Office of Research & Sponsored Programs



The following are abstracts from TUES Type 1 proposals funded in the past two years. This is just a small sample to give an idea of the range of TUES Type 1 project possibilities. More abstracts, as well as samples of successful proposals, are available from RSP. Leveraging Laboratory Activities to Achieve Educational Reform (1140767) 6/1/2012Koetje, David, dkoetje@calvin.edu, Calvin College, GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Award Amount: $199990Abstract: At Calvin College faculty from Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics and Computer Science are collaborating to reform the four courses of the introductory biology sequence to align with the findings of the document "Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action." Building on problem-based learning in the first course, they are now developing laboratory modules, derived from faculty research, in the middle two courses, which culminate in student research projects in the fourth course. The three-week laboratory modules develop students' abilities to read and critique the scientific literature, to frame scientific questions and to seek their experimental answers, and to learn the conventions of oral and written communication of scientific results. Like genuine research projects, the modules include quantitative and interdisciplinary features, so students are less inclined to see their STEM courses as isolated from one another. The lecture aspects of the courses have also been revised to be more student-centered and interactive, making use of the best ideas in pedagogy. Participating in the review and testing of this strategic reform are partners from two universities, four liberal arts colleges, and a community college, all of whom have collaborated with Calvin College on previous projects. Grand Rapids Community College contributes an external collaborator, a biologist, who receives a stipend for carrying out review, testing, and evaluation of the modules, as do the other collaborators. By following the blueprint of "Vision and Change" for reform of classroom, laboratory, and assessment practices, Calvin College's project is sure to have a broad impact on undergraduate biology education.Enhancing Undergraduate Education Through Student-Led Research in Biomass Renewable Energy (1139977) 1/15/2012Liu, Peter, pliu@eiu.edu, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL - Award Amount: $198695Abstract: Using an investigative learning model, this project is engaging undergraduate students (and a limited number of high school students) in a series of student-led research activities on biomass renewable energy. Students design and implement their own research plans based upon available biomass resources. The adoption of a student-led investigative approach is a potentially transformative model in biomass renewable energy education. Students identify biomass sources, test heat value and moisture content of the biomass, process the biomass into a useful form, gasify the biomass to produce combustible syngas, use the syngas to drive an internal combustion engine and an electrical generator, charge a bank of batteries, and invert to provide 110 VAC power output. Through the experience of participating in design and implermentation of a complete cycle of renewable energy generation and utilization, undergraduate students develop a real passion, knowledge and skill for using renewable energy. Exemplary learning materials are being developed to enable other higher education institutions to transfer the methodology into their respective curricula. With a systematic assessment, the project adds to our knowledge of how students learn biomass renewable energy through a series of student-led research activities. The project contributes to the national effort to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and to maintain a sustainable social, economic and environmental system for many generations to come.Mobile Math Apps (1140299) 1/1/2012Ensley, Douglas, deensley@ship.edu, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania - Award Amount: $174226Abstract: This project is creating mobile, smart phone applications ("apps") with the goal of increasing student performance on standard precalculus problems, measured in both achievement level and time on task. Content modules are being developed, each corresponding to a specific, traditional precalculus topic and including visualizations that illuminate concepts and encourage practice. The project's intellectual merit rests in two areas. First, the "apps" take advantage of the general portability of smart phones and their unique user interfaces, while addressing the challenges of screen size and processor speed. Each module also comes with practice problems for students to demonstrate mastery of skills. Second, usage data from phones are used to study patterns and modes of use of the apps by students. Learning measures include the number and level of practice problems completed successfully, as well as the increase in time-on-task within the smart phone environment. These data are then being correlated with performance in the classroom using standard assessment tools. The broader impacts of the project are felt through its targeting of improved student success rate in precalculus, a traditional bottleneck for students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The output and outcomes of the project are also informing future work by a growing community of developers for other courses, even those outside of mathematics. Through its nurturing of this community the project is positioned to transform the fast developing area of mobile technology in undergraduate education.Developing an Innovative Randomization-based Introductory Statistics Curriculum (1140629) 1/1/2012Tintle, Nathan, ntintle@dordt.edu, Dordt College, Sioux Center, IA - Award Amount: $181478Abstract: The algebra-based introductory statistics course has seen tremendous growth in enrollments over the last two decades using a consensus curriculum and sequencing of topics. However, research has also shown students typically leave these courses with a shallow understanding of key inferential ideas. Recently, many