Collaborative Research: Expanding and Evaluating an Ecological, Networked Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience

合作研究：扩展和评估基于生态、网络课程的本科生研究经验

• 批准号: 2013320
• 负责人: Jennifer Duggan
• 金额: $ 14.95万
• 依托单位: University Corporation at Monterey Bay
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-08-01 至 2024-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2013320&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Expanding; Evaluating; Ecological

This project aims to serve the national interest by evaluating evidence-based practices for engaging students in authentic ecological research across the undergraduate curriculum. Research opportunities enable students to engage in the scientific process, as well as help them to develop workforce readiness and to evaluate potential careers. By embedding research within instruction, Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) provide research opportunities to large numbers of students. This project will evaluate a set of community-based CURE modules intended to help students build scientific skills throughout their undergraduate experience. The modules provide students with repeated opportunities to conduct authentic research on the behavioral ecology of squirrels. These animals are intrinsically interesting to many people and can be studied across a wide range of environments. These CURES are supported by a national network (Squirrel-Net) that provides tools and training for instructors who seek to increase CURE adoption. The Network also provides opportunities for students and faculty to communicate and collaborate across courses and institutions. This project seeks to enhance understanding of evidence-based approaches to STEM instruction and to improve the education of a diverse scientific workforce through broad implementation of the CURE modules.The project aims to assess the impacts of scaffolding CURE modules within curricula and supporting students and instructors through a network. The project goals are twofold: (1) disseminate and support a set of broadly transferable teaching modules and toolkits to allow instructors to easily embed field-based, behavioral ecology CUREs within courses; and (2) assess how networked CURE modules impact student gains in content knowledge, skills, and self-identification as a scientist across multiple and varied institutions. Participating instructors will be trained in the use of open-access teaching modules and supported through digital resources (e.g., instructional materials; an online database of student-collected data) and field equipment loans. By scaffolding modules among multiple courses at diverse institutions, this project will examine how specific features of CURE module implementation affect student outcomes across a variety of contexts and student demographics. Student outcomes will be evaluated with assessments derived from validated survey instruments focused on scientific skills, sense of belonging to a community, and self-identity as a scientist. Structural equation modeling will be used to evaluate the impacts of CURE participation on student content knowledge, analytical skills, and engagement following a theory of change framework. This project will guide the implementation and improvement of evidence-based practices in STEM teaching and learning by empirically testing whether repeated CUREs and belonging to a nationwide research network improves student outcomes. This project is supported by the NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education Program: Education and Human Resources, 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.

该项目旨在通过评估基于证据的实践来服务于国家利益，以吸引学生在整个本科课程中进行真正的生态研究。研究机会使学生能够参与科学过程，并帮助他们发展劳动力准备和评估潜在的职业。通过在教学中嵌入研究，基于课程的本科生研究经验（CUREs）为大量学生提供了研究机会。该项目将评估一套以社区为基础的CURE模块，旨在帮助学生在整个本科阶段培养科学技能。这些模块为学生提供了对松鼠行为生态学进行真实研究的反复机会。这些动物对许多人来说本质上是有趣的，可以在广泛的环境中进行研究。这些治愈方法由一个国家网络（Squirrel-Net）支持，该网络为寻求提高治愈方法采用率的教师提供工具和培训。该网络还为学生和教师提供了跨课程和跨机构交流和合作的机会。该项目旨在加强对基于证据的STEM教学方法的理解，并通过广泛实施CURE模块来改善对多样化科学劳动力的教育。该项目旨在评估脚手架式CURE模块在课程中的影响，并通过网络支持学生和教师。该项目的目标有两个：(1)传播和支持一套广泛可转移的教学模块和工具包，使教师能够轻松地在课程中嵌入基于现场的行为生态学疗法；(2)评估网络化的CURE模块如何影响学生在内容知识、技能和作为多个不同机构的科学家的自我认同方面的收获。参与的教员将接受使用开放获取教学模块的培训，并通过数字资源（例如教学材料；学生收集数据的在线数据库）和实地设备贷款获得支持。通过在不同机构的多个课程中搭建模块，该项目将研究CURE模块实施的具体特征如何影响各种背景和学生人口统计数据中的学生成绩。学生的成绩将通过有效的调查工具来评估，重点是科学技能、对社区的归属感和作为科学家的自我认同。结构方程模型将用于评估CURE参与对学生内容知识，分析技能和参与的影响，遵循变革理论框架。该项目将通过实证测试重复治疗和隶属于全国研究网络是否能改善学生的成绩，指导STEM教学和学习中循证实践的实施和改进。本项目由美国国家科学基金会改善本科STEM教育计划：教育与人力资源项目支持，该项目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。

项目成果

How Many Squirrels Are in the Shrubs? A Lesson Plan for Comparing Methods for Population Estimation

灌木丛中有多少只松鼠？

• DOI: 10.24918/cs.2020.6
• 发表时间: 2020
• 期刊: CourseSource
• 作者: Varner, Johanna;Lanier, Hayley C.;Duggan, Jennifer M.;Dizney, Laurie;Flaherty, Elizabeth A.;Connors, Patrice K.;Erb, Liesl P.;Yahnke, Christopher J.;Hanson, John D.
• 通讯作者: Hanson, John D.

Connected While Distant: Networking CUREs Across Classrooms to Create Community and Empower Students

• DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab146
• 发表时间: 2021-06-30
• 期刊: INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
• 影响因子: 2.6
• 作者: Connors, Patrice K.;Lanier, Hayley C.;Hanson, John D.
• 通讯作者: Hanson, John D.

Integrating evidence-based teaching practices into the Mammalogy classroom

• DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyad011
• 发表时间: 2023-02-26
• 期刊: JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY
• 影响因子: 1.7
• 作者: Patrick, Lorelei E.;Duggan, Jennifer M.;Dizney, Laurie
• 通讯作者: Dizney, Laurie

Squirreling from Afar: Adapting Squirrel-Net Modules for Remote Teaching and Learning

远方的松鼠：采用松鼠网模块进行远程教学

• DOI: 10.24918/cs.2021.2
• 发表时间: 2021
• 期刊: CourseSource
• 作者: Dizney, Laurie;Varner, Johanna;Duggan, Jennifer M.;Lanier, Hayley C.;Connors, Patrice K.;Erb, Liesl P.;Flaherty, Elizabeth A.;Yahnke, Christopher J.;Hanson, John D.
• 通讯作者: Hanson, John D.

Squirrels in Space: Using Radio Telemetry to Explore the Space Use and Movement of Sciurid Rodents

太空中的松鼠：利用无线电遥测技术探索松鼠类啮齿动物的空间利用和运动

• DOI: 10.24918/cs.2020.25
• 发表时间: 2020
• 期刊: CourseSource
• 作者: Duggan, Jennifer M.;Varner, Johanna;Lanier, Hayley C.;Flaherty, Elizabeth A.;Dizney, Laurie;Yahnke, Christopher J.;Connors, Patrice K.;Erb, Liesl P.;Hanson, John D.
• 通讯作者: Hanson, John D.