RAPID: Reimagined Virtual STEM Laboratory Experiences in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts on Undergraduate Education

在改进的本科生STEM教育：拉美裔服务机构(HSI计划)的支持下，这个快速项目将应对新冠肺炎大流行导致的本科生STEM教育中的关键教学挑战。具体地说，它将在高级化学、物理和数学课程中创建和部署虚拟实验室。为回应新冠肺炎而争相在线授课的热潮，暴露出商业化的在线虚拟实验室的局限性。现有的虚拟实验室体验通常不太注重学生的探索。此外，虚拟实验室活动的有效性还没有得到很好的理解，特别是对特定的学生群体，如西班牙裔/拉丁裔学生。为了抓住这些机会，加州州立大学系统将设计三个虚拟实验室，专注于社区建设，具有文化响应性，并与疫情带来的现实生活事件有关。该项目还将研究这些虚拟实验室的有效性，从而增加关于有效在线教学的知识体系。拟议实验室的创建和交付有可能对许多学生产生积极影响，并增加获得高质量学习机会的公平机会。除了在危机时刻改进在线实验室教学的直接影响外，这项工作还可能为其他STEM教育倡议提供模式，并有助于机构和教育改革，以更好地支持STEM学习。该项目旨在开发和测试三个虚拟实验室，旨在创建和维持包容和公平的文化，以支持所有学生的成功，特别是加州州立大学系统服务的大量拉美裔/拉丁裔学生。该项目旨在通过为学生提供增长STEM认同感、自我效能感和归属感的途径来增加机会和成就。这三个虚拟实验室的设计标准将以文化响应和了解创伤的教学实践为依据。这些虚拟实验室最早将于2020年秋季开始，支持加州州立大学校园及其他校区的教学。总体目标是直接提高学生的知识和能力、STEM身份认同和身份认同的整合。该项目计划通过知情的公平观点审查学生学习中的纪律最佳做法。该项目将调查如何在虚拟科学和数学实验室环境中最好地实施符合文化要求的相关教学，并收集和分析有关向在线教学/学习模式转变的数据。每三个月将通过前/后评估从参与虚拟实验室的学生那里收集数据，以深入了解元认知在他们学习中的作用。研究结果将通过同行评议的奖学金、虚拟和面对面的研讨会和报告进行传播。这一快速奖是由教育和人力资源局本科教育司的拉美裔服务机构计划颁发的。HSI计划旨在加强HSI的本科生STEM教育和能力建设。该奖项反映了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。

With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this RAPID project will address critical instructional challenges in undergraduate STEM education that result from the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, it will produce and deploy virtual labs in upper-division chemistry, physics, and math courses. The rush to online course delivery in response to COVID-19 has revealed limitations of commercially available online virtual labs. Existing virtual lab experiences are generally poorly focused on student exploration. In addition, the effectiveness of virtual lab activities is not well understood, particularly for specific student populations such as Hispanic/Latinx students. To address these opportunities, the California State University system will design three virtual labs that focus on community building, are culturally responsive, and relate to real life events brought about by the pandemic. The project will also study the effectiveness of these virtual labs, thus adding to the body of knowledge about effective online instruction. The creation and delivery of the proposed labs have the potential to positively affect many students, as well as increase equitable access to high-quality learning opportunities. Beyond its immediate impact on improving online laboratory instruction in a time of crisis, this work may provide models for other STEM education initiatives and contribute to institutional and educational changes to better support STEM learning.The project aims to develop and test three virtual labs that are purposely designed to create and sustain a culture of inclusion and equity that supports the success of all students, particularly the large population of Hispanic/Latinx students served within the California State University system. The project seeks to increase opportunity and achievement by providing students with avenues to grow STEM identity, self-efficacy, and sense of belonging. The design criteria for the three virtual labs will be informed by culturally responsive and trauma-informed teaching practices. The virtual labs will support instruction across the California State University campuses and beyond, beginning as early as Fall 2020. The overall goal is to directly improve students’ knowledge and ability, STEM identity, and integration of identities. The project plans to examine disciplinary best practices in student learning through an informed equity perspective. The project will investigate how to best implement culturally responsive and relevant teaching in virtual science and math laboratory environments and gather and analyze data about the shift to online teaching/learning modalities. Data will be collected every three months from students participating in the virtual labs via pre/post assessments to provide insight into the role of metacognition in their learning. Results of the research will be disseminated through peer-reviewed scholarship, virtual and face-to-face workshops, and reports. This RAPID award is made by the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program in the Division of Undergraduate Education, Directorate of Education and Human Resources. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education and build capacity at HSIs.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.