statistics educators have proposed moving from this traditional curriculum to one centered on computer-intensive, randomization-based inference methods. Two advantages of this approach are: (1) randomization methods enable students to focus on the core logic of inference, and (2) efficiency in presentation allows students to gain experience in computer-intensive and multivariable methods that are being increasingly used by applied researchers. This project is providing instructors with a fully integrated set of curriculum materials with which to teach a substantially different curriculum that introduces statistical inference from the start. The materials are undergoing class-testing at numerous institutions and being disseminated through publication as a textbook, workshops, and presentations. The accompanying evaluation component is providing information about potential gains in student understanding of core concepts of inference and documentation of how students develop skills of inferential reasoning. These curricular materials and assessment findings have the potential for effecting a substantial change in the content and focus of introductory statistics courses across the country.Collaborative Research: Development of a New Power Electronics Curriculum Relevant to Tomorrow's Power Engineering Challenges (1044035) 10/1/2011Aliprantis, Dionysios, dali@iastate.edu, Iowa State University, AMES, IA - Award Amount: $81000Abstract: Participating Institutions: Purdue University and Iowa State University Project Description This project involves a collaborative team that is developing a new power electronics curriculum. It is enhancing the relevance of the subject by identifying the role of power electronics in addressing tomorrow's grand challenge of developing sustainable energy resources. The effort is focusing on the increased demand for highly qualified personnel in the energy industry by creating a curriculum that helps entice and educate engineering students; addressing a severe workforce shortage in the power industry. There are three main objectives of the project: (1) to develop a new power electronics curriculum that educates the next generation of power engineers with the required knowledge and skills to tackle tomorrow's challenges; (2) to foster integration of research into the undergraduate curriculum and incorporate undergraduate students into research projects; and (3) to initiate a multi-faceted renewable energy, distributed generation, and electric vehicles curriculum. The effort is producing specifically tailored analytical/experimental tools to enhance active design/research-based learning practices by leveraging highly qualified personnel from two academic institutions with complementary expertise. The project's success in accomplishing these objectives is being assessed by an external evaluator. Broader Significance The educational materials produced by this effort are being broadly disseminated via a mix of active and passive methods, through participation in conferences, journal publications and the Web (using Purdue's HUBzeroTM technology to create a 'Power Electronics Hub'). In addition, the developed lecture notes will provide the foundation for a new textbook on power electronics focused on renewable energy integration and electric vehicles applications. The new laboratory is being showcased to local high-school students, who are invited to attend exciting demonstrations of energy conversion projects. The proposed problem solving-based learning practices and engaging laboratory environment are helping to attract underrepresented groups into pursuing careers in the power systems industry.Collaborative NSF Sessions at the ASEE Annual Conference (1114883) 10/1/2011Genalo, Lawrence, genalo@iastate.edu, Iowa State University, AMES, IA - Award Amount: $99988Abstract: The project supports a highly visible dissemination outlet for grant holders in the ATE, CCLI, STEP, and TUES programs, and in various EEC programs. The investigators are organizing poster sessions at the American Society for Engineering Education's (ASEE) Annual Conference for 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. The project invites engineering grant award recipients in these programs to submit an abstract for inclusion in the poster session. Submissions are reviewed for quality and, if accepted, award recipients submit a paper that is published in the meeting proceedings and also present a poster in a special session at the meeting.Collaborative Research: Stochastic Challenge (1043701) 9/1/2011Guardiola, Ivan, guardiolai@mst.edu, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO Award Amount: $42614Abstract: The project is a collaborative effort involving Texas Tech University, Missouri University of Science and Technology, and University of Texas - Pan American. It is developing a suite of multimedia educational materials and supporting mechanisms to create a knowledge-centered learning environment for the undergraduate instruction of stochastic processes and applied probability that seamlessly integrates into the curriculum. This project is creating high-quality video clips that challenge students to solve real problems from industry in collaborative settings. These videos are being posted on a project website along with other supporting material consisting of wiki-style tutorials and problem-solving software. A Facebook page for the project is being created to support a "wall" where students may collaboratively work on active problems and tangentially develop professional skills, such as teaming and communication. The investigators are anticipating that students at other location, even without their instructors directing them, will visit the site and will learn through the knowledge-centered aspects of the wiki-style resources, "wall" discussions, and review of active and archived problems. The team is making sure that students from underrepresented groups are featured in the videos in an effort to increase the interest among these groups of students. The project is using a few external faculty members as a design review team to provide guidance, and an experienced outside evaluator is using surveys and tests to monitor progress toward the learning outcomes