Achieving Scale for STEM Reform: Studying and Enhancing Undergraduate STEM Networks

在过去的20年里，已经开发了大量的教学材料和教学实践改进清单，其主要目标是提高学生在STEM学科的学习和成功。 虽然库存量很大，种类繁多，涵盖了STEM内的所有学科，但有证据表明，它没有得到充分利用。 国家仍在努力实现大规模的STEM教育改革。 目前的校外支持模式，强调赠款给教师往往是无效的，在获得改进的材料和实践到STEM教师广泛使用。 然而，联网工作在传播STEM高等教育的创新实践方面变得更加有效。该项目正在调查网络的设计如何影响其在推广使用有效教学实践和材料方面的有效性。这个项目是从这样一个事实开始的，即除了网络在促进变革方面的作用之外，人们对网络知之甚少。它正在研究三个组织内的四个本科生STEM改革网络，这些网络有不同的设计，但有一个共同的目的（本科生STEM改革）。 该项目的目标是了解如何最有效地设计网络，以在网络成员之间传播创新，并最终在他们工作的校园。关于本科STEM教育网络的三个研究问题正在研究中：1。网络成员和网络领导者如何理解或相信网络设计会影响实现网络目标的能力？2.参与网络对个人网络成员及其校园的变化有什么好处？3.网络是如何形成的，又是如何以帮助它们实现目标的方式维持的？正在研究的四个网络是：BioQUEST，项目万花筒（PKAL），科学教育通过新的公民参与和责任（SENCER），和过程导向的引导探究学习（POGIL）。 用于框架研究的文献来自社会网络分析和实践社区。 一个混合方法的研究是用来解决这些研究问题，使用网络参与者的调查和网络领导人的访谈。 使用调查方法询问参与者网络对其行为的影响是一种常用的方法，已被证明对于理解个人采用新实践和社交网络的影响非常准确和有效（埃弗雷特罗杰斯，创新的扩散，自由出版社，2003年）。 通过对125位网络领导者的访谈，对网络的形成和维持进行了定性研究。同样的方法也被用于实践社区，是理解这些问题的既定方法。智力优势：该项目预计将为本科生STEM改革者提供有用的信息。 显然，需要新的战略来传播现代有效的教学做法，实现更广泛的变革。网络已成为广泛推广创新做法的重要途径之一。 NSF越来越多地为网络提供资金，但却不了解网络开发的最佳实践或有助于实现预期目标的网络设计研究。此外，这项研究预计将提供所需的信息创建或非有机网络及其能力，以促进创新和变革。更广泛的影响：该项目通过多种方式对STEM本科教育改革产生更广泛的影响，包括将使用报告指南的现有网络和组织之间的伙伴关系，以及对社交网络如何设计以实现有效性和包容性的具体研究。

Over the last 20 years, a substantial inventory of improvements in instructional materials and teaching practices has been developed with the primary goal of improving student learning and success in STEM disciplines. Although the inventory is large and varied and covers all disciplines within STEM, evidence suggests that it is underutilized. The nation is still striving to achieve STEM education reform at high scale. Current patterns of extramural support that stress grants to faculty members are often not effective in getting the improved materials and practices into broad use by STEM instructors. However, networking efforts have emerged as more effective in spreading innovative practices in STEM higher education. This project is investigating how the design of networks influences their effectiveness in spreading the use of effective teaching practices and materials. This project is beginning with the fact that very little is known about networks beyond their role in facilitating change. It is studying four undergraduate STEM reform networks within three organizations that have different designs but a common purpose (undergraduate STEM reform). The project goal is to understand how the networks can be most effectively designed to spread innovations among network members and ultimately on the campuses where they are employed. Three research questions are being examined about undergraduate STEM education networks: 1. How do network members and network leaders understand or believe that network design affects the ability to achieve network goals? 2. What are the perceived benefits of participation in a network related to change for the individual network members and their campus? 3. How do networks form and how are they sustained in ways that help them achieve their goals? The four networks being studied are: BioQUEST, Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL), Science Education through New Civic Engagement and Responsibilities (SENCER), and Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL). The literature used to frame the study is drawn from social network analysis and communities of practice. A mixed-methods study is being used to address these research questions using surveys of network participants and interviews with network leaders. The use of survey methodology to ask participants about network influences on their behavior is a frequently used approach that has proven to be extremely accurate and valid for understanding adoption of new practices by individuals and the impact of social networks (Everett Rogers, Diffusion of innovations, Free Press, 2003). The formation and sustaining of the networks will be studied through qualitative methods based on interviews of 125 network leaders. This same approach has been used with communities of practice and is the established approach for understanding these issues.Intellectual Merit: This project is expected to provide useful information to undergraduate STEM reformers. It is evident that new strategies are needed to disseminate modern effective instructional practices and achieve more widespread change. Networks have emerged as one of the critical ways to achieve a broad spread of innovative practices. NSF is increasingly funding networks but without knowledge about best practices for network development or research about network design that can help achieve desired goals. Also, this study is expected to provide needed information about created or nonorganic networks and their ability to foster innovation and change. It will provide missing data about structuring networks to best support meeting their objectives and goals.Broader Impacts: This project provides broader impacts to STEM undergraduate education reform in numerous ways, including partnerships among current networks and organizations that will use the report's guide and specific study of ways that social networks can be designed for both effectiveness and inclusiveness.