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，来自历史上被排斥群体的生物学本科生的毕业率低于同行。为了提高学生对生物的坚持，课堂应该提高学生的信心，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，并结合数据解释技能，这对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创建自己的课程，既突出反刻板印象的科学家，又解决复杂的数据素养技能。在这个项目中，一个由教师参与者组成的研究协调网络将合作创建、修改和传播“生物学家和图形解释”课程材料。课程中的模块将通过突出反刻板印象科学家的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，并为学生提供反思生物学中不同代表性的时间。网络参与者制作的课程材料将涵盖入门和高级主题，将包括广泛的课堂实施指导方针，并将在定量本科生物学教育和综合中心作为开放获取资源。为了进一步促进课程的传播，网络参与者还将主持讲习班，指导教员寻找并将一个模块纳入其课程。生物学家数据库和图形解释模块将为教科书资源提供一个可访问的替代方案，这些教科书资源在历史上没有强调反刻板印象的科学家的工作。该项目将在一个支持性网络中为教师创造多种发展机会，因为教师可以生成、传播和培训其他人使用“生物学家和图形解释”课程材料。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、修改和发布课程材料。接下来，讲习班将培训新的教员参与者执行课程。参与者将有机会在教师指导网络和研讨会的未来迭代中担任领导角色。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板相互参与和支持。该网络与其他倡议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。该网络的专业发展效果将通过监测教师的收益来评估，而课程的影响将通过测量学生的成绩来评估。与标准教科书相比，课程中科学家的多样性也将被量化。随着生物课程中数据素养技能的多样化和有意整合，所有学生都有望在生物课堂上有更大的归属感和信心。该项目由生物基础设施司生物科学理事会资助，作为应对《本科生物学教育的愿景与变革：行动呼吁》（http://visionandchange/finalreport/）所提出的挑战的一部分。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。

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.