and data on website and Facebook visits to monitor participation. Broader impacts include the dissemination of the project's products through the website postings and the use of social networking and the focus on broadening the participation of underrepresented groups.Putting Undergraduate Chemistry on Solid Ground: Analysis of Solids for a Deeper Understanding of Chemistry (1043846) 8/1/2011Fraley, David, dfraley@georgetowncollege.edu, Georgetown College, Georgetown, KY - Award Amount: $199900Abstract: At Georgetown College, the Chemistry faculty are transforming the way chemical education is conducted and thus impacting the interest levels, skills, and depth of knowledge of the students by introducing solids analysis through a graduated approach. The project enhances students' understanding of solids and aids the development of their understanding of the use of Chemistry to a wide variety of practical applications, strengthens the scientific literacy of the general student body by demystifying chemical equipment and drawing connections between chemical analysis and relevant topics such as art, photography, environmental pollution, new materials, and food, and attracts more students to the STEM fields by giving them direct hands-on experience with modern instrumentation early in the academic career. A new course, Chemistry, Color, and Art, is helping improve the scientific literacy and experience of students who choose non-science careers. More than half of the students at Georgetown College are directly impacted through Chemistry classes. Additionally, the program will have a broader impact on the region through a Bluegrass Regional Physical Chemistry Symposium, a high school summer science camp, and a Science Alliance with K-12 teachers from six surrounding counties. The details of the curriculum development and its evaluation will be disseminated through presentations at national meetings and publication in a chemical education journal. This project is also addressing the critical shortage of science professionals in Kentucky.Collaborative Research: An Integrated Cognitive and Conceptual Curriculum for a General Chemistry Inquiry Laboratory (1044031) 8/1/2011Monteyne, Kereen, monteynek1@nku.edu, NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC., Highland Heights, KY - Award Amount: $120362Abstract: Investigators from Northern Kentucky University and California State University Fullerton are designing a series of integrated laboratory activities that scaffold students' development of cognitive skills to support conceptual understanding in chemistry. More specifically, the laboratory activities target cognitive skills specific to inquiry-based learning in the laboratory, and target the abilities of students to transform concepts between macroscopic, particulate and symbolic representations. The laboratory instructional materials focus on four concept domains in first-term general chemistry: physical and chemical change, stoichiometry, solutions, and gases. Laboratory activities are being developed using a Learning Continuum Framework which describes a developmental progression of cognitive and conceptual learning objectives scaffolded across the three inquiry approaches of structured, guided and open. The research studies relationships between cognitive skills and conceptual development in the first-term chemistry laboratory. A focus of the research will be on how students develop the capacity to interpret, develop and refine mental models that bridge between particulate and macroscopic level perspectives. The results of the research will provide practical guidance on the nature and degree of scaffolding necessary for development of cognitive skills and the nexus between conceptual learning and mental model development. Implementation of the laboratory activities is being studied at both higher education institutions in order to include students with diverse backgrounds, on the rationale that this increases generalizability and transferability of the study's findings. Replications of the laboratory activities are being sought and carried out at two- and four-year colleges across the U.S. Fully replicated laboratory activities are being shared on a free website, along with a blog reporting current research efforts, list of research questions and feedback points.Building Instrumental Competence to Support Student Independence in the Laboratory (1044223) 8/1/2011Bur, Scott, sbur@gustavus.edu, Gustavus Adolphus College, Saint Peter, MN - Award Amount: $200000Abstract: The chemistry department at Gustavus Adolphus College is engaged in a project to shift its pedagogical focus to include a graduated approach to student instrument usage, particularly in the first two years of the undergraduate curriculum. Project implementation in freshman and sophomore chemistry courses centers around hands-on use of GC-MS and ICP-MS, IR, UV/Vis, fluorescence, and NMR spectrometers. A key element of implementing this graduated approach is the acquisition of a 400 MHz spectrometer with autosampling capability to facilitate the incorporation of NMR usage through the early undergraduate chemistry curriculum. Another key element is the development of an assessment system to guide the implementation and to measure the impact of the intervention on students' readiness for independent research. In order to study the impact on students, the project is making use of the Classroom Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) survey as well as a separate questionnaire exploring confidence, experimental design and problem-solving abilities in research, and the amount of undergraduate research in which the students are engaged. In addition, students' understanding is being assessed via a lab practical and course-taking patterns and enrollment will be examined. External evaluators are facilitating an internal development team to develop the validity of these measures and the evaluators are examining institutional data as well as reviewing the other assessment approaches. Dissemination includes the development and implementation of a workshop through the Midstates Consortium of Science and Math for faculty of 13 higher education institutions, presentations at local and national