RCN-UBE: Biologists and Graph Interpretation: Professional development for an online curriculum to foster data literacy and value diverse identities

与其他 STEM 学科一样，来自历史上被排除在外的群体的生物学本科生的毕业率低于其同行。为了提高学生对生物学的坚持，课堂应增强学生的信心并培养学生的归属感。实现这些目标的具体策略包括提高课程中不同科学家的代表性，并纳入数据解释技能，这对于学生在生物学方面的成功越来越重要。然而，教师往往缺乏经验和资源来自行创建课程，这些课程既强调反刻板科学家，又解决复杂的数据素养技能。在该项目中，由教师参与者组成的研究协调网络将共同创建、修订和传播“生物学家和图形解释”课程材料。课程中的模块将通过一项突出反刻板科学家工作的活动来教授学生数据素养技能。每个模块还将包含对该科学家的视频采访，并为学生提供思考生物学中多样化表现的时刻。网络参与者制作的课程材料将涵盖入门和高级主题，包括用于课堂实施的广泛教师指南，并将作为定量本科生物学教育和综合中心的开放获取资源提供。为了进一步促进课程的传播，网络参与者还将主持研讨会，指导教师找到模块并将其纳入课程中。生物学家数据库和图形解释模块将为教科书资源提供一种可访问的替代方案，而这些资源历来并未强调反刻板科学家的工作。该项目将在教师生成、传播和培训其他人使用“生物学家和图形解释”课程材料时，在支持网络内创造多种教师发展机会。为了实现这一目标，在线教师指导网络将首先在定量本科生物学教育和综合中心（QUBEShub）上创建、试点、修订和发布课程材料。接下来，讲习班将对新教师参与者进行课程实施方面的培训。参与者将有机会在未来的教师指导网络和研讨会中发挥领导作用。在整个过程中，参与者可以通过网络范围内的在线活动和讨论区相互交流和支持。该网络与其他举措之间建立的伙伴关系将促进这一支持性教师社区的持续发展。网络专业发展的有效性将通过监测教师的进步来评估，而课程的影响将通过衡量学生的成绩来评估。课程中科学家的多样性也将相对于标准教科书进行量化。随着生物课程中数据素养技能的更加多样化和刻意整合，所有学生都将拥有更大的归属感，并对生物课堂更有信心。该项目由生物科学理事会生物基础设施部资助，作为解决本科生物教育愿景和变革：行动呼吁 (http://visionandchange/finalreport/) 中提出的挑战的努力的一部分。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。

Like other STEM disciplines, biology undergraduate students from historically excluded groups graduate at lower rates than their counterparts. To increase student persistence in biology, classrooms should promote student confidence and foster students’ sense of belonging. Specific strategies towards these goals include improving representation of diverse scientists in the curriculum and incorporating data interpretation skills, which are increasingly critical for student success in biology. However, faculty often lack the experience and resources to create curricula on their own that both highlight counter stereotypical scientists while also addressing complex data literacy skills. In this project, a Research Coordination Network of faculty participants will work collaboratively to create, revise, and disseminate the “Biologists and Graph Interpretation” curricular materials. Modules within the curriculum will teach students data literacy skills through an activity that highlights the work of a counter stereotypical scientist. Each module will also contain a video interview with that scientist and offer students a moment to reflect on diverse representation in biology. Curricular materials produced by network participants will cover both introductory and advanced topics, will include extensive instructor guidelines for classroom implementation, and will be available as open access resources on the Quantitative Undergraduate Biology Education and Synthesis Hub. To further facilitate dissemination of the curriculum, network participants will also lead workshops that guide faculty through the process of finding and incorporating a module into their course. The database of Biologists and Graph Interpretation modules will provide an accessible alternative to textbook resources that historically have not highlighted the work of counter stereotypical scientists. This project will create multiple faculty development opportunities within a supportive network as faculty generate, disseminate, and train others to use “Biologists and Graph Interpretation” curricular materials. To achieve this goal, online Faculty Mentoring Networks will first create, pilot, revise, and publish curricular materials on the Quantitative Undergraduate Biology Education and Synthesis Hub (QUBEShub). Next, workshops will train new faculty participants in the implementation of the curriculum. Participants will have the opportunity to take leadership roles in future iterations of Faculty Mentoring Networks and workshops. Throughout, participants can engage with and support one another via network-wide online activities and discussion boards. Partnerships established between this network and other initiatives will facilitate continued growth of this supportive faculty community. The efficacy of the network’s professional development will be assessed by monitoring faculty gains, while the impact of the curriculum will be assessed by measuring student outcomes. The diversity of scientists featured in the curriculum will also be quantified relative to standard textbooks. With more diverse representation and deliberate integration of data literacy skills in biology courses, all students are expected to have a greater sense of belonging as well as an increased confidence in the biology classroom. This project is funded by the Directorate for Biological Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure as part of efforts to address the challenges posed in Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action (http://visionandchange/finalreport/).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.