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NSF改善本科生STEM教育：教育和人力资源设计与开发TERE奖，以观察、描述和解释这三所大学由学习助理(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。这项研究将调查积极的学习方法和本科生LA支持如何在四年项目的每一年中对超过10,600名生物学学生、8,800名化学学生和7,600名物理学生的学习成果、成就、保持和坚持性做出贡献。该项目将提供关于主动学习的关键证据，因为它1)检查了三所大型公立大学三个STEM学科(化学、生物和物理)的大量学生和教职员工，2)深入了解了主动学习和LA支持如何促进学生成功，3)通过各种措施检查学生成功，4)提供对STEM中代表不足/少数(URM)学生的学习的关键洞察，以及5)直接向大型国际学习助理联盟提供信息，目前由55所大学组成。这项研究项目基于强有力的证据，即在本科理科课程中实施主动学习方法可以提高学生的成绩，包括保持和坚持到毕业。它还基于LAS可以支持在大型科学讲座课程中使用主动学习方法的证据。在研究主动学习方法和学习辅助支持在本科理科课程中的相互作用的同时，PI团队将寻求以下四个研究问题的答案：本科理科课程中使用的活动是什么？如何从认知过程框架的角度来理解这些活动？LAS如何参与支持这些活动？在有和没有LA支持的情况下参与这些活动对学生水平的结果有何贡献？观察数据将在课程和学生层面上收集，使用现有的工具(例如本科生STEM的课堂观察协议)和新的学生调查工具来调查学生对教学有效性的看法。此外，将使用已建立的概念清单(如警队概念清单)收集学生学习成果数据。这项工作的结果将有助于我们了解学生在STEM课堂上的学习和互动，以及留住STEM学科学生的有效策略。

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.