CI-TEAM Implementation Project: Cyberinfrastructure for Quality Understanding and Engagement for Students and Teachers (CyberQUEST)

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This CI-TEAM Implementation Project, Cyberinfrastructure for Quality Understanding and Engagement for Students and Teachers (CyberQUEST) is implementing the successful strategies of a previous CI-TEAM Demonstration Project: San Diego CyberTEAM (OCI #0753422, 05/2008 - 10/2010) for broadening participation in cyber-activities through both teacher cyberinfrastructure (CI) expertise development and student CI-supported geosciences learning experiences at the middle school level. The CyberQUEST project is engaging 16 science teachers in a two-year program that includes week-long summer academies, Collaborative Lesson Study (CLS) rotations, ongoing mentoring and classroom support. The project nurtures a cadre of Lead Teachers who will be tasked with teaching future teachers in the CyberQUEST workshops. These Lead Teachers will also contribute to the iterative development and refinement of an innovative CI-enhanced geosciences curriculum for middle school. The curriculum units, referred to as TechQuest Lessons, provide technology (Tech) supported inquiries and investigations of concepts (Quests). Computer Science and Information Systems (CSIS) students at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) will work with education, geosciences, and computing experts to develop resources that leverage existing CI-investments and provide customized access to CI-tools for TechQuest Lessons. The CyberQUEST project has partnered with education leaders within California (Riverside, Los Angeles and Sacramento) as well as in Arizona and New Mexico, to disseminate TechQuests through CyberQUEST Workshops. The CyberQUEST Workshops target eleven cohorts of 16 science teachers, referred to as Quest Teachers, from respective local schools identified by the partner education leaders. All teacher participants implement TechQuest Lessons in their classrooms, thus extending the project and impact. TechQuests focus on inquiry-based problem-solving science activities to enhance students? learning of abstract science concepts. In this way the CyberQUEST project engages middle school students from diverse populations in innovative use of emerging CI-tools. Intellectual Merit: The CyberQUEST leadership and partners comprise a highly qualified team of educational, technology, and science experts with proven successes spanning over five years in designing and implementing CI-enhanced classroom activities that impact science learning and prepare students and teachers as a cyber-ready workforce. Reinforcing STEM topics, these TechQuest lessons enhance CI skills for students and teachers and are developed, field tested, reviewed by experts, and refined over the project duration and sustained through partnerships. The integration of research and learning is incorporated into key components of the project. Innovative aspects of the project include: (1) customized units of instruction that engage students in scientific investigations using real-time data accessed over cyberinfrastructure, (2) collaboration among university, research institutions, national and state parks, and middle schools, to leverage CI investments, (3) quality controlled development and dissemination of classroom ready, CI-enhanced, teacher-created geosciences curriculum, (4) use of the open source Learning Management System, Moodle, to provide social networking elements that support collaborative learning communities. Broader Impacts: The CyberQUEST project directly provides professional development for more than 192 science teachers in California, Arizona, and New Mexico from middle schools that serve high percentages of students from groups that are underrepresented in STEM careers. More than 10,000 middle school students will be engaged in CI-enhanced science learning activities and develop 21st century workforce skills as their teachers adopt the instructional strategies and CI skills gained from their professional development into classroom activities. Teachers will continue to impact workforce preparedness for additional students beyond the project duration and will further disseminate resources to teachers at their sites. TechQuest Lessons will be field-tested and refined in classrooms that serve populations of approximately 50% females and 50% minority students contributing to NSF?s initiatives of advancing understanding of how students from underrepresented groups learn science and are prepared to pursue STEM careers. The broad dissemination of the TechQuest Lessons through workshops and the project Web portal provide access to CI resources that enhance understanding of science concepts for adolescence far into the future. The project serves as a model for strong partnerships that supports integrated research and learning among multi-disciplinary groups of people and organizations.