Using Targeted Constructivist Instructional Modules to Increase Undergraduate Students' Confidence, Knowledge, and Skills in Mathematics

在改善本科STEM教育：西班牙裔服务机构（HSI）计划的支持下，这个第二轨项目将开发建构主义教学模块，帮助学生通过跨学科、开放式的数学问题学习数学。运用建构主义方法进行数学教学不仅可以帮助学生学习数学概念和技能，还可以获得做数学的信心。通过提高学生在数学方面的成绩，该项目旨在增加参加STEM学位课程的学生人数。开放获取学院的许多学生需要支持来发展在STEM项目中取得进展所需的数学知识和技能。该项目旨在确定在大学数学课程和工作中取得成功所需的关键数学概念和技能。该项目将开发独立的教学模块，通过学生对数学的积极参与来教授数学主题。由于每个教学模块都是完整和独立的，这些模块有可能在各种教学环境中补充较低水平的数学课程。该项目旨在增加已宣布的STEM预科专业的学生继续修读有学分的STEM课程的人数。该项目将完成一项设计建构主义教学模块的试点测试，这些模块既能发展数学概念，又能加强在后续数学课程中取得成功所需的应用技能。这些模块将包括开放式的问题和活动，要求学生证明并提出解决方案，这也是潜在雇主所希望的技能。该项目将评估建构主义教学模块和相关支持活动对学生学习成果和课程完成的影响。该项目还将调查模块和支持活动对学生在新情况下应用数学知识的能力的影响。该项目旨在开发可与其他寻求加强学生学习和完成较低水平数学课程的机构共享的材料。HSI计划旨在加强HSI的本科STEM教育和能力建设。HSI计划支持的项目也将产生关于如何实现这些目标的新知识。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program, this Track 2 project will develop constructivist instructional modules that help students learn mathematics through interdisciplinary, open-ended mathematical problems. Teaching mathematics via a constructivist approach may not only help students learn mathematical concepts and skills, but also gain confidence in doing mathematics. By increasing student success in mathematics, this project seeks to increase the number of students enrolling in STEM degree programs. Many students in open-access colleges need support to develop the mathematics knowledge and skills needed to progress in a STEM program. This project seeks to identify the key mathematical concepts and skills needed for success in both college mathematics courses and in the workforce. The project will develop stand-alone instructional modules that teach mathematical topics through active student engagement in mathematics. Since each instructional module will be complete and independent, the modules have the potential to complement lower-level mathematics courses in a variety of instructional settings.The project seeks to increase the number of declared pre-STEM majors persisting into credit-bearing STEM courses. The project will complete a pilot test to design constructivist instructional modules that both develop mathematical concepts and reinforce application skills needed for success in subsequent mathematics courses. The modules will include open-ended problems and activities that require students to justify and present solutions, which are also skills desired by potential employers. The project will assess the impact of the constructivist instructional modules and associated support activities on student learning outcomes and course completions. The project will also investigate the impact of the modules and support activities on the ability for students to apply mathematical knowledge in new situations. The project seeks to develop materials that could be shared with other institutions seeking to enhance student learning and completion of lower-level mathematics courses. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education and build capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also generate new knowledge on how to achieve these aims.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.