Collaborative Research: Online Interactive Learning Platforms in STEM Education: A Study of Motivation and Engagement

学生在STEM课堂上的表现和留存率低往往被归因于缺乏参与度和动力。互动式在线学习环境具有吸引学生参与和激发学习动机的潜力，因此可能有助于提高学生在STEM的表现和留存率。本项目旨在检验课程平台中不同配置和设计元素的有效性，以实现交互式在线学习。这个名为OneUp Learning的平台之前是由项目团队成员开发的。这项研究将衡量该平台对计算机科学和数据科学课程学生的参与度和学习表现的影响。本课题的研究设计将以自我决定理论为指导，这一心理学理论为理解动机和行为变化提供了有效的心理学理论。该计划将致力于三个目标：1)就OneUp平台的不同元素在不同的学习环境中的应用进行一系列实证研究；2)通过添加新元素来扩展OneUp平台，以加强该平台的社会层面；以及3)开发教学材料，帮助教师使用OneUp平台为参与院校的其他课程开发互动模块。为了传播这些研究的结果，项目组将通过研讨会、众包和相关战略，征求社区的积极参与。该项目是两个机构之间的合作，其中一个是为少数群体服务的。拥有不同学生群体的机构之间的合作将使人们能够探索各种平台功能对不同人口群体的影响。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The low performance and retention of students in STEM classes are often attributed to lack of engagement and motivation. Interactive online learning environments have the potential to engage students and motivate learning, and thus may contribute to increased performance and retention of students in STEM. This project seeks to examine the efficacy of different configurations and design elements in a course platform for interactive, online learning. This platform, OneUp Learning, was previously developed by project team members. The research study will measure the effects of the platform on the engagement and academic performance of students in computer science and data science courses. It is expected that results of this research will lead to better design of online learning environments that support student motivation and contribute to improving undergraduate STEM education.The research design of this project will be guided by Self Determination Theory, a well-validated psychological theory for understanding motivation and behavior change. The project will pursue three objectives: 1) conduct a series of empirical studies on the application of different elements of the OneUp platform in different learning contexts; 2) extend the OneUp platform by adding new elements to strengthen the platform's social dimension; and 3) develop instructional materials to help faculty use the OneUp platform to develop interactive modules for other courses at the participating institutions. To disseminate the results of these studies, the project team will solicit active community participation, through workshops, crowdsourcing, and related strategies. The project is a collaboration between two institutions, one of which is minority-serving. The partnership between institutions with different student populations will enable exploration of the impact of various platform features on diverse demographic groups.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.