HSI Pilot Poject: Recruitment, Bridge Course and Undergraduate Research Experience (RBCURE)

在改善本科STEM教育的支持下：西班牙裔服务机构（HSI计划），IUSE-HSI轨道1试点项目：招聘，桥梁课程和本科研究经验（RBCURE）项目是一个跨学科项目，将提高本科教育和研究的质量在西德克萨斯州农工大学（WTAMU）的自然科学。 具体而言，该项目将加强非主要STEM课程的学术经验，目标是吸引更多代表性不足的少数民族学生从非主要科学课程进入地质学和化学; WTAMU的两个学科具有不同学生群体的低代表性。该项目还致力于通过有意义和实用的研究经验来留住学生，这些经验可以使学生在本科研究人员和未来的STEM职业和高级学位中取得成功。通过定制学习模块（通过在线桥梁课程）并通过有效的教学实践适当培训STEM研究教师（通过精心设计的研讨会），该项目将积极主动地（而不是被动地）为学生未来的就业机会和参与美国STEM劳动力做好准备。RBCURE将以两个项目目标为指导：加强本科STEM教育在非主要STEM课程，并改善学生在课堂和研究实验室的经验。为了实现RBCURE的目标，将通过四个项目活动来完成：1）两个非主要科学课程的课程设计（地质学和化学）; 2）创建两个在线桥梁课程，以促进从非专业课程过渡到选择科学专业的学生的后续课程;3）开发关于STEM指导的研究教师研讨会;（4）研究生网上模块系统的开发。该项目的目标是：通过增加ABC/DFIX比率，在重新设计的地质学和化学非专业第一部分课程中公平代表学生的成功;评估两个在线桥梁课程对学生成功和招聘到第二部分科学专业地质学和化学课程的有效性;评估旨在确定进行本科研究的最佳做法的研究教师发展讲习班的有效性;通过提供在线支持模块来改善研究学生的体验，这些模块旨在预先加载学生将在研究项目开始时完成的研究信息;并使用研究结果和经验教训制定IUSE-HSI第2轨道实施和评估（IEP）提案。HSI计划旨在加强本科STEM教育，并建立HSI的能力。HSI计划支持的项目也将产生关于如何实现这些目标的新知识。该奖项反映了NSF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。

With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), the IUSE-HSI Track 1 Pilot Project: Recruitment, Bridge Course and Undergraduate Research Experience (RBCURE) project is an interdisciplinary project that will enhance the quality of undergraduate education and research in the natural sciences at West Texas A&M University (WTAMU). Specifically, the project will enhance academic experiences in non-major STEM courses with a goal to attract more underrepresented minority students from non-major science courses into Geology and Chemistry; two disciplines at WTAMU that have low representation of diverse student populations. The project is also committed to retaining students through meaningful and practical research experiences that can position students for success as undergraduate researchers and in prospective STEM careers and advanced degrees. By tailoring learning modules (through online bridge courses) and properly training STEM research faculty with effective teaching practices (through thoughtfully designed workshops), the project will be proactively (rather than reactively) preparing students for future job opportunities and participation in the U.S. STEM workforce.RBCURE will be guided by two project goals: to enhance undergraduate STEM education in non-major STEM courses and to improve student experiences in both the classroom and the research laboratory. Fulfilling the goals of RBCURE will be accomplished through four project activities: 1) curriculum design in two non-major science courses (Geology and Chemistry); 2) creation of two online bridge courses to facilitate transitioning from the course for non-majors to the subsequent course for students selecting a science major;3) development of a research faculty workshop on STEM mentoring; and 4) development of an online module system for new research students. The project objectives are: to have equitable representation of student success in redesigned Geology and Chemistry non-majors part one courses by increasing ABC/DFIX ratios; to evaluate the effectiveness of two online bridge courses for student success and recruitment into part two science major geology and chemistry courses; to assess the effectiveness of a research faculty development workshop designed to identify best practices for conducting undergraduate research; to improve research student experiences by providing online support modules intended to front-load research information that students would complete at the start of their research project; and to develop an IUSE-HSI Track 2 Implementation and Evaluation (IEP) proposal for submission that uses findings and lessons learned. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education and build capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also generate new knowledge on how to achieve these aims.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.