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

学生在STEM课程中的低表现和保留率通常归因于缺乏参与和动机。 交互式在线学习环境有可能吸引学生并激励学习，从而有助于提高学生在STEM中的表现和保留率。 本项目旨在研究不同的配置和设计元素在交互式在线学习课程平台的有效性。这个平台OneUp Learning以前由项目团队成员开发。 该研究将衡量该平台对学生参与计算机科学和数据科学课程的参与度和学业成绩的影响。 预计本研究的结果将导致更好的在线学习环境的设计，支持学生的动机，并有助于改善本科STEM教育。本项目的研究设计将以自我决定理论为指导，这是一种经过充分验证的心理学理论，用于理解动机和行为变化。该计划有三个目的：1）就OneUp平台的不同元素在不同学习环境中的应用进行一系列实证研究; 2）扩展OneUp平台，加入新元素，以加强平台的社会层面;以及3）编制教材，协助参与院校的教师使用OneUp平台为其他课程开发互动单元。为了传播这些研究的结果，项目小组将通过讲习班、众包和相关战略，争取社区积极参与。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机构。与不同学生群体的机构之间的伙伴关系将使不同的平台功能对不同的人口群体的影响的探索。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

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.