RAPID: Addressing Equity when STEM Teaching and Learning Go Remote

在资源有限的学生和资源较多的学生之间存在着系统性和持续性的数字鸿沟。该项目将调查学生因COVID-19而意外将STEM课程迁移到在线环境所面临的挑战。先前对在线学习的研究表明，经济条件有限、学习经历较少的学生在在线教育环境中学习时处于不利地位。为了更好地了解学生在数字环境中教学和学习的经历和后果，该项目将解决四个问题：学生在STEM门户课程中的经历如何比较转向在线学习之前和之后？与其他学生相比，低收入、未被充分代表的少数民族和农村学生在在线学习STEM时面临的挑战是什么？学生认为哪些在线教学实践有助于他们的参与和学习？不同类型的数字学习体验或其他变量在多大程度上缓解了由covid -19引发的向远程STEM学习过渡所带来的挑战？混合方法研究将：(a)调查一个具有全国代表性的样本，包括来自两年制和四年制大学的1000名本科生，他们正在学习STEM课程，这些课程将在2020年春季过渡到远程授课；(2)进行案例研究，以检查为服务不足的学生群体提供服务的机构在covid -19之前和之后的学生和教师在门户STEM课程中的经验。研究小组将为学生调查和关键分组的每个项目准备回应分布和描述性统计数据。此外，探索性相关分析将进行，以了解变量之间的关系。为了评估子组或项目和项目量表的前后差异，将使用方差分析、t检验和卡方检验。多元回归分析将探索数据之间潜在的因果关系。对学生和教师访谈和学生焦点小组的专题分析将使用从文献和感兴趣的主题中获得的先验代码，以及使用归纳方法从数据中产生的专题代码进行。将建立一个主题层次结构，以促进对关键子组的主题和趋势进行分类分析。这项研究的结果将为高等教育界和政策制定者提供信息，为应对当前危机的计划提供信息，以及如何将所学到的经验教训纳入2019冠状病毒病后的STEM教育。该RAPID奖由本科教育司（教育和人力资源理事会）改进本科STEM教育项目颁发，资金来自《冠状病毒援助、救济和经济安全（关怀）法案》。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。

A systemic and persistent digital divide exists between students with limited resources and students with more resources. This project will investigate the challenges students face with the unexpected migration of their STEM courses to online environments due to COVID-19. Prior research on online learning suggests that students with limited financial means and fewer academic experiences are at a disadvantage when learning in online educational environments. To better understand student experiences and consequences of teaching and learning in digital environments, the project will address four questions: How do students’ experiences in gateway STEM courses compare pre- and post the shift to online learning? Which challenges to learning STEM online are more prevalent among low-income, underrepresented minority, and rural students compared to other students? What online instructional practices do students perceive as contributing to their engagement and learning? To what extent do different types of digital learning experiences or other variables mitigate the challenges associated with the COVID-19-induced transition to remote STEM learning? The mixed method research study will: (a) survey a nationally representative sample of 1,000 undergraduate students from two- and four-year colleges who are taking STEM courses that transitioned to remote delivery in spring 2020; and (2) conduct case studies to examine pre- and post-COVID-19 student and faculty experiences in gateway STEM courses at institutions serving underserved student populations. The research team will prepare response distributions and descriptive statistics for each item for the Student Survey and for key subgroups. Additionally, exploratory correlational analyses will be conducted to understand relationships between variables. To assess subgroups or before-and-after differences on items and item scales, ANOVAs, t-tests, and Chi-square tests will be used. Multivariate regression analyses will explore potential causal relationships among the data. Thematic analyses of student and faculty interviews and student focus groups will be conducted using a priori codes derived from the literature and topics of interest, as well as thematic codes that emerge from the data using an inductive approach. A hierarchy of themes will be created to facilitate analyses that disaggregate themes and trends for key subgroups. Results from this research will provide information to the higher education community and policy makers that can inform plans to address the current crisis, as well as how to incorporate lessons learned in STEM education post-COVID-19. This RAPID award is made by the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education program in the Division of Undergraduate Education (Education and Human Resources Directorate), using funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.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.