Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining STEM Pedagogies Using Mixed-Reality Simulations

该项目旨在服务于国家利益，通过培养本科生STEM教育学生的教学能力，通过一种包括使用虚拟化身进行教学的学习模式，在文化和语言上保持下去。尽管在家中说英语以外的语言的学生数量持续增长，但在K-12学校，说其他语言的英语(ESOL)学生一直举步维艰，特别是在大学和劳动力市场的STEM领域。美国的大多数STEM教师只接受了有限的ESOL教学准备。因此，培养STEM职前教师以更好地服务于不以英语为主要语言的学生是至关重要的。该项目提供在线模块，以开发具有文化和语言支持的STEM教学法，并在整个学习过程中提供重点导师反馈和高质量的混合现实模拟实践。该项目的预期结果是提高本科生实施文化和语言支持的STEM教学的能力，因为它们支持在家中说另一种语言的学生的学习，以及发展有效的以实践为基础的教师教育学习经验，包括可复制的在线教学活动。项目目标包括1)发展本科生STEM教育学生的文化和语言支持的STEM教学实践，以及2)了解混合现实模拟在线学习模式对他们改进文化和语言支持的STEM教学的影响。本项目采用混合方法的研究设计。发展教学专长不仅需要学习知识和遵守模范教学，而且还需要有目的的做法，进行批判性反思和有重点的反馈。与典型的职前教师在课程中学习知识和概念，并在退出课程前体验实际教学相比，体验式学习模式在一开始就提供了经验，使STEM职前教师能够认识到他们现有的实践，进行有目的的学习，并发展更有效的概念构建。多语言化身包括在通过该项目开发的数学和科学模拟中。此外，嵌入多个混合现实模拟机会和集中的导师反馈，可以有目的地在整个职前教师学习计划中提供高质量的实践机会。混合现实模拟和辅导旨在为职前STEM教师提供实践教学的机会，这些教学关注STEM语言需求的多层次概念化，以及学习者对融入文化和复杂实施技能发展的认同。该项目的成果将通过专业渠道(即，国家和地方会议以及同行评议的期刊)、所有视频展示的NSF STEM和一个计划网站进行传播。该项目有可能使STEM教育界受益，使STEM教师为多文化和多语言课堂做好准备，最终将改善所有学生的教育公平。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。通过参与式学生学习路径，该计划支持创建、探索和实施有前途的实践和工具。部分资金来自罗伯特·诺伊斯教师奖学金计划。这一奖项反映了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 developing undergraduate STEM education students’ ability to teach in a way that is culturally and linguistically sustaining through a learning model that includes practicing teaching with virtual avatars. While the number of students who speak a language other than English at home continues to grow, English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students have persistently floundered in K-12 schools and are underrepresented particularly in STEM fields in both college and the workforce. Most STEM teachers in the United States have received only limited preparation in ESOL instruction. Therefore, it is critical to prepare STEM pre-service teachers to better serve students who do not speak English as their primary language. This project provides online modules to develop culturally and linguistically sustaining STEM pedagogies with focused mentor feedback and high-quality mixed-reality simulation practices throughout the learning sequence. Anticipated outcomes of this project are the improvement of undergraduate students’ ability to enact culturally and linguistically sustaining STEM pedagogies as they support learning of students who speak another language than English at home, as well as the development of effective practice-based teacher education learning experiences including replicable online instructional activities.Project goals include 1) developing undergraduate STEM education students’ culturally and linguistically sustaining STEM teaching practices and 2) understanding effects of an online learning model with mixed-reality simulations on their improvement of culturally and linguistically sustaining STEM teaching. This project uses a mixed-methods research design. Developing instructional expertise requires not only learning knowledge and observing exemplary teaching but also purposeful practices with critical reflection and focused feedback. Compared to a typical teacher education program in which pre-service teachers learn the knowledge and concepts in their coursework and experience actual teaching toward exiting the program, the experiential learning model provides "experience" in the very beginning so that STEM pre-service teachers can recognize their existing practices, proceed through purposeful learning, and develop more effective concept building. Multilingual avatars are included in the mathematics and science simulations developed through this project. In addition, embedding multiple mixed-reality simulation opportunities with focused mentor feedback provides high-quality practice opportunities purposefully distributed throughout the pre-service teachers program of study. The mixed-reality simulations with mentoring are designed to provide the pre-service STEM teachers with opportunities to practice pedagogies that attend to the multi-layered conceptualization of language demands in STEM and learners' buy-in regarding incorporation of culture as well as complex implementation skill development. Results of this project are to be disseminated through professional avenues (i.e., national and local conferences and peer-reviewed journals), the NSF STEM for All video showcase, and a program website. The project has the potential to benefit the STEM education community by preparing STEM teachers for multicultural and multilingual classrooms, which will eventually improve educational equity for all 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. Partial funding is from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program.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.