Social and Interactive Learning at Community Colleges: Investigating Data-driven Feedback for Improving Student Outcomes with Project Based Learning

IUSE的参与式学生学习项目旨在通过解决未填补的技术工作与具有填补这些工作所需技能的毕业生数量之间的差距，为国家利益服务。据估计，未来十年，美国经济将增加50多万个科技工作岗位。虽然学校试图扩大计算机课程，但他们没有培养足够的毕业生来满足工业需求。社区大学是满足这一需求和扩大STEM劳动力参与的关键组成部分。该项目的目标是实施创新的方法和工具，以改善社区大学计算机课程的教学。这项工作有可能通过提供基于研究的课程来改变社区大学的计算机教育，帮助为教育机会创造公平的竞争环境，特别是对小型、农村和资源不足学校的学生。该项目将建立在SAIL上，SAIL是一个基于云的平台，将模块化计算内容整合到基于项目的学习模型中，并配备自动探测器，为教师和学生提供持续的评估、反馈和数据。除了开设两门新的“门户”课程外，该项目还将研究有关学生成绩预测因素的理论，教师如何使用数据来指导他们的实践，以及如何使用各种反馈周期来改善学习成果。该项目将试行基于项目的学习、基于数据的教学和文化响应实践的专业发展模块，然后将这些模块转移到在线、异步环境中。SAIL平台将得到加强，包括分析学生行为的机制，以预测学生的表现、自我效能和stem认同，并在这些预测表明学生可能会遇到困难时，自动向教师提出干预建议。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。通过参与学生学习轨道，该计划支持有前途的实践和工具的创建，探索和实施。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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 IUSE Engaged Student Learning project aims to serve the national interest by addressing the gap between unfilled tech jobs and the number of graduates with the skills needed to fill them. It is estimated that over half a million tech jobs will be added to the U.S. economy in the next decade. While schools have tried to expand computing programs, they are not producing enough graduates to meet the needs of industry. Community colleges are a critical component of meeting this need, and of broadening participation in the STEM workforce. The goal of this project is the implementation of innovative methods and tools for improving teaching and learning in computing courses at community colleges. This work has the potential to transform computing education at community colleges, by providing research-based courses, helping to level the playing field for educational opportunities, especially for students at small, rural, and under resourced schools.The project will build on SAIL, a cloud-based platform that incorporates modularized computing content in a project-based learning model, with automated detectors providing ongoing assessment, feedback, and data to faculty and students. In addition to creating two new “gateway” courses, the project will investigate theories around predictors of student outcomes, faculty use of data to inform their practice, and how to use various feedback cycles to improve learning outcomes. The project will pilot professional development modules for project based learning, data-informed teaching, and culturally responsive practices, then move those modules to an online, asynchronous environment. The SAIL platform will be enhanced to include mechanisms to analyze student behavior to predict performance, self-efficacy, and STEM-identity, and automated suggestions for instructors to intervene when these predictors indicate students may be struggling. 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.