CAREER: Improving Interracial Contact in STEM: Examining the Effect of Repeated Interracial Contact in VR On Racial Anxiety and Attitudes, Social Networks, and Performance

教师早期职业发展(Career)计划是国家科学基金会范围内的一项活动，旨在为那些通过杰出的研究、出色的教育以及在其组织使命范围内整合教育和研究而体现教师学者作用的初级教师提供奖励。该职业奖支持旨在增加高等教育STEM文化多样性和包容性的实验性和纵向研究。该项目将使用虚拟现实来探索种族间的互动以及与种族相关的认知和情感。研究结果将为利用虚拟现实纳入STEM的理论和干预措施提供参考。该项目将研究和教育融为一体，让本科生和研究生参与虚拟现实模拟和研究的开发，并通过与黑人女孩代码组织的伙伴关系让高中女孩参与。本项目采用定量和定性相结合的方法，包括虚拟现实模拟、面对面实验和焦点小组，以检验STEM中重复的虚拟现实界面接触假说。该项目的第一阶段审查了STEM背景下的虚拟现实种族间互动进程在多大程度上反映了面对面的种族间互动进程。该项目第二阶段将虚拟现实中的审议实践和暴露疗法研究的见解应用于STEM学生，将为STEM学生提供在实验室、组织会议和学习小组等常见STEM环境中与虚拟现实模拟互动的多个机会。第三阶段将研究虚拟现实种族间互动对来自代表性不足群体的学生学习成绩的长期影响。这项研究将通过为STEM中历史上被边缘化的群体的学生创造更具包容性和更友好的环境，并在编程和研究方面培训不同的学生，来加强和多样化STEM的途径。该奖项由EHR核心研究计划支持，该计划支持STEM基础教育研究计划。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。

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program is a National Science Foundation-wide activity that offers awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education, and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations. This CAREER award supports experimental and longitudinal studies that aim to increase diversity and inclusion in higher education STEM culture. The project will use virtual reality to explore interracial interactions and race-related cognitions and emotions. Study findings will inform theory and interventions on inclusion in STEM using virtual reality. This project integrates research and education by involving undergraduate and graduate students in the development of virtual reality simulations and research, as well as high school girls through partnership with the Black Girls Code organization. Employing quantitative and qualitative methods, this project includes virtual reality simulations, in-person experiments and focus groups to examine the repeated virtual reality interracial contact hypothesis in STEM. Phase I of the project examines the extent to which virtual reality interracial interaction processes in STEM contexts mirror in-person interracial interaction processes. Applying insights from research on deliberative practice and exposure therapy in virtual reality, Phase II of the project will provide STEM students multiple opportunities to interact with virtual reality simulations in common STEM settings, such as laboratories, organization meetings, and study groups. Phase III will examine the long-term impacts of virtual reality interracial interactions on the academic performance of students from underrepresented groups. This research will strengthen and diversify STEM pathways by fostering more inclusive and welcoming environments for students from groups historically marginalized in STEM and training diverse students in programming and research. This award is supported by the EHR Core Research program which supports fundamental STEM education research initiatives.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.