Integrating Imaging Physics into Undergraduate STEM Education

该项目旨在通过开发生物医学成像教育资源（一个引人入胜的跨学科主题）以用于一系列 STEM 课程，从而服务于国家利益。该合作项目涉及刘易斯与克拉克学院（奖项 DUE-2315741）和波特兰州立大学（奖项 DUE-2315742）的研究人员。成像无处不在。人们用眼睛去看，用相机拍照。科学家使用显微镜观察细胞，使用望远镜观察太空。医生使用超声波、X 射线、放射性同位素和磁共振成像 (MRI) 来观察人体内部。该项目将生成引人入胜的交互式教程，帮助下一代科学家和非科学家以及公众了解和掌握超声和 MRI 等关键医学成像技术的科学基础、诊断和治疗应用以及优势和劣势。此外，这些教程将通过说明 STEM 概念在令人着迷且高度相关的医学成像和成像科学领域中的关键作用，来增强对 STEM 的参与、学习和保留。多学科研究人员团队将开发、测试和传播一套有凝聚力的交互式、探究驱动的教学模拟，涵盖医学成像及其科学基础。模拟连同背景文本、评估问题和研究导向的调查将被组织成四个模块，每个模块涵盖四种主要医学成像模式之一：超声、放射线照相（基于平面和断层X射线的成像）、核成像（基于平面和断层放射性核素的成像）和MRI。为了促进本科教育的广泛使用，这些模块将开源并设计用于常见的在线学习管理系统（例如 Moodle、Canvas）。项目组的主要目标是（1）开发四个模块； （2）将它们整合到两个机构的两门不同的生物医学物理课程中，这两个机构有不同的学生群体和教学环境； (3) 评估两所院校学生对模块的使用情况和影响； (4) 传播和维护互动教育模块、评估材料、教师资源和研究成果，以支持相关教学社区。作为该工作教育研究部分的一部分，研究人员将进行基于调查和访谈的研究，以探讨这些模块如何影响（1）STEM专业学生对跨学科科学背景重要性的态度，以及（2）STEM专业学生对传统学科边界的科学和职业的兴趣。 NSF IUSE：EDU 计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生 STEM 教育的有效性。通过其参与的学生学习轨道，该计划支持有前途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 developing educational resources on biomedical imaging -- an engaging, interdisciplinary topic -- for use in a range of STEM courses. This collaborative project involves investigators at Lewis & Clark College (Award DUE-2315741) and Portland State University (Award DUE-2315742). Imaging is everywhere. People use their eyes to see and cameras to take pictures. Scientists use microscopes to peer into cells, and telescopes to peer out into space. Physicians use ultrasound, X-rays, radioisotopes, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look inside human bodies. This project will generate engaging, interactive tutorials that will help the next generation of scientists and non-scientists, and the general public, learn about and master the scientific foundations, diagnostic and therapeutic applications, and strengths and weaknesses of key medical imaging techniques, such as ultrasound and MRI. In addition, the tutorials will enhance engagement, learning, and retention in STEM by illustrating the pivotal role of STEM concepts in the fascinating and highly relevant fields of medical imaging and imaging science.The multidisciplinary team of investigators will develop, test, and disseminate a cohesive set of interactive, inquiry-driven teaching simulations that cover medical imaging and its foundations in science. The simulations, together with background text, assessment questions, and research-directed surveys, will be organized into four modules, each covering one of four major medical imaging modalities: ultrasound, radiography (planar and tomographic X-ray-based imaging), nuclear imaging (planar and tomographic radionuclide-based imaging), and MRI. To facilitate broad use in undergraduate education, the modules will be open-source and designed for use in common online learning management systems (e.g., Moodle, Canvas). The project team's major goals are (1) to develop the four modules; (2) to integrate them in two different biomedical physics courses at two institutions, which have different student populations and teaching environments; (3) to assess the modules' use by and impact on students at the two institutions; and (4) to disseminate and maintain the interactive educational modules, assessment materials, instructor resources, and research results to support relevant teaching communities. As part of the education research component of the work, the investigators will conduct survey- and interview-based research to explore how the modules impact (1) the attitudes of STEM majors about the importance of an interdisciplinary science background and (2) the interest of STEM majors in science and careers at the boundaries of traditional disciplines. The NSF IUSE: EDU program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through its 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.