A "Networked" Social Science Laboratory: In-Person and Virtual Workshops

这个项目解决的问题是在社会科学专业本科生中普遍认识到的“定量推理鸿沟”。其目标是：(1)在本科早期阶段将更多的“科学”引入社会科学；(2)通过在积极的学习环境中展示定量推理技能与社会问题的相关性，使社会科学专业的学生能够获得这些技能；(3)为利用这些技能的应用高级课程和职业做好准备。这些方法是实施传统的面对面研讨会和“虚拟”--互联网可访问的研讨会，这将使两年制和四年制大学的社会科学教师能够交流数据和想法，以便在课堂上介绍美国人口普查数据的分析。该项目的影响将超出项目期的范围，因为在项目期结束后，虚拟讲习班以及一个可上网的习题库将自给自足。除了一般在两年制和四年制院校的教师外，面向的特殊对象是少数族裔和残疾教师，以及来自两年制本科院校和其他机构的教师，这些机构很少或根本没有为参与此类活动提供财政支持。这项建议建立在教育部资助的密歇根大学人口研究中心(PSC)和五大湖学院协会(GLCA)12所学院网络之间的合作基础上。这个现有的FIPSE项目展示了通过互联网将交互式美国人口普查数据分析纳入现有本科课程的可行性。这项向NSF提出的建议将分享课程材料和互动网络能力的方法扩展到一个全国性的社会科学教师社区。

The problem this project addresses is the "quantitative reasoning gap" that has been widely recognized among undergraduate social science majors. The objectives are to (1) introduce more "science" into the social sciences at the early undergraduate level; (2) make quantitative reasoning skills accessible to social science majors by showing their relevance to social issues in an active learning setting; (3) prepare students for applied upper level courses and careers that utilize these skills. The methods are implementation of both traditional in-person workshops and a "virtual" -- Internet -- accessible workshop that will enable social science faculty at two and four year colleges to exchange data and ideas toward introducing analysis of U.S. Census data in their classes. This project will have impact beyond that in the project period, since the virtual workshop, along with an Internet-accessible library of exercises, will be self-sustaining after the conclusion of the project period. In addition to faculty generally at two and four year institutions, the special audiences addressed are minority and disabled faculty, as well as faculty from two-year undergraduate institutions and other institutions that provide little or no financial support for involvement in such activities. This proposal builds on a Department of Education-funded (FIPSE) collaboration between the University of Michigan Population Studies Center (PSC) and a network of 12 colleges of the Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA). This existing FIPSE project demonstrates the feasibility of incorporating interactive U.S. Census data analysis via the Internet into existing undergraduate curricula. This proposal to NSF extends to a national community of social science instructors an approach to sharing curricular materials and interactive networking capabilities.