Making Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Resonate With Students: Integrating Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Into the Undergraduate Science Curriculum

该项目旨在通过开发跨学科课程材料，实施循证教学实践，加强本科科学课程，为国家利益服务。通过美国国家科学基金会IUSE: EHR项目参与学生学习轨道的支持，该项目将满足本科生科学课程中对更多样化和相关的实验室和研究产品的需求，以加强对核磁共振（NMR）的学习。核磁共振是现代STEM劳动力中的重要工具，为从药理学到量子计算的各种科学学科的更深入探索提供了基础。尽管核磁共振作为一种重要的研究工具普遍存在，但由于其高成本和维护要求，历史上一直存在对这一重要实验室设备的不公平访问。最近发展的廉价台式核磁共振仪器和免费的在线模拟为主要的本科院校提供了很好的机会，为他们的学生提供广泛应用的研究技能。不幸的是，没有一套课程材料以多学科的方式涵盖NMR的全部范围，也没有涉及所有层次的本科课程。此外，很少有材料可以广泛使用基于研究的科学教学法，或者可以使用或不使用特定的核磁共振仪器。该项目将通过建立一个跨学科和跨机构的团队来开发、评估和传播将核磁共振整合到本科科学课程中的课程材料，从而填补这一课程空白。这个项目有三个目标。首先是开发跨学科课程材料，利用当前的最佳教学实践，营造参与式和包容性的科学学习环境。第二是为学生提供以课堂为基础的本科实验室体验，介绍研究技能并模拟实验室中的实验研究。第三，确保课程材料的设计易于调整和采用，以便在广泛的教育环境中使用。为了实现这些目标，项目团队将利用其在使用主动学习模式方面的专业知识，如调查科学学习环境（ISLE）、面向过程的引导探究学习（POGIL）和同伴领导的团队学习（PLTL）。课程材料将在萨拉劳伦斯学院和纽约城市学院的本科生的帮助下开发，然后由核磁共振和科学教育专家组成的咨询委员会进行审查。该项目将使用现有的教育研究技术进行评估，包括学生调查、课堂录音和由外部评估人员进行的学生焦点小组访谈。项目组将在同行评议的期刊上发表他们的研究成果，并在国家和地区科学会议上介绍他们的工作。开发的课程材料将主要通过开放资源的电子文件、教师手册和在线课程材料进行传播。这些文件将通过一个定制的网页和几个在线资源库提供，以共享教育资源。随着这项工作对加强本科科学课程的影响，该项目将通过促进知识和理解在不同院校实施跨学科课程为基础的本科研究经验所产生的最佳实践和学生成果，对科学教育研究界产生积极影响。该项目的总体目标是留住和培养一支蓬勃发展的多样化STEM劳动力队伍，将使社会和STEM教育界受益。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。

This project aims to serve the national interest by enhancing undergraduate science curricula through development of interdisciplinary course materials that implement evidence-based teaching practices. Through support from the NSF IUSE: EHR Program Engaged Student Learning track, this project will address the need for more varied and relevant laboratory and research offerings in the undergraduate science curriculum to strengthen learning about nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). NMR is an important tool in the modern STEM workforce that provides a foundation for more in-depth explorations in a variety of scientific disciplines - ranging from pharmacology to quantum computing. Despite the prevalence of NMR as an essential research tool, there has historically been unequitable access to this important piece of laboratory equipment due to its high cost and maintenance requirements. The recent development of inexpensive benchtop NMR instruments and freely available online simulations offer great opportunities for predominantly undergraduate institutions to provide their students with widely-applicable research skills. Unfortunately, there is no set of curricular materials that covers the full spectrum of NMR in a multidisciplinary fashion nor addresses all levels of the undergraduate curriculum. Moreover, few materials make broad use of research-based science pedagogy or can be used with or without access to a particular NMR apparatus. This project will fill this curricular gap by establishing an interdisciplinary and cross-institutional team to develop, assess, and disseminate curricular material that integrates NMR into the undergraduate science curriculum.Three goals guide this project. First is to develop interdisciplinary curricular materials that make use of current pedagogical best practices for an engaged and inclusive science learning environment. Second is to provide students with class-based undergraduate laboratory experiences that introduce research skills and emulate experimental research in a lab. Third is to ensure curricular materials are designed to be easily adapted and adopted for use in a wide array of educational environments. To accomplish these goals, the project team will utilize its expertise in using active learning models such as investigative science learning environment (ISLE), process-oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL), and peer-led team learning (PLTL). The curricular materials will be developed with the help of undergraduate students at both Sarah Lawrence College and City College of New York and then vetted by an advisory board of NMR and science education specialists. The project will be evaluated using established education research techniques - including student surveys, in-class recordings, and student focus group interviews conducted by an external evaluator. The project team will publish their research findings in peer-reviewed journals and present their work at national and regional scientific meetings. The developed curricular materials will be primarily disseminated through open-sourced, electronic documents with instructors’ manual and online course materials. These documents will be made available via a customized webpage as well as several online repositories for sharing educational resources. Along with the impacts of this work on enhancing the undergraduate science curriculum, this project will positively impact the science education research community by advancing knowledge and understanding the best practices and student outcomes resulting from the implementation of an interdisciplinary course-based undergraduate research experience in different institutional settings. With the overarching goal of retaining and preparing a thriving and diverse STEM workforce, this project will benefit both society and the STEM education community. 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.