undergraduate science education forums, and papers published in chemical education venues.Fostering an Induction into Authentic Research in the Freshman/Sophomore Sequence (1044419) 8/1/2011Miller, Matthew, matt_miller@sdstate.edu, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD - Award Amount: $199907Abstract: This project is developing four undergraduate chemistry courses into a blended curriculum structure that revises the role of the teaching laboratory. The course sequence moves students from verification experiments to open-ended inquiry activities in order to provide students with a more genuine scientific research experience during their first two years of college. The courses include frequent and sustained use of instrumentation ordinarily used in research settings, including a graphite furnace atomic absorbance instrument, a high performance liquid chromatography instrument, and a gas chromatography instrument. The model includes co-enrollment of students from the first and third courses, as well as from the second and fourth courses, in order to build a community of practitioners who work together to solve related problems. The expectation is that these pedagogical approaches, when brought together, bring students to a greater awareness of what it means to participate in science, to do research, and to think independently and critically about the world around them. Intellectual Merit The project is transforming the design of undergraduate laboratory experiences. The collection of data is designed to demonstrate whether this approach achieves the expected efficacy and benefits of establishing the community of learners in laboratory, and to test whether students who experience authentic experimentation earlier in their academic training persist in science career trajectories. The model combines proven elements of best practices in STEM education in a novel way that has not been previously tested. Broader Impacts The dissemination plan includes workshops designed to convey the model to STEM departments at other institutions. The model is expected to be portable to mid-sized institutions with research active faculty and to other STEM disciplines, thus potentially affecting all science majors. Students who experience the model may possess stronger problem solving, critical thinking, and laboratory skills when entering graduate study or the scientific workforce.Testing the Benefits of Undergraduate Research-Based Learning at Various Curricular Levels Using Authentic Research Questions in Hydrogeomorphology (1044623) 8/1/2011Kinner, David, dkinner@email.wcu.edu, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC - Award Amount: $199099Abstract: Although many benefits of authentic undergraduate research done by individuals have been described in the STEM literature, few efforts have extended undergraduate research in classes throughout the curriculum (from introductory to capstone classes) by using undergraduate research groups. This study is using hydrogeomorphic field areas on and near the PIs' campus as a backdrop to implement experience-appropriate, authentic research throughout the geology curriculum and is measuring the impacts of these research experiences on student learning. The fundamental question that the study is testing through quantitative and qualitative methods is whether learning gains associated with these group research experiences are similar to the research gains of individual undergraduate research projects that are widely reported in the literature. The PIs are also examining the experiential learning of student research fellows that serve as apprentices and help run the research station. Students enrolled in introductory classes through a capstone senior research seminar are addressing experience-appropriate, authentic, science problems that build on the research strength of faculty. These classes are fully integrating the PIs research and teaching functions. Hydrogeomorphic research topics are regionally and scientifically relevant problems related to water quality, landslides, groundwater and surface-water interaction, erosion due to land development and landscape evolution. Students in classes are addressing these issues in both natural and developed settings through experiments, monitoring, mapping and measurements. The intellectual merit of the project is to understand and evaluate geology student learning gains as a function of group research based learning throughout the geology curriculum, and the results are helping the STEM community to better understand how learning gains vary at different geology class levels. The broader impact of this study is determining whether group research and individual research have similar learning gains. Insights gained from the current study of how to implement undergraduate group research is facilitating its extension to a larger population of students.COLLABORATIVE: Faculty Development to Support High Impact Activities That Transform Undergraduate Geoscience Education (1134954) 8/1/2011Singer, Jill, singerjk@buffalostate.edu, SUNY College at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY - Award Amount: $249446Abstract: This project is supporting digital resource development and faculty workshops aimed at building capacity within the geosciences community to increase both the quantity and quality of grant proposals submitted to the NSF TUES program and other NSF education programs. This project is delivering a menu of proposal writing workshops (at sectional and regional geoscience conferences, and stand-alone multi-day workshops) aimed at earth, oceans, atmrspheric, environmental, and geospatial science faculty from research and comprehensive universities, and two- and four-year colleges. The project is targeting faculty with limited or no previous NSF education funding. An important part of this project involves collecting survey data aimed at identifying reasons contributing to low geoscience submission rates to the TUES program in particular. A primary outcome of this project is to generate an increase in both the quality and quantity of TUES proposals submitted by geoscience faculty to the TUES program. Increasing the number of quality TUES proposals submitted may lead to greater