Institutionalizing Undergraduate Research throughout the Chemistry Laboratory Curriculum

将本科生研究制度化贯穿整个化学实验室课程

• 批准号: 2021281
• 负责人: Jeffrey Peterson
• 金额: $ 29.95万
• 依托单位: SUNY College at Geneseo
• 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: 2020-07-01 至 2024-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2021281&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Institutionalizing; Undergraduate; Research; throughout; Chemistry

This project aims to serve the national interest by investigating the impact of multi-year course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) in an undergraduate chemistry laboratory curriculum. Developing opportunities to engage students in discovery-based science experiences is a national priority. CUREs achieve this goal by replacing traditional “cook-book” laboratory activities with authentic research experiences. Although CUREs have been developed in a variety of contexts, most research on their effectiveness examines individual courses. This project intends to advance knowledge about CUREs by investigating how a multi-year, sequenced CURE curriculum affects student learning. This project will transform the entire laboratory curriculum to center on undergraduate research. It is expected that this transformation will improve student recruitment, retention, and subsequent participation in other research experiences, especially for students from groups that are not yet equitably represented in STEM. These efforts will also provide a case study of evidence-based change to the chemistry laboratory curriculum that is designed to complement efforts to reform the chemistry lecture curriculum.CURE curricula will be developed in four chemistry laboratory courses at the State University of New York College (SUNY) at Geneseo, a primarily undergraduate institution. The CUREs will be introduced in participants’ first-year laboratory courses and be scaffolded in a multi-year sequence spanning a four year laboratory curriculum including general, organic, and inorganic chemistry, plus a senior capstone course. This project differs from previous CURE examples in that it will engage students in learning research skills during all four years of the undergraduate chemistry program, instead of just a single experience. The specific STEM education research questions will explore the impacts of a multi-year, sequenced CURE curriculum on student learning outcomes, student understanding of the research process, and students’ ability to carry out a meaningful research project. These outcomes will be investigated in collaboration with an external project evaluator using both indirect assessments of student perceptions of their learning gains from a nationally validated CURE survey and direct assessment through comparison of students’ course grades, laboratory assignments and exams, and participation in other research experiences before and after the curriculum change. Expected outcomes of the project include a better prepared STEM work force, greater persistence in pursuing post-baccalaureate education, a more diverse STEM community, and improved STEM educational practices. Results from this project will be disseminated locally in professional development workshops for STEM instructors, via a SUNY-wide online platform, and through presentations at regional conferences and publications in STEM education journals. This project was submitted in response to the "Dear Colleague Letter: Stimulating Participation from Institutions New to the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education and Human Resources Program: (NSF 20-034)" and is funded by the NSF IUSE: EHR program, which supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students.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.

该项目旨在通过调查多年基于课程的本科生研究经验（CURE）对本科生化学实验室课程的影响来服务于国家利益。创造机会让学生参与基于发现的科学体验是国家的首要任务。 CURE 通过用真实的研究经验取代传统的“食谱”实验室活动来实现这一目标。尽管 CURE 是在各种背景下开发的，但大多数关于其有效性的研究都是针对个别课程进行的。该项目旨在通过调查多年、有序的 CURE 课程如何影响学生的学习来增进对 CURE 的了解。该项目将改变整个实验室课程，以本科生研究为中心。预计这种转变将改善学生的招募、保留和随后对其他研究经历的参与，特别是对于来自 STEM 中尚未公平代表的群体的学生。这些努力还将提供化学实验室课程循证变革的案例研究，旨在补充化学讲座课程改革的努力。CURE 课程将在纽约州立大学杰纳西奥学院 (SUNY) 的四个化学实验室课程中开发，该学院主要是本科院校。 CURE 将在参与者的第一年实验室课程中引入，并以跨四年实验室课程的多年序列为基础，包括普通化学、有机化学和无机化学，以及高级顶点课程。该项目与之前的 CURE 示例不同，它将让学生在四年的本科化学课程中学习研究技能，而不仅仅是单一的经历。具体的 STEM 教育研究问题将探讨多年、有序的 CURE 课程对学生学习成果、学生对研究过程的理解以及学生开展有意义的研究项目的能力的影响。这些结果将与外部项目评估员合作进行调查，通过全国范围内有效的 CURE 调查间接评估学生对其学习收益的看法，并通过比较学生的课程成绩、实验室作业和考试以及课程变更前后参与其他研究经历的直接评估。该项目的预期成果包括准备更充分的 STEM 劳动力、更加坚持追求学士学位后教育、更加多元化的 STEM 社区以及改进的 STEM 教育实践。该项目的成果将在当地为 STEM 教师举办的专业发展研讨会上、通过纽约州立大学范围内的在线平台、在区域会议上的演讲以及在 STEM 教育期刊上的出版物上进行传播。 该项目是为了响应“亲爱的同事的信：刺激新加入改善本科 STEM 教育的机构的参与：教育和人力资源计划：(NSF 20-034)”而提交的，并由 NSF 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。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用 基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。