Collaborative research: Integrating Perspective-taking and Systems Thinking for Complex Problem-Solving

协作研究：整合观点采择和系统思维来解决复杂问题

• 批准号: 2111065
• 负责人: Cynthia Frantz
• 金额: $ 22.02万
• 依托单位: Oberlin College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-10-15 至 2024-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2111065&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; research; Integrating; Perspective; taking

This project aims to serve the national interest by using computer modeling to present multiple perspectives, helping students to improve systems thinking and complex socio-technical problem-solving. The topics with which STEM fields grapple are often not merely scientific problems; they are also at times ideologically and emotionally charged issues. Such contemporary “socio-scientific” issues affect multiple stakeholders in different ways and have real and diverse consequences, both economic and societal. Understanding and responding to these socio-scientific issues, such as genetically modified crops, vaccine development/deployment and climate change mitigation, requires that individuals not only understand scientific content and how systems work, but also how these systems look from different vantage points. The goal of this project is to develop and assess new teaching strategies to improve understanding and decision-making related to such complex social and environmental problems. This project will build on research from previous studies to develop the state-of-the-art undergraduate instruction strategies. The software, curricular tools, and case studies being designed will be used by college instructors across the United States to promote perspective-taking and problem-solving. Formally engaging students in this type of thinking is essential to the training of America’s future workforce. Specifically, students will engage with a series of case studies on complex socio-scientific issues, and use the MentalModeler (www.mentalmodeler.org) software to map out the system from the perspectives of different stakeholders. We believe this approach will promote systems thinking, model-based reasoning, perspective taking, and problem-solving ability in the undergraduate classroom. We intend to test the hypothesis that integrating novel perspective taking and systems modeling across different undergraduate courses: 1) helps students overcome some of the cognitive and motivational obstacles elicited by controversial socio-scientific topics, 2) leads to a deeper and more accurate understanding of the system itself, and 3) helps learners create and support arguments regarding the effect of interventions on system-level outcomes. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.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.

该项目旨在通过利用计算机建模呈现多种视角来服务国家利益，帮助学生提高系统思维和解决复杂的社会技术问题。 STEM 领域所要解决的主题往往不仅仅是科学问题，而且是科学问题。有时它们也是意识形态和情感上的问题。此类当代“社会科学”问题以不同方式影响多个利益相关者，并产生真实且多样化的经济和社会后果。理解和应对这些社会科学问题，例如转基因作物、疫苗开发/部署和减缓气候变化，要求个人不仅了解科学内容和系统如何工作，而且还需要了解这些系统如何从不同的角度看待。该项目的目标是开发和评估新的教学策略，以提高对此类复杂社会和环境问题的理解和决策。该项目将以之前的研究为基础，制定最先进的本科生教学策略。正在设计的软件、课程工具和案例研究将被美国各地的大学教师用来促进观点采择和问题解决。让学生正式参与这种思维对于美国未来劳动力的培训至关重要。具体来说，学生将参与一系列关于复杂社会科学问题的案例研究，并使用 MentalModeler (www.mentalmodeler.org) 软件从不同利益相关者的角度绘制系统。 我们相信这种方法将促进本科生课堂上的系统思维、基于模型的推理、观点采择和解决问题的能力。我们打算测试以下假设：在不同的本科课程中整合新颖的观点采择和系统建模：1）帮助学生克服由有争议的社会科学主题引起的一些认知和动机障碍，2）导致对系统本身更深入、更准确的理解，3）帮助学习者创建和支持关于干预措施对系统级结果的影响的论点。 NSF IUSE：EHR 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。 通过参与学生学习轨道，该计划支持有前途的实践和工具的创建、探索和实施。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进行评估，被认为值得支持。