Collaborative Research: Network Science for All: Positioning Underserved Youth for Success in Pursuing STEM Pathways

波士顿大学将与拉美社会合作，调查中学网络科学课程作为科学学习的投入和结果所起的作用。该项目由学生和教师创新技术体验计划(ITEST)资助，该计划支持的项目旨在加深对实践、计划要素、背景和过程的理解，有助于提高学生对科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)以及信息和通信技术(ICT)职业的知识和兴趣。该项目团队将专注于开发技能，以调查在社会、技术和科学领域对人类有意义的现实世界问题。这个项目将利用可公开获得的数据，让学生在教室内外参与基于项目的活动，这些活动可能会产生社会影响。项目小组将在网络科学镜头的背景下利用以前开发的数据驱动的课程，综合非常有前途的技术和STEM资源以及校内和校外方案，并嵌入关于有效职业发展的新的教育研究进展，以形成一种结构，使未得到充分服务的青年能够最好地为未来的科学学习定位。课程和职业发展资源将直接接触到600名主要是拉丁裔学生、12名教师、家长和其他关键利益相关者。项目活动将在波士顿的一系列校内和课后项目中实施。通过集体影响方法，该项目将可复制，扩大到整个马萨诸塞州的更多学校，为相关项目提供信息，并演变为对地区和全国的影响。该项目将为中学生创造新的学习机会，通过数据分析、数据可视化和网络建模来探索现实世界中基于项目的问题。这项研究将通过三个相互依存的方面推进跨学科教学领域以及支持学生和教师的战略：(1)所有劳动力准备课程模块的网络科学，(2)基于通过全州范围的数据将学生与同龄人进行比较的应用评估指标，以及(3)嵌入计划结构中的可持续性和可扩展性。该项目将由几个旨在利用该计划的咨询委员会提供信息，以维持和扩大该努力。在波士顿大学，一个内部顾问委员会将把该项目嵌入到大学的广泛生态系统中，作为集体影响文化的一部分。STEM顾问委员会将为科学计划提供信息。一个正式的独立外部咨询委员会将指导该项目的努力。研究将分两个阶段进行。在第一阶段，将使用基于设计的研究反复改进课程和方案干预措施。在第二阶段，研究将通过考察(1)获得满足未来劳动力需求的下一代STEM能力的各种不同方式，(2)学生及其支持系统的动机和参与度，以及(3)对转变STEM相关职业目标和实现这些目标的途径的影响，来检验该计划为青年定位成功的程度。所有材料将以电子形式在波士顿大学项目网站上提供，将根据开放源码和开放内容许可证获得许可，并将免费分发给教师、课程开发人员和研究人员。研究成果将通过出版物和会议程序广泛传播。这一奖项反映了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。

Boston University, in partnership with Sociedad Latina, will investigate the role that a middle school network science curriculum plays as both an input and outcome of science learning. This project is funded by the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program, which supports projects that build understandings of practices, program elements, contexts and processes contributing to increasing students' knowledge and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and information and communication technology (ICT) careers. The project team will focus on development of skills to investigate real-world problems that have meaningful consequences for humankind across social, technical, and scientific domains. This project will make use of publicly available data to allow students to be involved in project-based activities in and out of their classrooms that can have societal impact. The project team will leverage previously developed data-driven curriculum in the context of a network science lens, synthesize highly promising technical and STEM resources as well as in-school and out-of-school programs, and embed new education research advances on effective career development to evolve a construct that will best position underserved youth for future learning of science. The curriculum and career development resources will directly reach 600 principally Latinx students, 12 teachers, parents, and other key stakeholders. Project activities will be implemented in a range of in-school and after-school programs in Boston. Through a collective impact approach, the project will be replicable, scale to more schools throughout Massachusetts, inform related projects, and evolve to regional and national impact. The project will create novel learning opportunities for middle school students to explore real-world project-based problems addressed through data analysis, data visualization and network modeling. This study will advance the field of interdisciplinary teaching and learning as well as strategies for supporting students and teachers through three interdependent strands: (1) Network Science for All workforce readiness curriculum modules, (2) applied evaluation metrics based on comparing students to peer groups through statewide data, and (3) sustainability and scalability embedded in the structure of the program. The project will be informed by several advisory boards aimed at leveraging the program in order to sustain and scale the effort. At Boston University, an internal advisory board will embed the project into the broad ecosystem of the university as part of a collective impact culture. A STEM advisory board will inform the science program. A formal independent external advisory board will guide the project’s efforts. Research will be conducted in two phases. In Phase 1, design-based research will be used to iteratively refine curriculum and programmatic interventions. In Phase 2, the research will examine the degree to which the program positions youth for success by examining the (1) varied acquisition of next generation STEM competencies for future workforce needs, (2) motivation and engagement of students and their support systems, and (3) impact on shifting STEM-related career goals and pathways to achieving these goals. All materials will be available in electronic forms on a Boston University project website, will be licensed under open-source code and open content licenses, and will be freely distributed to teachers, curriculum developers, and researchers. Research findings will be widely disseminated through publications and conference proceedings.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.