HSI Planning Project: Amplifying Climate Resilience Curriculum Using Informal Learning Opportunities for Undergraduates

在“改善本科STEM教育：为拉美裔服务的机构”（HSI项目）的支持下，这一第一阶段规划项目将建立关键的制度结构，并促进在气候变化领域利用三所HSI（内华达州立学院、内华达大学拉斯维加斯分校和南内华达学院）拉美裔学生的文化资本，为未来创造STEM学习经验提供周到的规划。对科学事业的学术坚持和承诺的关键是对自己的能力有归属感和信心，而来自边缘群体的学生通常很少有接受他们的自我认同并鼓励他们在STEM领域取得事业的能力的信息的经验。该项目将讨论与同龄人合作，使用引人入胜的非正式学习活动和科学内容的创新游戏化，以促进拉丁裔学生的STEM身份，并增加学生对与气候变化科学和教育相关的职业的兴趣。此外，这些非正式的学习经历将提高对气候变化的基本理解水平，并使学生能够与社区分享他们的知识，并挑战对“STEM人员”含义的误解。该规划项目将概念化四个组成部分，包括：1)机构支持结构；2)实习合作；3)学习成果开发；4)评估、成果传播和项目评估的技术平台。特别是，它将通过与利益攸关方的协作讨论和研讨会巩固学习成果。从可再生农业的角度来看，该项目将计划最终设计与文化相关的、问题驱动的非正式活动，在一个自定进度的课程中，挑战学生在气候适应能力的背景下评估自己的生活方式选择。该项目的预期成果包括支持拉丁裔学生理解气候变化背后的基础科学概念，并建立有关气候公平和可持续性的机构关系和课程框架。更广泛的影响包括促进对非正式学习经历如何增加学生选择STEM职业多样性的理解，特别是通过在设计学习成果时纳入广泛的利益相关者。结果将通过出版稿件、网站设计、社交媒体推广和研讨会来传播，以确定项目的下一步工作。HSI计划旨在加强本科STEM教育，扩大STEM参与，并在HSI进行能力建设。考虑到hsi的多样性和背景，实现这些目标需要创新的方法来激励机构和社区转型，并促进基础研究(1)关于参与式学生学习，(2)关于如何有效地使STEM多样化和增加参与，以及(3)提高我们对如何在hsi建立机构能力的理解。HSI计划支持的项目也将借鉴这些方法，为如何实现这些目标提供新的知识。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。

With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this Track 1 Planning Project will build critical institutional structure and facilitate thoughtful planning for the future creation of STEM learning experiences that draw on the cultural capital of Latinx students at three HSIs (Nevada State College, University of Nevada Las Vegas, and College of Southern Nevada) in the field of climate change. The key to academic persistence and commitment to a science career is feeling a sense of belonging and confidence in one’s abilities, and students from marginalized groups often have little experience with messaging that is accepting of their self-identity and is encouraging of their ability to achieve careers in STEM fields. This project will discuss the use of engaging informal learning activities and innovative gamification of science content in collaboration with peers, for the future design of curriculum that promotes Latinx students’ STEM identities and increases student excitement regarding careers related to climate change science and education. Moreover, these informal learning experiences will increase the baseline level of understanding of climate change, as well as allowing the students to share their knowledge with the community and challenge misconceptions about what it means to be a “STEM person”.This planning project will conceptualize four components, including 1) institutional support structure, 2) internship collaboration, 3) learning outcome development, and 4) technology platform for evaluation, dissemination of results, and program assessment. Particularly, it will solidify learning outcomes through collaborative discussions and workshops with stakeholders. With the lens of regenerative agriculture, this project will plan for the eventual design of culturally relevant, problem-driven informal activities in a self-paced curriculum to challenge students to evaluate their own lifestyle choices in the context of climate resilience. The expected results of this project include supporting Latinx student understanding of foundational science concepts underlying climate change and creating institutional relationships and a curricular framework upon climate equity and sustainability. Broader impacts include advancing understanding of how informal learning experiences can increase the diversity of students choosing careers in STEM, particularly through the inclusion of a wide diversity of stakeholders in designing learning outcomes. Results will be disseminated through published manuscripts, website design, social media outreach, and a workshop to finalize the next steps in the project. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education, broaden participation in STEM, and build capacity at HSIs. Achieving these aims, given the diverse nature and context of the HSIs, requires innovative approaches that incentivize institutional and community transformation and promote fundamental research (i) on engaged student learning, (ii) about what it takes to diversify and increase participation in STEM effectively, and (iii) that improves our understanding of how to build institutional capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also draw from these approaches to generate new knowledge on how to achieve these aims.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.