Targeted Infusion Project: Strengthening Undergraduate STEM Programs at Central State University through Computational Content and A Computer-Assisted Personalized Approach

历史上的黑人学院和大学本科生计划（HBCU-UP）通过有针对性的输液项目支持开发，实施和基于证据的创新模式和方法的研究，以提高HBCU本科生的准备和成功，使他们可以追求STEM研究生课程和/或职业。中央州立大学（CSU）的这个项目旨在为CSU的STEM学生开发新的计算课程。学生，教师和社区K12教育工作者将有可能学习如何将真实的世界问题转化为数学和计算机算法。预计拟议工作的成功实施将导致更多的CSU学生进入STEM劳动力和研究生院。 这个多阶段项目的目标是通过i.）将计算思维和计算技能带到中央州立大学（CSU）。开发具有STEM驱动方面和计算组件的新的入门和高级计算课程，ii.）在科罗拉多州立大学实施LON-CAPA电子学习管理平台，并在物理，化学和生物课程中开发计算模块，以加强教学，学习和评估实践，并通过将计算思维嵌入课程来提高学生的学习收益。这项工作的成功植入将使CSU的学生获得实用和适销对路的计算机编程技能，同时培养他们对计算建模的信心，以研究自然科学中复杂的现实问题。此外，LON-CAPA平台的实施不仅为CSU的教师和学生提供了教育支持，还为当地的K-12学校提供了教育支持。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。

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) through Targeted Infusion Projects supports the development, implementation, and study of evidence-based innovative models and approaches for improving the preparation and success of HBCU undergraduate students so that they may pursue STEM graduate programs and/or careers. This project at Central State University (CSU) intends to develop new computational courses for STEM students at CSU. Students, faculty, and community K12 educators will have the potential to learn how to translate real world problems to mathematics and computer algorithms. It is expected that successful implementation of the proposed work will lead to the more CSU students entering the STEM workforce and graduate school. The goal of this multi-phase project is to bring computational thinking and computing skills to Central State University (CSU) by i.) developing new introductory and advanced computational courses with STEM-driven aspects and computational components, ii.) implementing the LON-CAPA e-learning management platform at CSU and develop computational modules in physics, chemistry, and biology courses to enhance teaching, learning, and assessment practices and improve student learning gains by embedding computational thinking into the curriculum. Successful implantation of the work will allow CSU students to gain practical and marketable computer programming skills while developing their confidence in computational modeling to study complex real-life problems in the natural sciences. In addition, the implementation of the LON-CAPA platform provides educational support not only for CSU faculty and students but also for local K-12 schools.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.