Preparing Future STEM Technicians by Using Assessment as a Teaching and Learning Tool in Course-based Research at Community Colleges

在社区学院基于课程的研究中使用评估作为教学工具来培养未来的 STEM 技术人员

• 批准号: 1836033
• 负责人: Jill Singer
• 金额: $ 72.73万
• 依托单位: SUNY College at Buffalo
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2018-09-01 至 2023-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1836033&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Preparing; Future; STEM; Technicians; Using

Community colleges play a vital role in meeting the national demand for qualified graduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In particular, community colleges are key in preparing students to enter the skilled technical workforce. In a growing number of community college STEM programs, students are gaining technical skills by conducting course-based research. There is a need for resources and tools that can measure the impact of course-based research experiences on student outcomes, and the ways in which this type of research conducting prepares students to enter the STEM technician workforce.This project will support community college students who conduct course-based research in technician education programs. The project aims to help students identify the knowledge and skills they gain through their research experience, to identify areas in which they need to improve, and to use this knowledge to their advantage as they enter the workforce. The project aligns with the goals of the ATE program in educating a skilled technical workforce, and leverages both the Community College Undergraduate Research Initiative and the technical resources available through the Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College. This project builds upon EvaluateUR, an evidence-based method developed at SUNY Buffalo State to measure a range of desirable outcomes of research participation. The EvaluateUR tool measures content knowledge, as well as outcomes that are critically important in the workplace, such as communication skills, creativity, autonomy, an ability to overcome obstacles, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. EvaluateUR also provides students with metacognition skills, as well as a strategy to identify how much academic progress they have made or still need to make. To date, EvaluateUR has focused on one-on-one student/faculty mentor relationships. This project will modify EvaluateUR to expand the number of students who can benefit from this assessment method. This expansion is designed to meet the needs of entire classrooms of students who conduct course-based research. The lessons learned during implementation of this project at community colleges may apply to course-based research conducted by undergraduates at other institutions, including four-year colleges and universities.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.

社区学院在满足国家对科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)合格毕业生的需求方面发挥着至关重要的作用。尤其是，社区大学是培养学生进入熟练技术大军的关键。在越来越多的社区大学STEM项目中，学生通过开展基于课程的研究来获得技术技能。需要资源和工具来衡量基于课程的研究经验对学生结果的影响，以及这种类型的研究活动是如何为学生进入STEM技术人员队伍做准备的。该项目将支持在技术人员教育项目中进行基于课程的研究的社区大学生。该项目旨在帮助学生确定他们通过研究经验获得的知识和技能，确定他们需要改进的领域，并在他们进入劳动力大军时利用这些知识。该项目与ATE计划培养熟练技术劳动力的目标保持一致，并利用社区大学本科生研究计划和卡尔顿学院科学教育资源中心提供的技术资源。该项目建立在纽约州立大学布法罗州立大学开发的循证方法EvaluateUR的基础上，以衡量参与研究的一系列理想结果。EvalateUR工具衡量内容知识，以及在工作场所至关重要的结果，如沟通技能、创造力、自主性、克服障碍的能力、批判性思维和解决问题的技能。EvalateUR还为学生提供元认知技能，以及确定他们已经或仍然需要取得多少学术进步的策略。到目前为止，EvalateUR一直专注于一对一的学生/教师导师关系。本项目将修改EvaluateUR，以扩大可以从这种评估方法中受益的学生数量。这一扩展旨在满足进行以课程为基础的研究的学生的整个教室的需求。在社区学院实施这一项目期间所学到的经验教训可能适用于其他机构的本科生进行的基于课程的研究，包括四年制学院和大学。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。