Collaborative Research: Using Tutorial-Based Active E-Learning to Broaden Participation and Enhance Scientific Computing Skills in a Seismology Context

本项目旨在通过提高本科高年级学生的计算思维和科学计算能力，服务于国家利益。它将通过开发一个大规模注册、异步、开放获取的在线计算研讨会来实现这一目标。这样的培训对于确保未来的科学家发展他们需要的知识和技能是很重要的，这些知识和技能可以解决诸如气候变化这样的国家重要性的计算机和数据密集型科学问题。该项目将为1200多名高级本科生提供地震学背景下的计算训练。该培训将建立并完善一种名为“地震学技能建设研讨会”的基于教程的主动电子学习试点经验。该项目还旨在创造一种更成功、更包容、更令人满意的在线学习体验，并将其输出到其他STEM学科。由于该研讨会提供的在线高级课程不收费，也没有先决条件，因此可能会增加不同本科生和其他学习者对计算机的参与。事实上，根据试点讲习班的数据，该项目将惠及受COVID-19大流行影响严重的社区的许多学生。通过其研究工作，该项目旨在增进对不同学生群体如何参与并从基于教程的主动电子学习方法中受益的理解。通过确定吸引不同受众并促进保留、学习和满意度的研讨会特征，该项目还可以定义一个框架，其他STEM社区可以使用该框架来开发类似的技术培训工作。地震学联合研究机构于2020年提供了一个初步的地震学技能建设研讨会，该机构是一个由美国国家科学基金会资助的大学联盟，负责运营地震学社区数据和设备设施。该试点讲习班是为应对COVID-19大流行而启动的，共有700多名学生参加，远远超过预期，比典型的面对面计算机课程更具多样性。通过试点讲习班，项目团队确定了挑战并收集了有关讲习班有效性的数据。该项目将调查由此产生的研究问题，这些问题在地震学内外都很重要：1)这种在线科学计算训练模式在多大程度上提高了参与者的学习和行为？2)高等本科生在线科学计算培训模式的留存率和绩效的关键影响因素是什么？新的干预措施能否提高效果？3)基于教程的主动电子学习方法的要素在多大程度上有助于学习？4)如何优化地震学技能建设工作坊的价值及其在地震学学习生态系统中的定位，以确保其可持续性？这些问题将通过多年的混合方法研究调查来解决，包括在学科背景下对计算思维和编程进行总结性评估的工具的开发，改进作业问题类型的特征以检查绩效趋势，以及参与者活动和绩效数据的相关性分析。专家将对课程和社区焦点小组进行评审，以确保地震技能培养工作坊的可持续性。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。这个项目是在参与学生学习轨道上，通过IUSE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 improving computational thinking and scientific computing skills of advanced undergraduate students. It will do so by developing a large-enrollment, asynchronous, open access, online computational workshop. Such training is important to ensure that future scientists develop the knowledge and skills they need to tackle computer- and data-intensive scientific problems of national importance, such as climate change. This project will provide more than 1200 advanced undergraduates with computational training in a seismological context. The training will build on and refine a pilot tutorial-based, active e-learning experience called the Seismology Skill Building Workshop. The project also aims to generate a more successful, inclusive, and satisfying online learning experience that can be exported to other STEM disciplines. Because the workshop offers advanced coursework online without fees or prerequisites, it is likely to increase the participation of diverse undergraduates and other learners in computing. In fact, based on data from the pilot workshop, this project will reach many students from communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through its research efforts, the project intends to increase understanding about how diverse groups of students engage with and benefit from the tutorial-based active e-learning approach. By identifying workshop features that attract diverse audiences and promote retention, learning, and satisfaction, the project can also define a framework that other STEM communities can use to develop similar technical training efforts.A preliminary Seismology Skill Building Workshop was offered in 2020 by the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology, an NSF-funded university consortium that operates the seismology community data and equipment facility. The pilot workshop was launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and reached more than 700 students, many more than anticipated and with higher diversity than typical in-person computing courses. Through the pilot workshop, the project team identified challenges and gathered data about workshop effectiveness. This project will investigate the resulting research questions, which are important within and beyond seismology: 1) To what extent does this online scientific computing training model enhance participant learning and behavior? 2) What are the key influences on retention and performance for advanced undergraduates in the online scientific computing training model and can new interventions improve efficacy? 3) To what degree do the elements of the tutorial-based active e-learning approach contribute to learning? 4) How can the value of the Seismology Skill Building Workshop and its positioning within the seismology learning ecosystem be optimized to ensure sustainability? These questions will be addressed through a multi-year, mixed methods research investigation that includes development of instruments for summative assessment of computational thinking and programming within a disciplinary context, improved characterization of assignment question types to examine performance trends, and correlation analysis of participant activity and performance data. Expert reviews of the curriculum and community focus groups will be conducted to ensure sustainability of the Seismology Skill Building Workshop. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. This project is in the Engaged Student Learning track, through which the IUSE 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.