numbers of TUES proposals funded, but more importantly indicates a greater number of geoscience faculty engaged at a highly creative level in improving the quality of geosciences education for all students. This project is also increasing the awareness among geoscience faculty of NSF education programs, and of the characteristics of competitive proposals. Faculty attending the workshops and using the digital resources are joining a network of geoscientists who share a common concern for engaging students through active learning. To help build expertise and leadership in the successful development of education-related grant proposals within the geoscience community "facilitator-training" activities are being integrated into several of the workshops. By targeting geoscience faculty at all institutional types across the country, this project is improving the quality of geoscience education for large numbers of undergraduates, both STEM majors and non-majors. Project efforts targeting faculty with no previous NSF education funding experience is broadening participation by faculty and institutions that have had limited prior interaction within the geoscience education community. Closed-captioned digital resources developed by this project are facilitating information sharing among faculty workshop participants and among faculty who are accessing these information resources over the Internet.Collaborative Research: Noticing Numeracy Now (N3) (1043656) 7/15/2011Schack, Edna, e.schack@moreheadstate.edu, Morehead State University, Morehead, KY - Award Amount: $102907Abstract: This collaborative project between Morehead State University, Northern Kentucky University, and the University of Kentucky provides information about the extent to which an innovative learning experience focused on the professional noticing of children's numeracy develops preservice teachers' (PSETs') capacity to attend to, interpret, and respond appropriately to the mathematical thinking of children. The project uses a module, Noticing Numeracy Now (N3), developed by the researchers and based on professional literature in the areas of professional noticing and the Stages of Early Arithmetic Learning (SEAL). The research advances knowledge and understanding of how teacher educators can facilitate PSETs' development of professional noticing, knowledge of children's conception of unit, mathematical knowledge for teaching, and positive attitudes toward mathematics. The activities present a creative and potentially transformative approach to the preparation of future elementary teachers through classroom and field activities that explicitly promote the development of the component skills of professional noticing in the context of SEAL. The Noticing Numeracy Now (N3) module, designed for replication, is being implemented at six universities, the three lead institutions along with Eastern Kentucky University, Murray State University and the University of Louisville. The student populations at these institutions represent cultural and socio-economic diversity, including underrepresented groups. Collectively, the six universities draw their student populations from culturally diverse, urban populations and predominately Appalachian rural populations. Many of the students are the first in their families to study at a university.Connected Chemistry Curriculum: An Integrated Inorganic, Organic and Biological Chemistry Approach (1043566) 7/1/2011Schaller, Chris, cschaller@csbsju.edu, College of Saint Benedict, Saint Joseph, MN - Award Amount: $199632Abstract: This project is developing a novel series of courses on structure and reactivity in organic, biological and inorganic chemistry. Aspects of these three sub-disciplines of chemistry are being merged in order to develop three new lecture and three new laboratory courses. The first lecture course is an examination of Lewis acid-base principles in key reaction types in biochemistry, including carbonyl additions, carbonyl substitutions and alkene additions. The second course extends this approach to build a mechanistic view of associative and dissociative substitutions in metal complexes and organic compounds. The third course addresses metal- and organic-based redox and radical reactions in chemistry and biology, and offers an overview of biochemical pathways. Three separate laboratory courses allow students to develop an array of technical skills needed to tackle advanced problems. These three laboratory courses build skills in basic purification techniques, chromatographic separations, and synthetic methods, respectively. These six new courses are taken following a recently introduced entry-level course, Structure and Properties in Chemistry. Intellectual Merit This integrated approach to organic, biological and inorganic chemistry is founded in theories of "connected knowledge," in which information is efficiently organized around core concepts linked together via multiple paths. As a result, thinking of one concept makes it possible to retrieve other related concepts, facilitating new applications of the material. In contrast, the traditional curriculum relies on division of material into clearly separate topics. Furthermore, the courses build connections to the students' experiences by highlighting applications of chemistry in biology, materials science, pharmaceutics and other areas. By offering relevant context for the material, the expectation is that students will continue to make chemistry-related connections with their own disciplines in later years. Broader Impact The expectation is that this revised curriculum may make these introductory chemistry courses more appealing and effective with a broader range of students. In addition, the project is expected to change the traditional process by which faculty introduce new curricula. Course development is being accomplished primarily through interdisciplinary teaching cohorts, historically used in the field of education for training new teachers. Instructors work in teams of three, with members representing inorganic, organic and biological chemistry. The cohorts become support groups that guide and develop each other's work in complementary areas. Summer workshops provide orientation for faculty working on