RCN-UBE INCUBATOR STEM BUILD: A network of undergraduates, faculty, and makers utilizing 3D printing to Build Understanding through Inclusive Learning Design

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Scientific discovery is a team effort that benefits from the intellectual input of individuals with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences. Lack of diversity in STEM fields in the US represents a loss of talent and slows the progress of science. To increase the diversity of the STEM workforce in the US, it is necessary to develop new ways of teaching complex concepts that are engaging and effective for all learners. This RCN-UBE network will provide training and resources to educators to help them create interactive 3D-printed cellular and molecular puzzles for use in college biology classrooms. These 3D models are designed to be accessible to all students, including those with disabilities, making it possible for blind or visually impaired students to learn about cellular and molecular processes along with their seeing classmates. Because they are designed to be broadly accessible, published studies have shown that these models increase understanding of difficult biological concepts for all students.The researchers will recruit three geographically-based teams of faculty, 3D printing experts (“makers”), and undergraduate research assistants to attend a training summit at NC State University. Each team will be composed of members from three different institutions and will collaborate to create a Tactile Teaching Tool-Guided Inquiry Learning (TTT-GIL) activity that will be implemented at all three institutions in the team. During the summit, teams will receive training in 3D design and printing, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL), and assessment. Upon returning to home institutions, teams will continue prototyping and refining their models, with faculty designing the activity and assessment, and undergraduate research students working with makers to produce the physical models. Each team will assess the effectiveness of their TTT-GIL activity in at least three different classroom settings. The researchers will evaluate the effect of participation in this project on faculty teaching practices, undergraduate students’ STEM identity and persistence, and training provided by makers at their home institutions. This project is being jointly funded by the Directorate for Biological Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure, and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Division of Undergraduate Education as part of their efforts to address the challenges posed in Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action (http://visionandchange/finalreport/).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.