Scaffolding High Impact Practices to Increase Community College Student Engagement with Undergraduate Research

该项目旨在为科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）领域的教师和学生提供参与本科研究经历（UREs）的机会，从而提高STEM和非STEM学生在社区大学的成功率，从而为国家利益服务。在之前和当前奖项的基础上，该项目旨在通过Cuesta学院的STEM项目加强和扩展本科生的研究经验（UREs）。Cuesta学院是一所西班牙裔服务机构，也为加利福尼亚州的农村社区提供服务。认识到为社区学院的学生和教师提供参加大学教育的机会的重要性，这项努力旨在加强和（或）扩大不同类型的大学教育。这些措施包括将本科生的研究经验嵌入到已建立的STEM课程和机会中（基于课程的本科生研究经验、实地考察/实验室、研究特定课程、独立经验和研究型STEM研讨会）。这一努力的一个基本要素是建立一个由STEM经验丰富的新教师组成的社区，致力于在他们的学科和研究项目中开发和实施UREs。基于以往和当前的经验教训，项目团队借鉴并实施了创新扩散理论的各个方面，以传播和宣传课程，支撑高影响力的实践（一种引导的进展），并在学院维持不同形式的课程。该项目的目标是通过追求三个目标，建立一个脚手架方法或指导学生参与学院本科研究的进展。首先是建立一个教师创新小组来发展、传播和维持UREs。第二是为至少300名STEM和非STEM学生提供广泛的URE机会，以探索基础研究技能和研究经验。第三，也是最后一点，是为所有对STEM研究机会和职业道路感兴趣的学生提供并制度化STEM研讨会。该项目旨在促进对本科生研究经历对学生成功和教师学习的影响的理解。知识生成、项目成果和相关类型的ure以及传播都基于面向数据到行动的评估和项目方法。为了评估和记录成果和实施情况，该项目打算开发和执行各种定量和定性数据收集和数据分析方法，以调查教师学习对本科STEM教育的影响，例如教师参与专业发展活动对各种高影响力课程的广度和深度以及学生参与和成功的影响。NSF IUSE: EDU项目支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。通过其机构和社区转型轨道，该计划支持在高等教育机构和学科社区中转变和改善STEM教育的努力。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 offering opportunities for faculty and students throughout Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) to engage in undergraduate research experiences (UREs) and thereby increase the success of STEM and non-STEM students attending community colleges. Building on prior and current awards, this project aims to enhance and extend undergraduate research experiences (UREs) throughout STEM programs at Cuesta College, a Hispanic Serving Institution that also serves rural communities in California. Recognizing the importance of offering opportunities for students and faculty at community colleges to participate in UREs, this effort intends to enhance and/or expand different types of UREs. These include embedding undergraduate research experiences in established STEM courses and opportunities (course-based undergraduate research experiences, fieldwork/labs, research specific courses, stand-alone experiences, and a research-oriented STEM seminar). An essential element of this effort is the establishment of a community of STEM experienced and new faculty committed to the development and implementation of UREs in their disciplines and programs of study. Based on lessons learned from prior and current efforts, the project team draws on and implements aspects of the Diffusion of Innovation theory to spread and propagate UREs, scaffold high impact practices (a guided progression), and sustain different formats of UREs at the college. The goal of the project is to establish a scaffolding approach or guided progression of student participation in undergraduate research at the college by pursuing three objectives. First is building on a faculty innovation group to develop, propagate, and sustain UREs. Second is offering a broad range of URE opportunities to at least 300 STEM and non-STEM students to explore foundational research skills and research experiences. Third, and finally, is offering and institutionalizing a STEM seminar open to all students interested in research opportunities and career paths in STEM. The project intends to contribute to the advancement of understanding of the impact of undergraduate research experiences on student success and faculty learning. Knowledge generation, project outcomes and associated types of UREs, and propagation are based on a data-to-action oriented evaluation and project approach. To assess and document outcomes and implementation, the project intends to develop and execute a variety of quantitative and qualitative data collection and data analysis methods to investigate the impact of faculty learning on undergraduate STEM education, such as the effect of faculty participation in professional development activities on the breadth and depth of a variety of high impact UREs and student participation and success. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through its Institutional and Community Transformation track, the program supports efforts to transform and improve STEM education across institutions of higher education and disciplinary communities.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.