The Math You Need, When You Need It: Modular Student Resources to Promote Successful Integration of Quantitative Concepts in Introductory Economics Courses

当你需要时，你需要的数学：模块化的学生资源，以促进定量概念在经济学入门课程中的成功整合

• 批准号: 1245802
• 负责人: Scott Simkins
• 金额: $ 24.79万
• 依托单位: North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-09-01 至 2017-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1245802&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Math; Need; When; Modular; Student

This project addresses previously-identified widespread student difficulties within mathematics and related quantitative skills preventing successful completion of introductory economics courses by large numbers of students. The approach taken is adaptation for economics of proven web-based student quantitative skills tutorials and assessment framework developed for the Geosciences: The Math You Need (TMYN), When You Need It, developed by Wenner, Baer, & Burn in a succession of three NSF (DUE) awards. Deployment of this framework has led to improved student learning in a variety of instructional settings. Intellectual merit: The importance of learning in context is particularly applicable to students in introductory economics courses, where research has shown that many students are not able to transfer previously-studied general mathematics concepts to their application in economics. The focus is on ten core math concepts highlighted in the economics education literature as frequent obstacles to student learning. For each of these concepts, an online TMYN-Economics module is being developed using the research-based TMYN design that has succeeded in the Geosciences. Each module includes: (1) a Foundation page for students that includes information on the mathematics concept and why and how it is used in the discipline; (2) a Sample Problems page that gives students the opportunity to practice the math concept in the context of economics before taking an embedded online quiz to assess their learning; and (3) an Instructor Page that explains why that module's mathematics concept is difficult for students to apply in the discipline and provides additional resources for teaching the module's mathematics concept in context. Broader impact: After initial testing at twelve varied institutions (including an HBCU and six community colleges), ten learning modules will be available through Starting Point: Teaching and Learning Economics, co-located with sixteen pedagogical modules already developed and used extensively by economics instructors. Adoption at community colleges is an important focus of this project. This will be promoted through resources developed by adapting Effective Outreach and Workshop Practices to Improve Community College Economics Instruction. Recommendations from twelve field-testers and the advisory board will be used to improve TMYN-Economics modules before they are publicly disseminated. The embedded online module quizzes will generate a new, large dataset on student learning based on students' module quiz performance. These data will facilitate further investigation of student learning of math skills in economic contexts. An international leader on improvement of student learning through innovation and knowledge sharing has agreed to provide external review of these assessments and overall project impact. Both the assessment data and the modules will become a permanent resource at the Science Education Resource Center (SERC) within the Starting Point: Teaching and Learning Economics web site, with ongoing maintenance and oversight by SERC staff.

该项目解决了先前确定的数学和相关定量技能中的广泛学生困难，以阻止大量学生成功完成入门经济学课程。采用的方法是针对基于网络的学生定量技能教程和为地球科学开发的评估框架的经济学改编：当您需要时，您需要的数学（TMYN）是由Wenner，Baer开发的，由Wenner，Baer和Burn burn and Burn and Burn＆burn and Burn又有三个NSF（届时）奖项。该框架的部署导致在各种教学环境中的学生学习改善。智力优点：在上下文中学习的重要性尤其适用于入门经济学课程中的学生，其中研究表明，许多学生无法将以前研究过的一般数学概念转移到其在经济学中的应用。 重点是经济学教育文献中强调的十个核心数学概念是学生学习的频繁障碍。 对于这些概念中的每一个，都使用基于研究的TMYN设计开发了在线TMYN-经济学模块，该设计在地球科学中取得了成功。 每个模块都包含：（1）学生的基础页面，其中包括有关数学概念的信息，以及在学科中的使用以及如何使用； （2）一个示例问题页面，该页面使学生有机会在经济学的背景下练习数学概念，然后才进行嵌入式在线测验以评估他们的学习； （3）讲师页面，该页面解释了为什么该模块的数学概念很难在学科中应用，并为在上下文中教授模块的数学概念提供了其他资源。 更广泛的影响：在十二个不同机构（包括HBCU和六所社区学院）进行初步测试之后，将通过开发点获得十个学习模块：教学经济学，与已经由经济学教练共同开发和广泛使用的16个教学模块共同铺设。 社区大学的收养是该项目的重要重点。 通过调整有效的外展和研讨会实践来改善社区大学经济学教学，将通过改编资源来促进这一点。 12个现场测试和咨询委员会的建议将用于在公开传播之前改善TMYN经济学模块。嵌入式在线模块测验将根据学生的模块测验性能生成有关学生学习的新的大型数据集。这些数据将有助于进一步研究学生对经济背景数学技能的学习。通过创新和知识共享改善学生学习的国际领导者同意对这些评估和整体项目影响提供外部审查。 评估数据和模块都将成为科学教育资源中心（SERC）的永久资源：教学经济学网站，并在SERC员工的持续维护和监督下。