each course and laboratory. In addition, a faculty guide, student workbooks, laboratory manuals, and online homework are being developed to support the new curriculum. Production of these supporting materials facilitates incorporation of the new curriculum at this institution and assists in exporting the curriculum to other institutions. Materials are being disseminated through the NSF National Science Digital Library, through presentations at regional and national professional meetings attended by chemists, and through journal articles.Engaging Non-Science Majors in Inquiry through Backwards Faded Scaffolding Approach to Learning (1044482) 7/1/2011Slater, Stephanie, sslaterwyo@, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY - Award Amount: $197063Abstract: National reform movements are calling for undergraduate science survey course faculty to design and deliver science instruction using the principles of inquiry. This astronomy education project is iteratively developing, field-testing, and disseminating an inquiry-oriented teaching approach framed by the notions of "backwards faded-scaffolding" as an overarching theme for instruction. In this approach, students are guided through a number of scientific projects, with reduced guidance in each successive project. The reduction starts from the end of the process and works backwards, and thus the term 'backwards-faded scaffolding.' This project is transformative in that faculty need instructional materials that focus on teaching science as inquiry while at the same time are practical to implement. The objectives of the project are to: create effective and easy-to-implement curriculum materials based on contemporary teaching methods designed to increase non-science majoring undergraduates' and pre-service teachers' abilities to participate in scientific inquiry; determine the extent to which learners' participation in inquiry using "backwards faded scaffolding" impacts their conceptual understanding of astronomy and of scientific inquiry; and widely disseminate the results and resources developed in this project to the astronomy teaching community through professional conference presentations, refereed publications, an interactive web site, and through a collaborative partnership with a publishing house. The evaluation plan is to use a single-group, multiple-measures, quasi-experimental design to explore students' enhanced content knowledge of science and inquiry. The INTELLECTUAL MERIT of the project is to iteratively create and systematically evaluate an innovative approach to inquiry-oriented teaching in order to contribute to the research literature on undergraduate STEM education. The BROADER IMPACTS are to provide professors with new, adaptable, and well-evaluated tools for working with undergraduate non-science majors and future teachers where large numbers of diverse students are successfully conducting meaningful and fully supported scientific investigations.Teaching Teachers: Developing Faculty Expertise in Supporting Preservice Elementary Teachers' Development of Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching (1044143) 6/15/2011Castro Superfine, Alison, amcastro@uic.edu, University of Illinois at Chicago, CHICAGO, IL - Award Amount: $179791Abstract: This project aims to: develop a collection of videocases and other teaching and learning materials to be used in professional development workshops for mathematics faculty who are responsible for teaching preservice elementary teachers (PSTs); evaluate the impact of these materials on both faculty participants and their students; enable mathematics faculty, who teach content courses for PSTs, to develop expertise in supporting PSTs' development of mathematics knowledge needed for teaching; and articulate the nature of specialized content knowledge mathematics teacher educators need to support PSTs' development of mathematics knowledge required for teaching. Preservice mathematics coursework often fails to adequately prepare PSTs for the work of teaching. The coursework frequently focuses on the learning of content giving limited attention to how such knowledge is used in teaching practice, while providing relatively few experiences in applying PSTs' knowledge to analyze solution strategies or appraise mathematical explanations. In addition, mathematics faculty who teach content need to understand how to create opportunities for PSTs to learn mathematics in ways needed for teaching, a view of teaching and learning with which they are often unfamiliar.Collaborative Research: Evaluation and Assessment of Teaching and Learning About Statistics (e-ATLAS) (1043141) 6/1/2011Garfield, Joan, jbg@tc.umn.edu, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Award Amount: $91970Abstract: The e-ATLAS (Evaluation and Assessment of Teaching and Learning About Statistics) project is establishing a much needed evidence-based research culture in the statistics education community to better allow it to judge the effectiveness of its past and on-going efforts. Inspired by the internet's vastly expanded reach, resources, and accelerated development of the statistics education community, the project's innovative design seeks to provide customizable instruments that assess how teachers teach and what students learn. These instruments are administered on-line as part of a globally shared digital library of resources and linked to databases supporting assessment of course innovations, project evaluation, and research informing materials. Using these instruments, the e-ATLAS project is conducting a randomized nationally representative sampling of college statistics instructors and their classrooms. This provides a baseline of information on college teaching and student learning enabling investigators to triangulate the global position of their work. Through webinars and well-indexed exemplars the e-ATLAS project then supports new investigators in their drive for effective evaluation of their work.Playing Games with a Purpose: A New Approach to Teaching and Learning Statistics (1043814) 6/1/2011Kuiper, Shonda, kuipers@grinnell.edu, Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA - Award Amount: $199975Abstract: The investigators on this project are