Engaged Student Learning Off Campus: Hands-on Distance Learning in Engineering and Computer Science through Internet of Things

该项目旨在通过开发和测试工程和计算机科学方面的远程动手学习经验，为高质量本科STEM教育的国家利益服务。 具体而言，该项目旨在通过为学生提供与物联网（IoT）相关的物理设备和组件来支持学生学习。 学生可以使用这些物联网套件在校内或校外学习，从而使他们能够获得传统上仅在校内实验室提供的工程知识和实践技能。 学习经验将包括同行合作，增加经验的潜力，以促进学习成果，包括团队合作技能。 通过提供高质量的远程实践学习，该项目有可能减轻亲自学习的限制，例如COVID-19疫情造成的限制。 此外，使用物联网套件学习可以将真实的学习体验从传统实验室的物理和时间安排限制中解放出来，从而支持更广泛地参与计算机科学和工程。 该项目将开发动手作业和项目，让学生使用借来的物联网工具包在校外进行项目和基于问题的学习。此外，该项目将通过物联网工具包结合动手作业和项目来检查学生远程学习的有效性。此外，该项目将通过使用物联网和处于当前技术进步前沿的相关设备，研究一种新的实践远程学习模式。将开发基于物联网的学习材料和教学协议，以使学生能够在以前不适合这种学习的情况下进行参与式学习。本研究将探讨这种学习时间和空间的灵活性是否会提高学生的自我效能和以问题为基础的学习技能。 它将进一步调查远程动手项目中的同伴协作学习，并探讨学生在远程协作学习环境中学习时的潜在差异。将评估远程动手参与学生学习场景中的学习成功转移，特别是在STEM中尚未公平代表的学生群体的背景下。项目成果将通过项目网站传播，供其他机构使用，以扩大对STEM教育的参与。 NSF IUSE：EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to serve the national interest in high quality undergraduate STEM education by developing and testing remote hands-on learning experiences in engineering and computer science. Specifically, the project aims to support student learning by providing them with physical devices and components related to the Internet of Things (IoT). Students can use these IoT Kits for learning on or off campus, thus enabling them to gain engineering knowledge and hands-on skills that are traditionally available only in on-campus laboratories. The learning experiences will include peer collaboration, increasing the potential of the experiences to promote learning outcomes including team work skills. By providing high quality, remote hands-on learning, this project has the potential to mitigate limits to in-person learning, such those caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, learning with IoT Kits can free authentic learning experiences from the physical and scheduling constraints of traditional laboratories, thus supporting broader participation in computer science and engineering. This project will develop hands-on assignments and projects that engage students in project- and problem-based learning off campus using loaned IoT Kits. In addition, this project will examine the effectiveness of students’ remote learning through IoT kits coupled with hands-on assignments and projects. Furthermore, the project will investigate a new paradigm for hands-on distance learning through the use of IoT and related devices that are in the forefront of current technological advancements. IoT-based learning materials and teaching protocols will be developed to enable engaged student learning in situations that previously have been inhospitable to such learning. This research will investigate whether such flexibility in learning time and space increases students’ self-efficacy and problem-based learning skills. It will further investigate peer collaborative learning in distance hands-on projects and explore potential differences between students when learning in remote collaborative learning environments. Successful transfer of learning in remote hands-on engaged student learning scenarios will be evaluated, particularly in the context of students from groups that are not yet equitably represented in STEM. Project outcomes will be disseminated through a project website for use by other institutions to broaden participation in STEM education. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.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.