Investigating the Combination of Design Thinking and Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences on Student Persistence and Retention in STEM

在这个能力建设项目中，研究人员建议调查设计思维培训与既定的教学策略相结合的影响，以提高西班牙裔服务机构(HSI)和以城市为主的本科院校的STEM学生的招生、持久力和保留率。在这种情况下，设计思维侧重于衍生解决方案的迭代过程，从不同的学科采取多个角度，并鼓励协作、原型设计和反馈驱动的问题解决。研究人员将通过正式课程、指导和咨询委员会实施专业发展计划，开展STEM教育研究的研究项目和能力建设，该委员会将侧重于混合方法设计和方法、理论框架、STEM教育教学法、STEM综合能力评估以及STEM教育研究的资质。该项目将建立一个新颖和可持续的STEM教育研究计划，以调查导致该机构STEM学生成功的因素。研究项目的工作假设是，在入门课程中纳入设计思维(DT)培训将提高STEM的持久率和保留率。研究人员将使用评估设计和持续性框架来(A)考察DT培训对STEM本科生坚持和保持的影响，以及(B)考察DT培训与基于课程的本科研究经验相结合对STEM本科生坚持和保持的影响。大部分研究的试验台将是第一年的研讨会项目，在该项目中，新生被要求参加大学通识教育研讨会课程。班级由STEM和非STEM专业的学生组成，允许调查人员测试STEM招聘的潜力。课程课程将把神经科学基础的指导与演示和活动结合起来，培训学生使用各种工具来测量神经系统的电活动。学生们将以小组形式研究预先定义的项目，以学习神经科学的新方面。将进行事前和事后调查，以收集数据，比较理论上与长期成功相关的结果。该项目将提供有效的教育实践证据，促进学生在STEM取得成功，并有助于STEM教育和劳动力的更大多样性。该项目得到了EHR核心研究(ECR)计划的STEM教育研究竞赛中ECR能力建设的支持。ECR资助基础STEM教育研究项目，重点关注STEM学习和学习环境、扩大STEM领域的参与以及STEM专业劳动力发展。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

In this capacity building project, the investigator proposes to investigate the impact of design thinking training combined with established pedagogical strategies in increasing student recruitment, persistence, and retention in STEM at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and a predominantly urban undergraduate institution. In this context, design thinking focuses on the iterative process by which solutions are derived, taking multiple perspectives from various disciplines, and encouraging collaboration, prototyping, and feedback-driven problem solving. The investigator will conduct the research project and build capacity in STEM education research by implementing a professional development plan through formal courses, mentoring, and an advisory board that will focus on mixed-methods design and methods, theoretical frameworks, STEM education pedagogy, assessment of integrated STEM competencies, and grantsmanship in STEM education research. The project will establish a novel and sustainable STEM education research program to investigate factors that contribute to student success in STEM at the institution.The working hypothesis for the research project is that incorporating design thinking (DT) training in an introductory course will increase rates of persistence and retention in STEM. The investigator will use an evaluation design and persistence framework to (a) examine the impact of DT training on undergraduate student persistence and retention in STEM and (b) examine the impact of combining DT training with course-based undergraduate research experiences on undergraduate student persistence and retention in STEM. The testbed for the bulk of the research will be the first-year seminar program where entering freshmen are required to take a university general education seminar course. Classes are comprised of STEM and non-STEM majors, allowing the investigator to test the potential for STEM recruitment. The course curriculum will merge instructions in foundations of neuroscience with demonstrations and activities that train students to use a variety of tools to measure electrical activity from the nervous system. Students will them work in groups on pre-defined projects to study novel aspects of neuroscience. Pre- and post-surveys will be conducted to collect data that will compare outcomes that are theoretically correlated with long-term success. The project will produce evidence of effective educational practices that promote student success in STEM and contribute to greater diversity in STEM education and the workforce. This project is supported by the ECR Building Capacity in STEM Education Research competition of the EHR Core Research (ECR) program. ECR funds fundamental STEM education research projects that focus on STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation in STEM fields, and STEM professional workforce development.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.