Developing, Implementing, and Studying an Urban Field-Based Course to Improve Learning Outcomes in Undergraduate STEM Disciplines

有一个关键的需要，为本科理科学生提供真实的研究经验，以发展他们的科学知识，技能和思维。 化学/生物化学，物理/环境科学在圣玛丽的大学，位于得克萨斯州圣安东尼奥，为期4年的西班牙裔服务机构部门，将合作开发和实施一个基于实地的本科课程，并研究实地考察对化学和环境科学专业的影响。 参加实地项目的学生将描述和监测城市溪流地点Confluence Park的化学和物理条件，因为它作为城市公园进行恢复和重建。 外地方案将：（1）为西班牙裔，第一代和低收入学生提供科学丰富的学术经验;（2）通过将关键原则实际应用于真实的现实世界问题来提高学生的学习成果;（3）促进公民参与和社区自豪感，并通过推广计划培养科学素养。 通过改善这类学生的教育成果，将直接影响培养更多样化的STEM劳动力的需求。 因此，这个项目，通过国家科学基金会的教育和人力资源局改善本科STEM教育资助，（IUSE-EHR）计划，学生学习探索轨道，将积极促进IUSE-EHR计划的意图，该计划旨在确定最佳实践，以增加参与STEM领域的学生数量和多样性，以及提高STEM学习成果。实地计划的目标是评估基于实地的方法对从事化学和环境科学的不同本科生群体的态度和学习成果的影响。 该计划的学生将参与一个以团队为基础的项目，以表征和监测圣安东尼奥河上的城市站点Confluence Park的物理和化学变化，该站点将作为城市公园进行恢复和重建。 该计划的顶点将是一个为期两个学期的课程，在实地环境化学。 现场计划将包括实验设计，协作学习，使用行业标准和协议的实践经验，数据分析以及将结果传达给不同受众的元素。 通过鼓励学生在自然环境中应用化学和环境科学原理，该领域计划将为多样化的学生群体提供增强的本科STEM学习体验。 调查之前和之后的课程将被用来评估在学生的态度和学习成果的实地计划参与的影响。 实地考察的跨学科性质将促进合作，为化学参与者提供对表征自然系统的复杂性的见解，而环境科学参与者将获得与高质量实验室分析相关的努力和不确定性的赞赏。 这种在科学生涯中期望什么的模式将增强学生对STEM学科的承诺，这直接影响到STEM劳动力管道中的持久性。 虽然该计划将在特定地点实施，但在实地计划中制定的原则旨在根据其他学院，大学和学校系统的位置和学科兴趣进行调整。 此外，通过表征和监测汇流公园，因为它是发展，与会者将获得洞察恢复和恢复的物理和化学条件的城市现场的影响。 这些数据将有助于确定最有效的恢复方法，以实现所需的最终状态。 本研究期间收集的信息将与科学界和圣安东尼奥汇流公园开发的其他利益相关者分享。 通过这种基于社区领域的工作，本科生不仅将获得科学知识和敏锐性，但他们也将通过他们的社区参与活动开发与科学传播到广泛的人群相关的技能。

There is a critical need to provide undergraduate science students with authentic research experiences in order to develop their scientific knowledge, skills, and thinking. The Departments of Chemistry/Biochemistry, and Physics/Environmental Science at St. Mary's University, a 4-year Hispanic-Serving Institution located in San Antonio, Texas, will collaborate to develop and implement a field-based undergraduate course and study the effects of fieldwork on Chemistry and Environmental Science majors. Students participating in the Field Program will characterize and monitor the chemical and physical conditions at an urban stream site, Confluence Park, as it undergoes restoration and rehabilitation as a city park. The Field Program will: (1) provide scientifically rich academic experiences to Hispanic, first-generation and low-income students; (2) enhance student learning outcomes through practical application of key principles to an authentic real-world problem; and (3) promote civic engagement and pride in the community, as well as foster science literacy through outreach programs. By improving educational outcomes for this group of students, the need to develop a more diverse STEM workforce will be directly impacted. Thus, this project, funded through the National Science Foundation's Improving Undergraduate STEM Education in the Education and Human Resources Directorate (IUSE-EHR) program, the Engaged Student Learning-Exploration track, will positively contribute to the intents of the IUSE-EHR program which seeks to identify best practices to increase the number and diversity of students participating in STEM fields, as well as improve STEM learning outcomes.The goal of the Field Program is to evaluate the effects of field-based methods on attitudes and learning outcomes for a diverse group of undergraduate students engaged in Chemistry and Environmental Science. Students in the program will engage in a team-based project to characterize and monitor physical and chemical changes at an urban site, Confluence Park, on the San Antonio River that will be undergoing restoration and rehabilitation as a city park. The program capstone will be a two-semester course in Field-Based Environmental Chemistry. The Field Program will incorporate elements of experimental design, collaborative learning, practical experience using industry standards and protocols, data analysis, and communication of results to a diverse audience. By encouraging students to apply Chemistry and Environmental Science principles in a natural setting, the Field Program will provide a diverse group of students with an enhanced undergraduate STEM learning experience. Surveys before and after the course will be used to evaluate the impact of participation in the Field Program on student attitudes and learning outcomes. The interdisciplinary nature of fieldwork will foster collaboration, providing Chemistry participants with insights into the complexities of characterizing natural systems, while Environmental Science participants will gain an appreciation of the effort and uncertainties associated with high-quality laboratory analysis. This model of what to expect in a science career will enhance student commitment to a STEM discipline, which directly affects persistence within the STEM workforce pipeline. Although this program will be implemented at a specific site, the principles developed in the Field Program are designed to be adaptable by other colleges, universities, and school systems according to their own location and disciplinary interests. In addition, through characterizing and monitoring of Confluence Park as it is developed, participants will gain insights into the effects of restoration and rehabilitation on the physical and chemical conditions of an urban field site. These data will help identify restoration methods that are the most effective at achieving the desired end state. The information gathered during this study will be shared with the scientific community and other stakeholders in the development of Confluence Park in San Antonio. Through this community-field-based work, undergraduate students will not only gain scientific knowledge and acumen, but they will also develop skills related to communicating science to a broad range of people through their community engagement activities.