Collaborative Research: Exploring the Impact of Robotic Telescope-Based Observing Experiences on Students' Learning and Engagement in STEM

在STEM课堂上使用科学仪器进行发现和解决问题，使本科生能够体验专业科学家的实际工作方式。这样的经历增加了学生对科学的参与、学习和兴奋。在许多学科中，教师重新设计了课程，以融入真实的研究经验。例如，十多年前，北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校（University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill）在天文学入门课程中引入了机器人（遥控）望远镜的天网网络。天网允许学生使用真正的望远镜来做他们在课堂上学习的科学。五年来，基于天网的实验室课程（我们在太空中的位置！）使天文学课程的入学人数增加了一倍，天文学专业和辅修专业的人数增加了大约三倍。此后，该课程被其他十几所学院和大学采用。之前的一项NSF奖（DUE-1245383）资助了一项针对10个采用天网的机构的研究，结果表明，基于天网的实验室在统计上显著改善了学生对科学的态度。就背景而言，传统的望远镜实验室和非望远镜实验室，以及已知能产生学习收益的课堂活动，对学生的态度没有类似的影响。本项目将在第一项研究的基础上进行后续工作，进行一项涉及35所院校约19 000名学生的大规模案例研究。本研究将测量学生在传统和基于skynet的天文学入门课程中对科学的态度、对自己能力的信心、概念理解和职业意向的变化。这项研究将包括进一步开发和评估特定于天文学的学生成绩指标。为了支持这项研究，研究人员还将提供专业发展，帮助来自参与机构的大约40名天文学讲师学习如何将基于天网的活动纳入他们的课程，并将更新课程及其支持技术。虽然已经有许多关于机器人望远镜网络在不同层次教育中的积极影响的报道，但这些研究在严谨性和普遍性方面受到限制。该项目旨在可靠地评估一种常见的说法，即使用研究级机器人望远镜可以改善学生的STEM态度和自我效能，并改变他们的职业抱负。研究人员还将解决与课程设计和技术相关的关键问题，例如：使用研究级机器人望远镜网络的效果与使用更小、更本地化的望远镜体验的效果有何不同？学生对数据的所有权会影响学生的学习成绩吗？用档案资料学习和用学生自己收集的资料学习有什么不同？到项目的第三年，项目的课程开发和技术开发方面预计每年将影响约5000名入门级学生，主要是非stem专业的学生。调查人员还将扩大课程的覆盖范围，提高对残疾学生的可及性，并使其免费提供给公众。该合作项目包括北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校（Award DUE-2013300）和联合大学公司（Award DUE-2013295）的研究人员。该项目由改善本科STEM教育（IUSE: EHR）计划资助，该计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。通过参与学生学习轨道，该计划支持有前途的实践和工具的创建，探索和实施。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。

Using scientific instruments to make discoveries and solve problems in STEM classrooms enables undergraduates to experience how professional scientists actually work. Such experiences increase students’ engagement, learning, and excitement about science. In many disciplines, instructors have redesigned courses to embed authentic research experiences. For example, more that a decade ago, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill introduced the Skynet network of robotic (remote-controlled) telescopes into introductory astronomy courses. Skynet allowed the students to use real telescopes to do the science they were learning in class. Over five years, the Skynet-based laboratory curriculum (Our Place in Space!) resulted in a doubling of enrollment in the astronomy course and an approximately three-fold increase in astronomy majors and minors. The curriculum has since been adopted by a dozen other colleges and universities. A previous NSF award (DUE-1245383) funded a study across ten of those adopting institutions, and showed that the Skynet-based labs led to a statistically significant improvement in students' attitudes toward science. For context, traditional telescope labs and non-telescope labs, as well as in-class activities known to yield learning gains, did not have a similar effect on student attitudes. This project will follow up on that first study by conducting a large-scale case study that involves approximately 19,000 students at 35 institutions. This research will measure changes in students' attitudes toward science, confidence in their abilities, conceptual understanding, and career intentions in both traditional and Skynet-based introductory astronomy courses. The research will include further development and assessment of student-outcome metrics that are specific to astronomy. To support this research, the investigators will also provide professional development to help approximately 40 astronomy instructors from the participating institutions learn how to incorporate Skynet-based activities into their courses and will update the curriculum and its supporting technologies.Although there have been multiple reports of positive impacts of robotic telescope networks in education at different levels, the studies have been limited in rigor and generalizability. This project aims to assess reliably the common claim that the use of research-grade robotic telescopes leads to improvements in students' STEM attitudes and self-efficacy and changes in their career aspirations. The investigators will also address key questions connected with the design of the curriculum and the technology, such as: How is the effect of using research-grade robotic telescope networks different from that of smaller, more local, telescope experiences? Does student ownership of data affect student outcomes? How does learning with archival data compare to learning with data that students collect themselves? By the third year of the project, the curriculum-development and technology-development aspects of the project are expected to impact around 5,000 introductory-level students per year, primarily non-STEM majors. The investigators will also expand the reach of the curriculum by enhancing its accessibility to students with disabilities and making it available to public audiences without cost. This collaborative project includes investigators at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Award DUE-2013300) and Associated Universities, Inc. (Award DUE-2013295). The project is funded by the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE: EHR) program, which supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.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.