and Fisk, 1997). Those training systems that have explicitly accommodated the tacit nature of their subject matter experts' knowledge have proven to be significantly more effective than those that have not (e.g., Merrill, 2002; Schaafstal, Schraagen, and van Berlo, 2000; Velmahos et al., 2004). However, university based STEM instruction has not reflected any consideration of these advances in instructional design (van Merrienboer, 1997). The resulting gaps in instructional content induce a much higher level of cognitive load in learners that typically results in less effective learning and significant drops in motivation for challenging material (Britt, 2005; Kirschner, Sweller, and Clark, 2006; Paas, Tuovinen, van Merrienboer, and Darabi, 2005). Because this study encompasses the instructional design process and implementation for core laboratory courses in genetics, molecular, and cell biology, it is well-positioned to (1) document the knowledge gaps typically included in skill-based STEM instruction, (2) systematically eliminate those gaps in the treatment group, and (3) longitudinally track the impact of each instructional condition over the course of students' undergraduate coursework in biology. It is expected that students in the CTA treatment condition will be more likely to perform better in lab-based coursework and remain in the biological sciences major to a greater degree than their counterparts in the control condition.The Broad Impacts of this project exist at two levels. First, it is determining the extent to which explicit, comprehensive problem solving instruction contributes to STEM retention. Previous descriptive studies provide strong evidence of a correlation, but few experimental studies have examined the direct causal relationship (Seymour, 2001). Second, this project is validating a general model of instructional design for STEM disciplines that can be easily transferred and adapted across fields and institutions. Instructional design methods that utilize cognitive task analysis methods to identify and generate curriculum have had a major impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of complex skills training in many non-academic arenas (Clark et al., in press). This study can validate and leverage its strengths to enhance the preparation of future scientists and provide stronger scientific reasoning skills for college graduates who enter the workforce in science-related fields.