Taking CalcPlot3D to the Next Dimension: Creating 3D Printed Learning Materials

将 CalcPlot3D 提升到新的维度：创建 3D 打印学习材料

• 批准号: 2121152
• 负责人: Paul Seeburger
• 金额: $ 23.75万
• 依托单位: Monroe Community 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: 2021-10-01 至 2024-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2121152&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Taking; CalcPlot3D; Next; Dimension; Creating

The project aims to serve the national need for STEM students to succeed in calculus by enabling them to develop a deeper understanding of three-dimensional (3D) concepts through hands-on, physical 3D explorations. Although visualizing 3D concepts on a screen can provide students with some insight, students often still find this process challenging. Additional insight can be gained by students through the use of guided hands-on interactions with physical 3D-printed models. The investigators for this collaborative project are faculty at Monroe Community College (Lead), the University of Oklahoma, and the United States Air Force Academy who will build on a previous CalcPlot3D collaborative project (NSF#1524968-Lead) to develop, implement, and study guided learning activities and innovative, pedagogically-designed, two-color 3D-printed models. An additional component of the project will provide instructional resources, including how-to videos, and scaffolded training for faculty to facilitate their incorporation and creation of 3D models for use in the classroom. In conjunction with these activities, project research will provide insights to determine and inform how instructors leverage 3D models to enhance student visualization and understanding of 3D problems and concepts.The project will have an interwoven dual emphasis, namely student learning and faculty professional development. The underlying vision of the project is to develop resources and determine best practices for (i) implementing activities using 3D-printed surfaces effectively in the classroom to enhance student interest, intuition, visualization, learning, and understanding of 3D calculus problems and concepts and (ii) providing professional development for faculty in this realm. The project has five major goals. First is to expand the 3D printing features in CalcPlot3D and investigate various print techniques and print media to develop innovative, pedagogically useful 3D-printed surfaces and solids. Second is to develop and class-test a series of learning activities - with guided exploration questions, files to generate 3D models, and an instructor's guide - using 3D-printed surfaces and solids. Third is to create a series of how-to videos and online tutorials to teach faculty how to generate their own 3D-printed surfaces using CalcPlot3D. Fourth is to support student learning activities and help students’ visualization by explicitly connecting 3D-printed models to CalcPlot3D digital images. Lastly, the investigators will conduct educational research to determine the impact of these new materials and approaches on student learning and how instructors with CalcPlot3D experience make use of 3D-printed models in their multivariable calculus instruction. The project team will disseminate project materials and findings through various venues including conference exhibits and workshops. The determination of best practices will converge through a multi-year, mixed methods research investigation utilizing formative and summative feedback, and will include development and testing classroom activities and materials and faculty professional development resources. This dual investigative approach will include correlation analysis of participant activity and performance data and a study of how classroom instructors reflect on and employ use of the 3D-printed models and learning activities based on those models. Ultimately, the project will provide a free tool for teaching and learning 3D problems and concepts that will extend to other STEM disciplines and courses beyond calculus. 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.

该项目旨在满足STEM学生在微积分方面取得成功的国家需求，使他们能够通过动手，物理3D探索对三维（3D）概念有更深入的理解。虽然在屏幕上可视化3D概念可以为学生提供一些见解，但学生通常仍然觉得这个过程具有挑战性。学生可以通过使用物理3D打印模型的指导性动手交互来获得更多的见解。该合作项目的研究人员是门罗社区学院（Lead），俄克拉荷马州大学和美国空军学院的教师，他们将在以前的CalcPlot 3D合作项目（NSF#1524968-Lead）的基础上开发，实施和研究指导学习活动和创新的，教学设计的双色3D打印模型。该项目的另一个组成部分将提供教学资源，包括如何视频，并为教师提供脚手架培训，以促进他们在课堂上使用的3D模型的合并和创建。结合这些活动，项目研究将提供见解，以确定和告知教师如何利用3D模型，以提高学生的可视化和3D问题和概念的理解。该项目将有一个交织的双重重点，即学生学习和教师专业发展。该项目的基本愿景是开发资源并确定最佳实践：（i）在课堂上有效地使用3D打印表面实施活动，以提高学生对3D微积分问题和概念的兴趣，直觉，可视化，学习和理解，以及（ii）为教师提供专业发展。该项目有五个主要目标。首先是扩展CalcPlot 3D中的3D打印功能，并研究各种打印技术和打印介质，以开发创新的、教学上有用的3D打印表面和固体。其次是开发和课堂测试一系列的学习活动-指导探索问题，文件生成3D模型，和教师的指导-使用3D打印的表面和固体。第三是创建一系列操作视频和在线教程，教教师如何使用CalcPlot 3D生成自己的3D打印表面。第四是支持学生的学习活动，并通过将3D打印模型明确连接到CalcPlot 3D数字图像来帮助学生可视化。最后，研究人员将进行教育研究，以确定这些新材料和方法对学生学习的影响，以及具有CalcPlot 3D经验的教师如何在多变量微积分教学中使用3D打印模型。项目小组将通过会议、展览和讲习班等各种渠道传播项目材料和调查结果。最佳实践的确定将通过一个多年期的融合，混合方法的研究调查利用形成性和总结性反馈，并将包括开发和测试课堂活动和材料和教师专业发展资源。这种双重调查方法将包括对参与者活动和表现数据的相关性分析，以及对课堂教师如何反思和使用3D打印模型以及基于这些模型的学习活动的研究。最终，该项目将提供一个免费的工具，用于教授和学习3D问题和概念，并将扩展到微积分以外的其他STEM学科和课程。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。该奖项反映了NSF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。