Learning about Viral Epidemics through Engagement with Different Types of Models

该项目将开发新的课程，并利用它来研究高中生如何在培养科学建模能力的同时了解病毒流行病。2019冠状病毒病大流行凸显了支持学生了解病毒爆发和其他复杂社会问题的必要性。鉴于病毒爆发等问题的复杂性，让学习者接触不同类型的模型（例如，机械模型、计算模型和系统模型）至关重要。然而，关于学习者如何在不同的模型中协调意义制造的研究很少。该项目将通过研究不同类型模型的学生学习来解决这一差距，并将利用这些发现开发和研究新的课程材料，将多种模型纳入高中生物课的病毒流行教学中。COVID-19造成了毁灭性的影响，包括拉丁裔社区在内的边缘化群体遭受了不成比例的负面影响。该项目将直接招收拉丁裔学生，以确保设计产品符合拉丁裔学习者的文化需求。该项目将为拉丁裔学生参与关于重要问题的创新、基于模型的课程创造新的途径。项目研究和资源将通过出版物、会议报告和教师专业发展机会广泛共享。该项目将研究学生学习的三个方面：a)关于病毒流行的概念理解，b)与建模相关的认知理解，以及c)关于病毒流行和潜在解决方案的模型信息推理。研究将分三个阶段进行。第一阶段将探索学生如何通过不同类型的模型理解病毒流行。这项研究将在学生小组中进行，因为他们通过与病毒流行模型相关的学习活动和演讲机会进行工作。第二阶段将研究如何支持跨不同类型模型建模的机会，并对其进行排序，以了解病毒流行。这些发现将使修订学习表现成为可能，并将用于开发高中生物课程模块。第三阶段将研究学生通过参与不同模型的建模实践来了解病毒流行病的程度。在这最后一个阶段，教师将参与有关病毒流行和建模的专业发展，然后在他们的生物课上实施病毒流行模块。测试前和测试后的研究设计将用于探索学生的概念理解，模型信息推理和认知理解。探索研究preK-12项目（DRK-12）旨在通过研究和开发创新资源、模型和工具，显著提高preK-12学生和教师对科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）的学习和教学。DRK-12计划中的项目建立在STEM教育的基础研究和先前的研究和开发工作的基础上，为拟议的项目提供了理论和实证依据。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。

The project will develop new curriculum and use it to research how high school students learn about viral epidemics while developing competencies for scientific modeling. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for supporting student learning about viral outbreaks and other complex societal issues. Given the complexity of issues like viral outbreaks, engaging learners with different types of models (e.g., mechanistic, computational and system models) is critical. However, there is little research available regarding how learners coordinate sense making across different models. This project will address the gap by studying student learning with different types of models and will use these findings to develop and study new curriculum materials that incorporate multiple models for teaching about viral epidemics in high school biology classes. COVID-19 caused devasting impacts, and marginalized groups including the Latinx community suffered disproportionately negative outcomes. The project will directly recruit Latinx students to ensure that design products are culturally responsive and account for Latinx learner needs. The project will create new pathways for engaging Latinx students in innovative, model-based curriculum about critically important issues. Project research and resources will be widely shared via publications, conference presentations, and professional development opportunities for teachers.The project will research three aspects of student learning: a) conceptual understandings about viral epidemics, b) epistemic understandings associated with modeling, and c) model-informed reasoning about viral epidemics and potential solutions. The research will be conducted in three phases. Phase 1 will explore how students make sense of viral epidemics through different types of models. This research will be conducted with small groups of students as they work through learning activities and discourse opportunities associated with viral epidemic models. Phase 2 will research how opportunities to engage in modeling across different types of models should be supported and sequenced for learning about viral epidemics. These findings will make it possible to revise the learning performance which will be used to develop a curricular module for high school biology classes. Phase 3 will study the extent to which students learn about viral epidemics through engagement in modeling practices across different models. For this final phase, teachers will participate in professional development about viral epidemics and modeling and then implement the viral epidemic module in their biology classes. A pre- and post-test research design will be used to explore student conceptual understandings, model-informed reasoning, and epistemic understandings. The Discovery Research preK-12 program (DRK-12) seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students and teachers, through research and development of innovative resources, models and tools. Projects in the DRK-12 program build on fundamental research in STEM education and prior research and development efforts that provide theoretical and empirical justification for proposed projects.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.