Wild Discoveries, Zooming into the Scientific Method

疯狂的发现，深入科学方法

• 批准号: 1503322
• 负责人: Chris Mortensen
• 金额: $ 19.91万
• 依托单位: University of Florida
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-09-01 至 2018-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1503322&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Wild; Discoveries; Zooming; into; Scientific

There is a critical need to develop and deliver research experiences to a greater number of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) interested undergraduates earlier in their collegiate careers. At the same time, there is a need to identify pedagogical approaches that are most efficacious at fostering learning in STEM focused courses. This project will focus on both of these entwined needs through the design, development, and implementation of an entry level research course, as well as the assessment of three different instructional approaches. The University of Florida in partnership with Santa Fe College (both located in Gainesville, Florida) will develop a new research methodology course that will provide first- and second-year college students from both schools the opportunity to participate in authentic scientific investigations. While implementing this course, the project will do research to determine the optimal course delivery platform for stimulating student learning and satisfaction. The three pedagogical approaches to be examined are: traditional lecture, online-only, and an emerging pedagogy known as the flipped classroom. Throughout the course, students will attend talks (through one of these three approaches) and then apply what they have learned by studying animal behavior of both domestic animals housed at the University of Florida, and exotic animals housed at the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo. A web-based animal observation platform to facilitate the students' ability to record behavioral data will be launched. Significant effort will be made to recruit underrepresented (minorities, women, low-income and first-generation) students to partake in the course through existing institutional programs. Thus, the examination of three pedagogical approaches, the engagement of first and second year STEM undergraduates in scientific research, and the development of a research methodology course will contribute to the overarching goal of improving undergraduate teaching and learning as stated in the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) program,This project is founded in constructivist and experiential learning ideals centered on the creation and delivery of a one-semester research education course. It will expose students to the basic tenants of research requiring them to develop, test, analyze and report on self-derived research hypotheses. To facilitate students' ability to collect data, learners will be randomly assigned to observe and record animal behaviors in person, or over an interactive web site where students can remotely control cameras. A comparison of the two data collection methods will occur in order to examine their facility to engage a large cohort of students in active research and for the students' ability to identify behaviors accurately. Evaluation criteria will include student learning outcomes, ability to think critically, ability to comprehend and apply the basic tenants of research, and perceptions of science based on classroom and research experience platforms. The educational research agenda will include the random assignment of students to the different instructional delivery approaches over the six semesters, use of mixed model ANOVA using SAS MIXED procedure with a post hoc Tukey's HSD, and other data analytics. The project will conduct a rigorous formative and summative evaluation to assess the total impact these efforts have on gains in students that participate in the Wild Discoveries course, as either remaining in, or declaring a STEM major after participating in this experience, as well as its potential to support instructional change in many STEM-focused courses. Ultimately, in addition to the local benefits in terms of recruitment and persistence in the sciences to the approximately 540 students who will be enrolled in the Wild Discoveries course during the initial launch, future students will benefit as well. Moreover, the learning materials and web-based platform developed with this course will be transferable to other collegiate and K-12 programs throughout the nation.

有一个迫切需要开发和提供研究经验，以更多的科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）感兴趣的本科生早在他们的大学生涯。 与此同时，有必要确定在促进以STEM为重点的课程学习方面最有效的教学方法。 该项目将通过设计，开发和实施入门级研究课程以及评估三种不同的教学方法来关注这两种需求。 佛罗里达大学与圣达菲学院（都位于盖恩斯维尔，佛罗里达）合作，将开发一个新的研究方法课程，将提供第一和第二年的大学生从两所学校的机会，参加真实的科学调查。在实施本课程的同时，该项目将进行研究，以确定最佳的课程交付平台，以刺激学生的学习和满意度。三种教学方法将被检查：传统的讲座，网上只，和一个新兴的教学法称为翻转课堂。在整个课程中，学生将参加会谈（通过这三种方法之一），然后通过研究佛罗里达大学饲养的家畜和圣达菲学院教学动物园饲养的外来动物的动物行为来应用他们所学到的知识。我们将推出一个基于网络的动物观察平台，以帮助学生记录行为数据。将作出重大努力，通过现有的机构方案招募代表性不足的学生（少数民族、妇女、低收入和第一代）参加课程。因此，三种教学方法的检查，一年级和二年级STEM本科生参与科学研究，以及研究方法论课程的开发将有助于改善本科教学和学习的总体目标，如改善本科STEM教育（IUSE）计划所述，该项目是建立在建构主义和体验式学习的理想为中心的创建和一个学期的研究教育课程交付。 它将使学生接触研究的基本租户，要求他们开发，测试，分析和报告自我衍生的研究假设。 为了提高学生收集数据的能力，学习者将被随机分配亲自观察和记录动物行为，或通过互动网站，学生可以远程控制摄像机。 两种数据收集方法的比较将发生，以检查他们的设施，从事大量的学生积极的研究和学生的能力，以准确地识别行为。 评估标准将包括学生的学习成果，批判性思维的能力，理解和应用研究的基本租户的能力，以及基于课堂和研究经验平台的科学认知。 教育研究议程将包括在六个学期内将学生随机分配到不同的教学方法，使用SAS MIXED程序与事后Tukey的HSD以及其他数据分析的混合模型ANOVA。 该项目将进行严格的形成性和总结性评估，以评估这些努力对参加野生发现课程的学生的收益的总体影响，无论是留在还是在参加此体验后宣布STEM专业，以及其支持许多以STEM为重点的课程教学变革的潜力。 最终，除了在招聘和坚持科学方面的当地利益，约540名学生将在最初启动期间参加野生发现课程，未来的学生也将受益。 此外，与本课程开发的学习材料和基于网络的平台将转移到全国各地的其他大学和K-12课程。