Collaborative Research: StudyCrafter: An AI-Supported Platform for Engaging Learners to Conduct Research with Human Subjects

该项目旨在通过StudyCrafter转变和广泛传播技术，以支持研究方法教育，从而服务于国家利益。StudyCrafter是一个创新平台，使用人工智能(AI)帮助学生为涉及人类学科的研究做准备。它的目的是通过提供一个积极的学习环境来改善目前的本科生研究方法教育，在这个环境中，学生可以轻松地创建基于情景的研究研究，然后将它们部署到网上，从参与者那里收集数据。StudyCrafter将支持学生在建立自己的原创研究性学习时获得和应用研究方法技能。真实的人类受试者在课堂上的研究机会是难以捉摸的，尽管它们对未来的实践者很重要。项目团队将用人工智能来增强StudyCrafter平台，以提高学生从研究的初始框架到结果分析的计算思维和数据科学技能。该项目将使用迭代设计方法改进该平台，同时通过试点测试者和早期采用者的协调网络，将其使用从两所大学扩大到11所大学。这个项目的目的是通过扩展StudyCrafter，为本科生研究方法教育迭代开发一个灵活和可扩展的教育模式，包括：(1)可以帮助学生分析数据的工具，(2)以学生为中心的课程，为教师提供互动内容，教授相关知识和技能，(3)人工智能辅助指导，以支持学生的研究；以及(4)自动提示和脚手架方法，鼓励学生批判性地反思他们的研究。该项目立足于主动学习，将通过人工智能增强平台解决当前研究方法教育中缺乏真实研究经验的问题，并研究学生的情感、认知和逻辑结果。NSF IUSE：EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生的STEM教育的有效性。通过参与的学生学习路径，该计划支持有前景的实践和工具的创建、探索和实施。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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 transforming and broadly disseminating technology to support research methods education through StudyCrafter, an innovative platform that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help students prepare for research involving human subjects. Its intent is to improve current undergraduate research methods education by providing an active learning environment where students can easily create scenario-based research studies and then deploy them online to collect data from participants. StudyCrafter will support students in acquiring and applying research methods skills as they build their own original research studies. Authentic human subjects research opportunities in the classroom are elusive, despite their importance for future practitioners. The project team will augment the StudyCrafter platform with AI to improve students’ computational thinking and data science skills from the initial framework of a study to the analysis of results. The project will use an iterative design approach to improve the platform while expanding its use from two to eleven universities through a coordinated network of pilot testers and early adopters. The aim of this project is to iteratively develop a flexible and scalable educational model for undergraduate research methods education by extending StudyCrafter to include: (1) tools that can assist students in analyzing their data, (2) student-centered curricula giving instructors interactive content to teach relevant knowledge and skills, (3) AI-assisted coaching to support students with their research; and (4) automatic prompts and scaffolding methods to encourage students to critically reflect on their research. Grounded in active learning, this project will address the lack of authentic research experiences in current research methods education through an AI augmented platform, and study the affective, cognitive, and logistic outcomes for students. 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.