Transforming Undergraduate STEM Education Through Development of Novel Cyberinfrastructure for General Chemistry eLearning

新不伦瑞克罗格斯大学的这个为期24个月的TUES-Type1项目正在开发一种新的网络基础设施资源，为普通化学1和2的学生提供一个在线环境，用于交互的、自我指导的分析问题解决技能的发展。该项目被称为GCeLS，意为通用化学电子学习系统，该项目正在围绕一个“关键技能网络”组织关系数据库，该网络充当连接所有基本问题解决步骤的中央网络。GCeLS正在开发中，以提供具有可调难度和所需技能广度的定制练习。互动环境通过提示、指导性解决方案和教学模块融入深度反馈机制。GCeLS还提供了一种跟踪学生数据的机制，学生个人和教师都可以使用这些数据来评估掌握情况。该系统被设计成允许教师对在线家庭作业或用作个性化学习工具的问题交付进行详细控制。通过使用随时随地的电子资源使学生能够掌握普通化学中常见的挑战，该项目使教师能够利用有限的面对面时间与学生更深入地发展，更深入地了解化学中的引人入胜的概念和挑战。加强与学生的课堂互动正在为普通化学学生带来更好的教育体验，并导致更高的成功率、更好的记忆力和更多的STEM专业。该项目正在开发的转型资源可以被许多机构利用，甚至可以适应其他学科。该项目的评估重点是GCeLS对学生学习化学和对化学的态度的影响，以及教师教学的性质，并将在每个处理组和配对的控制组中有多达120名学生。正在使用选定内容领域的考试前和考试后分数以及期末考试成绩来记录课程内容对学生学习的影响，以及向其他领域转移知识和技能的程度。SALG(学生学习收获评估)调查被用来评估学生对化学态度的变化。之前和之后的调查以及结构化的访谈正在向该项目提供关于教师如何使用GCeLS提供的信息来为他们的教学和学生办公时间访问提供信息的信息。

This 24-month, TUES-Type1 project at Rutgers University New Brunswick is developing a novel cyberinfrastructure resource that provides General Chemistry 1 and 2 students an on-line environment for interactive, self-guided development of analytic problem solving skills. Known as GCeLS, for General Chemistry eLearning System, the project is organizing relational databases around a 'critical skills network' that serves as a central web connecting all elemental problem-solving steps. GCeLS is being developed to deliver custom exercises with tunable levels of difficulty and breadth of required skills. The interactive environment is incorporating deep feedback mechanisms through hints, guided solutions, and teaching modules. GCeLS is also providing a mechanism to track student data that can be used to assess mastery both by an individual student and by the instructor. The system is being engineered to allow instructors detailed control over problem delivery for either on-line homework assignments or to be used as a personalized study tool. By using an anytime, anywhere electronic resource to enable students to master commonly encountered challenges in General Chemistry, the project is enabling instructors to use limited face-to-face time with students to develop more deeply, the engaging concepts and challenges in chemistry. The enhanced classroom interactions with students is leading to a better educational experience of students in General Chemistry, and is leading to increased success, better retention, and more STEM majors. The transformational resource being developed by the project can be utilized by many institutions and even adapted to other disciplines. The project's evaluation is focusing on the impact GCeLS has on both student learning of and attitudes towards chemistry, and the nature of faculty instruction, and will have up to 120 students in each of the treatment and paired control groups. Pre- and post-test scores on select content areas and final exams results are being used to document impact on student learning of course content as well as degree of knowledge and skills transfer to other areas. SALG (Student Assessment of Learning Gains) surveys are used to assess changes in students' attitude towards chemistry. Pre- and post-surveys as well as structured interviews are informing the project about how faculty use the information provided by GCeLS to inform their instruction and student office hour visits.