Intersections in Assessment Conference: Exploring Informal Science Learning Assessment Methods to Improve Undergraduate STEM Education

该项目旨在通过确定改善STEM高等教育评估的方法来服务于国家利益。 为此，该项目将召集一组高等教育评估和非正式科学学习评估领域的专家举行在线会议。 与会者将探讨非正式学习评估方法如何为本科STEM教育的评估方法提供信息。 这项工作预计将确定新的方法，途径和评估框架，以促进高等教育的有效评估。来自非正式科学教育和高等教育评估的专家将参加一系列为期六周的在线会议。 会议旨在探索创新战略，将为非正式学习开发的评估方法融入STEM高等教育。 预期的成果是确定和建议目前在非正式科学学习中使用的具体的、经过验证的方法，作为在高等教育环境中测试的创新战略。 该项目建立在通过科学教育新公民参与和责任（SENCER）建立的框架之上，该框架旨在吸引学生参与科学，帮助他们将科学与公民责任联系起来。 会议成果的传播将包括一份描述会议记录和结论的白皮书，一篇同行评议的期刊文章，以及在2021年SENCER夏季研讨会上为教师举办的研讨会。 NSF IUSE：EHR项目支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生的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智力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 by identifying ways to improve assessment in STEM higher education. To do so, the project will convene a group of experts from the fields of higher education assessment and informal science learning assessment for an online conference. The conference attendees will explore how informal learning assessment approaches may inform assessment methods in undergraduate STEM education. The effort expects to identify new methods, approaches, and assessment frameworks to contribute to effective assessment in higher education.Experts from informal science education and from higher education assessment will engage in a series of online meetings over a six-week span. The conference aims to explore innovative strategies to integrate assessment approaches developed for informal learning into STEM higher education. The intended outcome is the identification and recommendation of specific, proven methods currently in use in informal science learning as innovative strategies to test in higher education settings. The project builds from a framework established through Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities (SENCER) that seeks to interest and engage students in science to help them connect science with civic responsibility. Dissemination of conference results will include awhite paper describing conference proceedings and conclusions, a peer-reviewed journal article, and a workshop for faculty at the 2021 SENCER summer symposium. The NSF IUSE: EHR program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students.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.