SBIR Phase II: Developing a courseware platform that helps students develop self-regulated learning skills

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to develop courseware that will catalyze the use of inclusive, evidence-based teaching and learning practices. Such practices have been empirically shown to improve learning outcomes and retention rates for postsecondary Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) students, particularly those from historically underserved groups: first-generation college attendees, students from racial and ethnic minorities, and students from low-income families. These practices have not been widely adopted because instructors lack the time and resources needed to shift from a lecture-based course to one grounded in evidence-based practices and students struggle to use the evidence-based study strategies that are more effective for college courses. This project helps instructors design and teach inclusive, high-structure courses and helps students develop stronger metacognition and self-regulated learning skills, both of which will lead to more equitable outcomes for students from historically underserved communities. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project aims to create novel courseware that helps students develop self-regulated learning skills and guides instructors to design and teach aligned, high-structure courses. Both of these practices are supported by empirical research. However, these practices are underutilized, not because of a lack of understanding or evidence of their efficacy, but because instructors lack time to design a high-structure course and work one-on-one with students to develop their learning skills. Instructors need a courseware tool to help students effectively reap the known benefits of these practices. Using this courseware platform, instructors and students will benefit from rich sets of actionable learning data that help them adjust their teaching and learning. Research will be conducted — with results disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and first-generation status — to determine whether the courseware improves students’ self-regulated learning skills and instructors’ use of evidence-based teaching practices.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.