Collaborative Research: Advancing Scientific Reasoning in Online and In-Person Introductory Physics Labs

该项目旨在通过分析和提高本科生的科学推理技能来服务于国家利益。这个合作项目涉及辛辛那提大学(应获奖2110334)和俄亥俄州立大学(应获奖2110343)的研究人员。“科学推理”通常被用作支持批判性思维、创造力和解决问题的一系列技能的标签。现代教育的目标已经转向培养21世纪劳动力所必需的高端技能，但大学理科课程往往不会对这些领域的学生产生重大影响。在介绍物理实验课程的背景下，研究人员计划开发围绕特定科学推理技能设计的实验模块和评估，并研究这些模块如何影响大学生目标技能的发展。该项目旨在关注在本科STEM教育中支持批判性思维、解决问题和系统思维的认知技能链。有针对性的技能包括变量控制(COV)推理、数据分析和因果决策，所有这些都是协调理论和证据的过程中必不可少的，而这反过来又是科学研究不可或缺的。在之前工作的基础上，研究人员计划开发和完善第一学期的物理实验室课程，用于面对面或在线教学，用于衡量有针对性的科学推理技能的评估工具，以及一套供教师使用的相关资源。他们打算研究课程的某些部分对学生发展目标技能的影响；不同学生群体(包括妇女和代表性不足的种族和族裔少数群体)在技能发展方面的差异(如果有的话)；在线教学与面授教学环境中技能发展的差异(如果有的话)；以及在包括在线在内的不同环境中传播和实施课程的最佳做法，以优化学习和促进使用。该课程将在多个机构进行测试，包括大学、一所文理学院和两年制学院。NSF IUSE：EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生的STEM教育的有效性。通过参与的学生学习路径，该计划支持有前景的实践和工具的创建、探索和实施。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。

This project aims to serve the national interest by analyzing and improving undergraduate students' skills in scientific reasoning. This collaborative project involves investigators at the University of Cincinnati (Award DUE-2110334) and Ohio State University (Award DUE-2110343). "Scientific reasoning" is often used a label for the set of skills that support critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving. Goals in modern education have shifted toward fostering those high-end skills, which are necessary for the 21st century workforce, but college science courses often do not significantly impact students in those areas. In the context of an introductory physics lab course, the investigators plan to develop lab modules and assessments designed around specific scientific reasoning skills and to study how the modules impact college students' development of the targeted skills.The project intends to focus on the cognitive strand of skills that support critical thinking, problem-solving, and systems thinking in undergraduate STEM education. The targeted skills include Control of Variables (COV) reasoning, data analytics, and causal decision-making, all of which are essential to the process of coordinating theory and evidence, which in turn is integral to scientific inquiry. Building on their prior work, the investigators plan to develop and refine a first-semester physics lab curriculum for in-person or online delivery, assessment tools for measuring targeted scientific reasoning skills, and a suite of associated resources for instructors. They intend to study the impact of certain pieces of the curriculum on students' development of the targeted skills; differences, if any, in skill development by different populations of students (including women and underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities); differences, if any, in skill development in online versus in-person instructional settings; and best practices for disseminating and implementing the curriculum in different settings, including online, to optimize learning and promote use. The curriculum will be tested at a variety of institutions, including universities, a liberal arts college, and two-year colleges. 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.