RES - AnimalWorld: Enhancing High School Women's Mathematical Competence

一些全国性的评估显示，在过去十年中，数学成绩方面的性别差距已经显著缩小，高中女生学习数学课程的数量也有了显著增加。然而，其他数据表明，女学生在从高中到大学的关键转变过程中，并没有具备深厚的、基于概念的数学能力，这些能力支持她们进入STEM（科学、技术、工程、数学）职业。具体来说，女学生在解决复杂问题上的表现远不如男学生，当她们必须采用新颖的解决问题的方法，当她们必须在时间压力下工作或将技能转移到以前没有见过的问题上时。其他研究指出了男女学生学习方式的差异；女生需要更有条理、具体和重复的指导，而男生则需要更抽象的提示和帮助，这表明他们对数学概念有更深的理解。一个相关的担忧是，女性学生增加的数学课程并没有转化为更多的女性进入职场；也就是说，女性正在学习额外的数学知识，但并不打算在自己的职业生涯中利用它。其后果是，女性在STEM专业和职业领域的代表性持续不足，而精通数学的工人数量严重缺乏，不足以满足我们国家的需求。本研究旨在探讨导致女生数学能力较差的因素，以及在高中到大学的关键过渡阶段男女学生的学习风格。我们的调查发生在一个多媒体，多组件模拟环境的背景下：动物世界。AnimalWorld为高中女生（和男生）提供1)一个高中数学（分数、代数、几何、比率/比例/小数、概率）的智能导师，提供性别适应的指导，并允许分析男性和女性的学习风格；2)虚拟导师组件，在模拟世界中解决数学问题的学生可以与真实的女性研究人员和专家（通过模拟中嵌入的视频片段）讨论他们的训练和数学对他们职业生涯的重要性；3)一个触手可及的数学模块，在这个模块中，学生定期排练数学事实，释放认知资源，用于解决更高阶的问题，预测数学考试成绩的提高；4)通过在模拟三维环境中动态操纵物体来增强学生空间认知的模块，这将使我们能够为女性数学成绩较差反映空间认知不发达的假设提供有力的检验；5) sat数学准备模块，旨在缩小这个关键成就测试中显著的性别差距。我们的预测是，与动物世界合作的女学生在解决复杂数学问题的能力上有显著提高，包括他们的sat数学考试成绩；性别适应性教学将促进女学生更好地理解概念；虚拟导师将鼓励女学生对STEM职业表现出更大的兴趣。研究结果将增加我们对男女学习方式的理解，并为所有学生提供有效的数学教学新方法。

Some national assessments show that the gender gap in math achievement has narrowed dramatically in the last decade, and that there has been a significant increase in the number of mathematics courses taken by high school women. However, other data indicate that female students do not confront the critical transition from high school to college with deep, conceptually based mathematical competence that supports entry into STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) careers. Specifically, female students perform much less well than males on complex problem solving, when they must apply novel problem solving approaches, and when they must work under time pressure or transfer skills to problems not previously seen. Other research points to differences in female and male students learning styles; female students require more structured, concrete and repetitive instruction whereas males do equally well with more abstract hints and help, suggesting that they have a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts. A related concern is that female students increased math course taking has not translated into a higher number of women in the pipeline towards careers; that is, women are taking additional math but are not planning to utilize it in their careers. The consequences are seen in the continued under-representation of females in STEM majors and careers, and the critical lack of mathematically sophisticated workers in numbers sufficient to meet our nations needs.This project is designed to investigate the factors that contribute to female students shallower mathematical competence, as well as the learning styles that characterize male and female students at the critical transition from high school to college. Our investigations take place in the context of a multimedia, multi-component simulation environment: AnimalWorld. AnimalWorld provides high school women (and men) with 1) an intelligent tutor for high school mathematics (fractions; algebra; geometry; ratios/proportions/decimals; probability) that provides gender adaptive instruction and allows for analysis of male and female learning styles; 2) a virtual mentor component, in which students who are solving math problems in the simulated world can meet real female researchers and experts (through video clips embedded in the simulation) who discuss their training and the importance of math for their careers; 3) a math at your fingertips module in which students periodically rehearse math facts to free cognitive resources for higher-order problem solving, predicting increased math test scores; 4) a module to enhance students spatial cognition through dynamic manipulation of objects in simulated three-dimensional environments, which will allow us to provide a strong test of the hypothesis that females poorer math achievement reflects less well developed spatial cognition; and 5) an SAT-Math preparation module designed to narrow the striking gender gap on this critical achievement test.Our prediction is that female students who work with AnimalWorld will show significant increases in their complex math problem-solving skill, including their SAT-Math exam performance; that gender adaptive instruction will foster greater conceptual understanding in female students; and that virtual mentors will encourage female students to report greater interest in STEM careers. The results will increase our understanding of male and female learning styles, as well as provide new approaches to effective mathematics instruction for all students.