A Scientific Thinking Skill-Based Curricular Overlay for Introductory Psychology at 2-year and 4-year Colleges

该项目旨在通过改进大学一年级理科课程的教育来服务于国家利益。认识到重复的脚手架练习的重要性，该项目介绍和评估了一种新的训练科学技能的课程方法，在这里适用于心理学入门的三种科学学习成果。特别是，这个参与的学生学习：第一级项目将产生一套研究验证的材料，可以由心理学入门教师结合和改编，这些教师具有各种教学经验和教学背景，包括两年制和四年制大学环境。作为科学技能培训的一种创新方法，该项目设计的课程方法也可作为以技能为基础的培训的可复制框架，可应用于其他科学技能和/或学科。该项目的总体目标是开发、评估和传播以技能为基础的课程覆盖(SBCO)，以支持两年制和四年制院校心理学入门课程的科学思维。这将满足美国心理学协会和其他STEM学科组织承认的需要，即除了内容覆盖之外，还需要在入门课程中纳入更强有力的科学思维技能培训。SBCO采用反向设计，系统地确定关键科学思维学习成果的前身技能和子技能，并以脚手架、迭代的方式针对它们，包括与心理学入门的主要内容领域相关的一致的课堂范例、家庭作业和考试问题。即插即用的结构和随附的教师指南将允许教师轻松地将SBCO移植到现有的课程结构上，只需最少的课程修改或对新技术或特殊资源的需求。为了确保教材对不同的教学环境和学生需求作出反应，SBCO的开发和评估将在两个不同的环境中进行：在两年制和四年制大学。在整个发展过程中，两所大学的学生和教师顾问委员会的意见将通过多样性、公平和包容性(DEI)的视角进行考虑，以确保所有注册本科心理学入门课程的学生都能公平地获得材料。一份全面的评估计划将对SBCO在两所院校的有效性进行总结性评估，然后再向教育界广泛传播。NSF IUSE：EDU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 through improved education in first-year college science courses. Recognizing the importance of repeated, scaffolded practice, the project introduces and assesses a novel curricular approach to training scientific skills, applied here to three scientific learning outcomes specific to Introductory Psychology. In particular, this Engaged Student Learning: Level I project will generate a set of research-validated materials that can be incorporated and adapted by Introductory Psychology instructors with a range of teaching experience and teaching in a variety of contexts including both 2- and 4-year college settings. As an innovative approach to scientific skill training, the curricular approach designed by the project also serves as a replicable framework for skill-based training that can be applied to other scientific skills and/or disciplines. The overarching goals of the project are to develop, evaluate, and disseminate a Skill-Based Curricular Overlay (SBCO) to bolster scientific thinking in Introductory Psychology courses at 2-year and 4-year institutions. This will meet the need, recognized by the American Psychological Association and other STEM disciplinary organizations, to incorporate stronger training of scientific thinking skills in introductory courses, in addition to content coverage. Using backward design, the SBCO systematically identifies precursor skills and subskills of key scientific thinking learning outcomes and targets them in a scaffolded, iterative way, including aligned class examples, homework assignments, and exam questions relevant to the main content domains of Introductory Psychology. A plug-and-play structure and accompanying instructor guides will allow an instructor to easily graft the SBCO onto existing course structures with minimal course revision or need for new technology or special resources. In order to ensure materials are responsive to different instructional contexts and student needs, development and evaluation of the SBCO will occur in two distinct settings: at a 2-year and 4-year college. Throughout development, input from student and faculty advisory boards at both institutions will be considered through a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) lens to ensure fairness and accessibility of materials for all students who enroll in undergraduate Introductory Psychology courses. A comprehensive assessment plan will provide a summative assessment of theeffectiveness of the SBCO at both institutions prior to broader dissemination to the teaching community. The NSF IUSE: EDU 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.