Collaborative Research: Beyond Active Learning: Learning Assistant (LA) Supported Pedagogies in Large Lecture Science Courses

科罗拉多大学丹佛分校、北达科他州立大学法戈分校和佛罗里达国际大学获得了美国国家科学基金会改善本科STEM教育：教育和人力资源设计与开发层奖，以观察、表征和解释三所大学在学习助理（LA）支持和非LA支持的科学课程的大样本中采用的主动学习方法。该研究将调查在为期四年的项目中，每年超过10,600名生物学学生、8,800名化学学生和7,600名物理学生的积极学习方法和本科生LA支持如何有助于学习收益、成就、保留和坚持。该项目将为主动学习提供关键证据，因为它1)在三所大型公立大学的三个STEM学科（化学，生物和物理）中检查大量学生和教师，2)深入了解主动学习和LA支持如何促进学生成功，3)通过各种措施检查学生的成功，4)提供对STEM中代表性不足/少数民族（URM）学生学习的关键见解。5)直接通知国际学习助理联盟，该联盟目前由55所大学组成。本研究项目是基于强有力的证据，即在本科科学课程中实施主动学习方法可以提高学生的成绩，包括毕业时的保留和坚持。它也基于证据表明，LAs可以支持在大型讲座科学课程中使用主动学习方法。在研究主动学习方法和学习助理支持在本科科学课程中的相互作用时，PI团队将寻求以下四个研究问题的答案：本科科学课程中采用的活动是什么？如何用认知过程框架来理解这些活动呢？阿联如何参与支持这些活动？在有和没有洛杉矶学院支持的情况下，参与这些活动对学生水平的结果有何影响？观察数据将在课程和学生两个层面收集，使用现有的工具（例如，本科STEM课堂观察协议）和新的学生调查工具，探索学生对教学有效性的看法。此外，学生的学习成果数据亦会使用既定的概念清单（例如警队概念清单）收集。这项工作的结果将有助于我们了解STEM课堂中学生的学习和互动，以及将学生留在STEM学科的有效策略。

The University of Colorado at Denver, North Dakota State University Fargo, and Florida International University have received an NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education and Human Resources Design and Development tier award to observe, characterize, and interpret the active learning methods employed in a large sample of Learning Assistant (LA) supported and non-LA supported science courses at the three universities. The research will investigate how active learning methods and undergraduate LA support contribute to the learning gains, achievement, retention, and persistence of over 10,600 Biology students, 8,800 Chemistry students, and 7,600 Physics students during each year of the four-year project. The Project will provide critical evidence on active learning as it 1) examines a large number of students and faculty in three STEM disciplines (Chemistry, Biology, and Physics) at three large public universities, 2) provides deep understanding of how active learning and LA support promotes student success, 3) examines student success through a variety of measures, 4) provides critical insight into the learning of underrepresented/minority (URM) students in STEM, and 5) directly informs the large International Learning Assistant Alliance, which currently consists of fifty-five (55) universities.This research project is based on the strong evidence that the implementation of active learning methods in undergraduate science courses can lead to increased student outcomes, including retention and persistence to graduation. It is based also on the evidence that LAs can support the use of active learning methods in the large lecture science courses. While examining the interaction of active learning methods and Learning Assistant support in undergraduate science courses, the PI team will seek answers to the following four research questions: What are the activities employed in undergraduate science courses? How can these activities be understood in terms of a cognitive process framework? How are LAs involved in supporting these activities? How does engaging in these activities with and without LA support contribute to student level outcomes? Observational data will be collected at both the course and student levels, using both extant instruments (e.g. the Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM) and new student survey instruments that probe student perceptions of instructional effectiveness. In addition student learning outcome data will be gathered using established concept inventories (e.g. the Force Concept Inventory). The results of this work will contribute to our knowledge on student learning and interaction in STEM classrooms and on effective strategies to retain students in STEM disciplines.