Meaningful Math: News Media for Increasing Adult Statistical Literacy

作为促进非正式环境中学习的整体战略的一部分，推进非正式STEM学习（AISL）计划资助创新研究、方法和资源，用于各种环境。熟悉统计和数据素养在现代生活的许多领域都很重要，但关于成年人如何在正规学校教育之外继续建立数学素养的研究很少。大众媒体科学新闻故事包含大量数据，假设成年人会理解内容。这个为期4年的项目将首先绘制美国成年人统计素养的图景，特别是当它与新闻消费有关时。第二阶段将通过纵向研究，在第一阶段成果的基础上再接再厉。在第三阶段，该项目将开发一系列实验，以操纵嵌入STEM新闻故事中的数学解释者，并与成年观众测试技术，目的是确定最能提高对基本数学原理及其对新闻故事的意义的信心和能力的属性和启示。除了研究之外，项目的组成部分还包括每年12个广播视频和社交媒体片段，这些片段将构成与观众进行测试的基础，为专业科学记者举办为期一天的研讨会，以及一份书面最佳做法指南，其中总结了主要调查结果和对从业人员的影响。 关键的研究问题是：数学能力和信心在不同的成年人群体中有何不同？STEM记者如何通过他们的报道技巧提高成年人的数学能力和信心？研究的第一阶段将是对新闻中的数学内容进行全面审查，包括对成人统计知识的基线研究。第二阶段将是一项纵向研究，招募新闻受众参加小组研究。第三阶段将根据第一阶段和第二阶段的调查结果对数字内容进行反复测试，并将使用焦点小组和在线测试。对外关系研究中心将进行外部评估，包括对专业记者专题讨论会的评估，该项目的广泛影响有两个方面：制作的科学录像将免费向包括农村地区在内的全国观众播放和提供;对科学记者的培训有可能产生多种，通过提高向读者传达有意义的统计数据的能力，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的评估支持影响审查标准。

As part of its overall strategy to enhance learning in informal environments, the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program funds innovative research, approaches and resources for use in a variety of settings.Familiarity with statistical and data literacy is important in many areas of modern life, but there is little research on how adults continue to build mathematical literacy beyond formal schooling. Mass media science news stories contain much data, assuming that adults will understand the content.This 4-year project will first map the landscape of adult statistical literacy in the US, particularly as it relates to news consumption. The second phase will build on results from the first phase through a longitudinal study. In the third phase, the project will develop a range of experiments to manipulate mathematical explainers embedded in STEM news stories and test techniques with adult audiences, with the goal of identifying the attributes and affordances that best improve confidence and competence in the underlying math principles and their meaning to news stories. in addition to the research, project components include 12 broadcast video and social media pieces each year that will form the basis for testing with audiences, a one-day symposium for professional science journalists, and a written best practice guide that summarizes key findings and implications for practitioners. Critical research questions are: How do mathematical competence and confidence differ among different segments of the adult population? How can STEM journalists improve adult mathematical competence and confidence through their reporting techniques? Phase 1 of the research will be a landscape review of mathematical content in the news including a baseline study of adult statistical literacy. Phase 2 will be a longitudinal study with news audiences recruited to participate in a panel study. Phase 3 will be iterative testing of the digital content based on the findings from Phases 1 and 2 and will use both focus groups and online testing. External evaluation will be conducted by TERC including an evaluation of the symposium for professional journalists.The broader impacts of this project are twofold: the science videos created will be broadcast and made available free to a national audience including those in rural areas; and the training of science journalists has the potential for multiple, long term impact by increasing their ability to communicate statistics meaningfully to their readers/viewers.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.