Investigating Video-based Graduate Teaching Assistant Professional Development to Support Universal Design for Learning in Undergraduate Chemistry Courses

该项目旨在通过研究生助教的专业发展，提高本科化学课程中具有广泛能力的学生的可及性和包容性，从而为国家利益服务。残疾本科生在科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）学位课程的入学率与非残疾学生相似;然而，许多残疾学生在获得学位之前就离开了。残疾学生毕业率低的一个可能原因可能是，旨在促进学生学习的课堂教学并不自动具有包容性，也不从本质上支持这些学生的需要。此外，STEM教师往往缺乏支持残疾学生的知识和专业知识。该项目将通过创建和测试旨在纳入研究生助教专业发展的视频课程，支持化学研究生助教在其教学中将包容性做法概念化。该项目的研究结果将支持残疾人和其他在STEM中代表性不足的人的参与。中央佛罗里达大学和康涅狄格大学艾弗里角大学的研究人员之间的合作将采用通用学习设计（UDL）框架来阐明，建模，并评估以研究为基础的教学原则，以支持化学课程的研究生助教（GTA）的准备。将创建材料，以支持GTA，以提高他们教的课程的可访问性，并促进有意义的学习，为学生在本科化学课程的广泛能力。三个具体目标指导项目的执行。首先是检查化学GTA的当前意识，概念化，价值观，并报告使用UDL对齐的教学策略。其次是开发一套基于视频的课程和辅导员材料，以说明在化学课程中实施UDL教学策略的最佳实践。最终目标是调查如何将材料纳入各种机构的专业发展计划，以改变GTA对可访问性，包容性和UDL的看法。这项调查包括检查那些谁准备和支持GTA整合到他们的部门的专业发展计划，以及他们如何更喜欢访问的材料开发的材料。为了实现这三个目标，项目团队将策划GTA的视频整合包容性的做法，研究表明，化学教师难以概念化或实施。为了探索基于视频的专业发展的有效性，项目团队将在三种不同的UDL专业发展条件下（无，标准UDL和项目开发的基于视频的UDL）比较GTA和学生的结果。研究小组将收集和分析对几个关键措施的反应，包括前后修改的包容性教学策略清单，情景评估和访谈，以评估基于视频的培训课程对GTA理解的影响，识别，并在化学教学和学习环境中应用包容性实践。该项目产生的材料将与全国的GTA培训计划以及致力于促进包容性STEM教学和学习的其他利益相关者共享。最终，这个项目将有助于我们了解如何将理论与实践相结合，以更好地理解UDL策略，并促进在本科化学课程中更广泛的实施。此外，研究结果可能会对其他STEM学科的UDL对齐教师专业发展产生影响。最后，由于研究生助教是学术界未来的劳动力，对GTA专业发展的关注增强了该项目长期影响的潜力。NSF IUSE：EDU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。该奖项反映了NSF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 project aims to serve the national interest by improving accessibility and inclusion for students with a wide range of abilities in undergraduate chemistry courses via professional development for graduate teaching assistants. Undergraduate students with disabilities enroll in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) degree programs at rates similar to students without disabilities; yet many students with disabilities leave before earning a degree. One possible reason for the low graduation rates of students with disabilities may be that classroom instruction, which is designed to promote student learning, is not automatically inclusive and does not inherently support the needs of these students. In addition, STEM instructors often lack knowledge and expertise to support students with disabilities. This project will support chemistry graduate teaching assistants in conceptualizing inclusive practices in their teaching by creating and testing video-based lessons designed to be incorporated into professional development for graduate teaching assistants. Findings from this project will support increased participation of people with disabilities and others who are underrepresented in STEM.This collaboration between researchers at the University of Central Florida and the University of Connecticut Avery Point will employ the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to articulate, model, and assess research-based instructional principles to support the preparation of graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) for chemistry courses. Materials will be created to support GTAs to enhance accessibility in the courses they teach and to promote meaningful learning for students with a wide range of abilities in undergraduate chemistry courses. Three specific objectives guide the execution of the project. First is to examine chemistry GTAs’ current awareness, conceptualizations, values, and reported use of the UDL-aligned instructional strategies. Second is to develop a suite of video-based lessons and facilitator materials to illustrate best practices for implementing UDL instructional strategies in chemistry courses. The final objective is to investigate how the materials are incorporated into professional development programs at a variety of institutions to shift GTAs’ views about accessibility, inclusivity, and UDL. This investigation includes examining how those who prepare and support GTAs integrate the materials developed into their department’s professional development programs and how they prefer to access the materials. To accomplish these three objectives, the project team will curate video of GTAs integrating inclusive practices that research has shown to be difficult for chemistry instructors to conceptualize or implement. To explore the efficacy of the video-based professional development, the project team will compare outcomes for both GTAs and students across three different UDL professional development conditions (none, standard UDL, and the video-based UDL developed by the project). The research team will collect and analyze responses to several key measures including pre- and post- Modified Inclusive Teaching Strategies Inventory, scenario assessments, and interviews to assess the impact that the video-based training lessons have on GTAs’ understanding, recognition, and application of inclusive practices in chemistry teaching and learning environments. Materials generated from this project will be shared with GTA training programs nationwide as well as with other stakeholders who are committed to facilitating inclusive STEM teaching and learning. Ultimately, this project will contribute to our understanding of how to connect theory and practice to better understand UDL strategies and facilitate wider implementation in undergraduate chemistry courses. Further, the findings are likely to have implications for UDL-aligned instructor professional development in other STEM disciplines. Finally, since graduate teaching assistants are the future workforce of academia, the focus on GTA professional development enhances the potential for long-term impacts of the project. The NSF IUSE: EDU program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through its 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.