Investigating the Combination of Design Thinking and Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences on Student Persistence and Retention in STEM

在这个能力建设项目中，研究人员建议调查设计思维培训与既定教学策略相结合，在西班牙裔服务机构（HSI）和主要城市本科院校增加学生招聘，坚持和保留STEM的影响。在这种情况下，设计思维侧重于迭代过程，通过迭代过程获得解决方案，从不同学科的多个角度出发，并鼓励协作，原型设计和反馈驱动的问题解决。调查员将进行研究项目，并通过实施专业发展计划，通过正式课程，辅导和咨询委员会，将重点放在混合方法的设计和方法，理论框架，STEM教育教学法，综合STEM能力的评估，并在STEM教育研究的grantimate，在STEM教育研究能力建设。该项目将建立一个新的和可持续的STEM教育研究计划，以调查有助于学生在STEM中取得成功的因素。该研究项目的工作假设是，将设计思维（DT）培训纳入入门课程将提高STEM的持久性和保留率。研究者将使用评估设计和持久性框架来（a）检查DT培训对本科生STEM持久性和保留的影响，（B）检查DT培训与基于课程的本科生研究经验相结合对本科生STEM持久性和保留的影响。 大部分研究的试验平台将是第一年的研讨会项目，入学新生必须参加大学通识教育研讨会课程。课程由STEM和非STEM专业组成，允许调查人员测试STEM招聘的潜力。该课程的课程将合并在神经科学的基础与示范和活动，训练学生使用各种工具来测量神经系统的电活动的指示。 学生将在预先定义的项目小组中工作，以研究神经科学的新方面。将进行事前和事后调查，以收集数据，比较理论上与长期成功相关的结果。 该项目将提供有效教育实践的证据，促进学生在STEM方面的成功，并有助于STEM教育和劳动力的更大多样性。该项目得到了EHR核心研究（ECR）计划的ECR STEM教育研究竞争能力建设的支持。ECR资助的基础STEM教育研究项目，重点是STEM学习和学习环境，扩大STEM领域的参与，以及STEM专业劳动力的发展。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

In this capacity building project, the investigator proposes to investigate the impact of design thinking training combined with established pedagogical strategies in increasing student recruitment, persistence, and retention in STEM at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and a predominantly urban undergraduate institution. In this context, design thinking focuses on the iterative process by which solutions are derived, taking multiple perspectives from various disciplines, and encouraging collaboration, prototyping, and feedback-driven problem solving. The investigator will conduct the research project and build capacity in STEM education research by implementing a professional development plan through formal courses, mentoring, and an advisory board that will focus on mixed-methods design and methods, theoretical frameworks, STEM education pedagogy, assessment of integrated STEM competencies, and grantsmanship in STEM education research. The project will establish a novel and sustainable STEM education research program to investigate factors that contribute to student success in STEM at the institution.The working hypothesis for the research project is that incorporating design thinking (DT) training in an introductory course will increase rates of persistence and retention in STEM. The investigator will use an evaluation design and persistence framework to (a) examine the impact of DT training on undergraduate student persistence and retention in STEM and (b) examine the impact of combining DT training with course-based undergraduate research experiences on undergraduate student persistence and retention in STEM. The testbed for the bulk of the research will be the first-year seminar program where entering freshmen are required to take a university general education seminar course. Classes are comprised of STEM and non-STEM majors, allowing the investigator to test the potential for STEM recruitment. The course curriculum will merge instructions in foundations of neuroscience with demonstrations and activities that train students to use a variety of tools to measure electrical activity from the nervous system. Students will them work in groups on pre-defined projects to study novel aspects of neuroscience. Pre- and post-surveys will be conducted to collect data that will compare outcomes that are theoretically correlated with long-term success. The project will produce evidence of effective educational practices that promote student success in STEM and contribute to greater diversity in STEM education and the workforce. This project is supported by the ECR Building Capacity in STEM Education Research competition of the EHR Core Research (ECR) program. ECR funds fundamental STEM education research projects that focus on STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation in STEM fields, and STEM professional workforce development.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.