developing, implementing, and evaluating interactive Web-based games and corresponding investigative laboratory modules (labs) to effectively teach statistical thinking and the process of scientific inquiry to undergraduate students. Each game-based lab presents a research question in the context of a case study and encourages students to follow a complete process of statistical analysis. These materials consist of one- or two-day activities designed for introductory college courses as well as more complex projects geared toward upper level undergraduate courses. The game-based labs provide early opportunities for students to experience the role of a research scientist and to understand how the field of statistics helps advance scientific knowledge. The intellectual merit of this project lies in its contribution to the scholarship of statistics education by combining cutting-edge game-based technology with realistic research problems to foster statistical thinking at multiple stages of a student's academic career. The approach embraces recommendations from the Mathematical Association of America and the American Statistical Association that encourage students to collect data, determine an appropriate technique for analysis, use technology, perform the analysis, make inferences, interpret and then present the results. The broader impacts of the project are felt through its creation of a new educational model that holds strong potential to influence the direction of statistics education. In particular the game-based labs enable the exploration of individualized research questions and just-in-time feedback that students recognize as directly related to the goals within their game. Providing students with intriguing real-world problems that demonstrate the intellectual content and broad applicability of statistics as a discipline encourages students to consider a career in statistics or to incorporate statistical thinking into any career.TUES Type I: Eye Trackers for Behavioral Science at Macalester and Augsburg Colleges (1044006) 6/1/2011Lea, R. Brooke, lea@macalester.edu, Macalester College, Saint Paul, MN - Award Amount: $125554Abstract: The addition of eye trackers into laboratories at two institutions introduces this type of instrumentation into a broad range of psychology courses, class-associated laboratory sections, and faculty research. The project exposes a wide range of undergraduate students and faculty to state-of-the-art eye movement research techniques in five areas of psychology, linguistics, biological neuroscience, and computer science. Recent developments in video-based eye trackers are revolutionizing the ability of researchers to precisely determine where a participant is looking as a means to investigate aspects of human cognitive processing. As eye tracking technology continues to become more powerful, portable, and affordable, it has become a standard instrument for psychological science. The collaboration between Macalester College and Augsburg College reaches a diverse student population and provides another tool in the methodological arsenals available to faculty to integrate eye movement research techniques into on-going courses and laboratories. Through faculty enhancement activities, the project encourages interdisciplinary research among colleagues at other neighboring institutions along with introducing the public to eye movement science through museum-based outreach activities. As eye tracking research becomes more common in behavioral science, students and faculty mastering the methodology become more informed consumers and producers of eye movement research and educational activities.Infusing Emerging Nano and Green Technologies into Community College STEM Curriculum (1044441) 6/1/2011Porcello, Darrell, porcello@berkeley.edu, University of California-Berkeley, BERKELEY, CA - Award Amount: $249954Abstract: This project is developing, implementing, and evaluating an integrated approach to STEM teaching and learning for the expanding population of community college undergraduates in two emerging areas: nanotechnology and green technology. At its core the approach embeds a set of short nanotechnology and green technology modules within the introductory STEM courses of Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Engineering. In addition day-long career workshops bring together all students from across the different courses using the modules. The student hands-on activities and faculty professional development sessions for each module connect discipline-specific concepts to practical applications from the two emerging technologies. The career workshops feature: 1) participation from industry speakers, 2) additional hands-on activities and interactive demonstrations exploring nanotechnology and green technology, 3) an in-depth discussion of STEM career options at all levels, and 4) a forum on the societal and ethical implications of emerging technologies. The intellectual merit of the project lies in the choice of content, the modular design of the materials, and the provision of follow-on opportunities to engage in deeper exploration, synthesis, and reflection on nanotechnology and green technology topics. Broader impacts are exerted through the strong partnership of a two-year institution with a leading public research university and its nationally recognized curriculum design and professional development center. Such collaboration offers not only a model for other flagship research universities, but also enables the project to reach important student audiences since the community college population has a greater percentage of students from underserved groups, and a faster overall growth rate, than the population of 4-year colleges. Furthermore, targeting introductory courses creates the greatest chance to reach a broad audience of both college students undecided about STEM careers and young faculty teaching STEM courses. In so doing the project is helping build the community college infrastructure needed for training the next generation STEM workforce in emerging technologies.Water Distribution System Analysis Lab Modules and Kits for Undergraduate Education (1044823) 6/1/2011Seo, Youngwoo, youngwoo.seo@utoledo.edu, University of Toledo, TOLEDO, OH - Award Amount: $200000Abstract: Water distribution systems are complex engineered systems in which biological and chemical reactions occur within a physical network of pipes, pumps, and tanks. Because safe drinking water is critical to maintaining public health and national security, engineering students need to understand the dynamics of water distribution systems. This project is developing and testing modules and kits for a Water Distribution System Analysis Lab. These kits and modules are being developed to increase students' understanding by providing systematic information and interdisciplinary concepts associated with the biological, chemical, and hydraulic dynamics in water distribution systems. This lab introduces students to real world problems by adapting and implementing problem-based learning modules with real-life context and by applying computational techniques to hydraulics and water quality simulations. These kits and modules are being designed for use from pre-college through graduate programs, as well as by organizations such as Engineers without Borders.Increasing Adoption of Active Learning in STEM Disciplines by Integrating a Faculty Development Program and a Technology-facilitated Learning Environment (1043984) 5/1/2011Leonard, Jill, jileonar@nmu.edu, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI - Award Amount: $159888Abstract: This project is implementing a program for increasing the adoption of technology-enhanced active learning in classes taught by science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty. Student-centered active learning techniques and incorporation of technology into teaching are identified as having positive effects on learning in STEM disciplines. However, barriers to these approaches - including lack of time, institutional support, and training, as well as the prevalence of traditional classrooms designed for passive lectures prevent their broad adoption. This project addresses those barriers by: 1) Facilitating the implementation of technologically-enhanced active learning by developing a cohort of six STEM focal point faculty (Catalysts) who immerse themselves in active learning pedagogy, redesign their own courses, and serve as models for their peers, 2) Establishing a student-centered technology-rich studio classroom designed to support active learning pedagogy, and 3) Assessing the effectiveness of technologies used in active learning pedagogy in order to provide best practice recommendations. These efforts increase the incorporation of active learning into all STEM disciplines at the university. Information and lessons learned are shared with other institutions through publications, an online teaching commons, and conference presentations. The Catalyst program for facilitating adoption of active learning techniques is replicable, enhancing the likelihood of transformational change in STEM education and broadening participation in the sciences. The studio classroom design is based on existing active classroom methodology and, by sharing the assessment of its technological innovations, will further the development of this area of education.Transforming Advanced Chemistry Laboratories to Prepare Students for Challenges in Nanotechnology, Energy and the Environment (1044181) 4/1/2011Falvey, Daniel, falvey@umd.edu, University of Maryland College Park, COLLEGE PARK, MD - Award Amount: $199815Abstract: Chemistry (12) "Transforming Advanced Chemistry Laboratories to Prepare Students for Challenges in Nanotechnology, Energy and the Environment" at the University of Maryland is testing the hypothesis that extended and repeated exposure to modern instrumentation is effective for teaching upper-level chemistry laboratories. Current scientific problems are increasingly complex and solving them requires the use of increasingly sophisticated instrumentation. As the number and complexity of modern tools for chemical measurements increases, it is increasingly impractical to train undergraduates on every possible technique they might encounter in the workplace or in postgraduate studies. The intellectual merit is to develop methods to (a) enable students to become sophisticated at accomplishing open-ended, problem-based exercises and (b) provide transferable skills that allow students to quickly master new instrumentation in later laboratory courses. The project outcomes include (a) improving students' understanding of the concepts of physical and analytical chemistry, (b) providing aspiring chemists and biochemists with problem solving skills that will enable them to answer modern experimental problems, (c) fostering an appreciation of the experimental basis of chemical and biochemical knowledge and (d) introducing students to modern interdisciplinary problems in relevant areas. The innovations that prove most effective will serve as the basis for designing an advanced laboratory curriculum in chemistry. The project results will have broad impact by serving as a model for enhancing student learning that can be adapted to other university-level chemistry programs. The results will be disseminated throughout the chemical education community and are likely to be of use to the broader STEM puting in the Arts: A Model Curriculum (1044861) 2/1/2011Manaris, Bill, manarisb@cofc.edu, College of Charleston, CHARLESTON, SC - Award Amount: $124999Abstract: This project addresses a recognized need of the 21st century technological society: broadening participation and excellence in computing education. Computing in the Arts (CITA) is an innovative, interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts degree program, which integrates computer science and information technology with traditional art theory and practice. The curriculum introduces computing around a theme of creative expression, which has been found to increase participation by women and minorities. CITA is based on sound pedagogy, involving tested curricula and structured synthesis experiences. It has the potential to enrich computing education for undergraduate students across disciplines. Learning materials, teaching strategies and faculty expertise are being developed to promote computational thinking in the arts disciplines. Student learning objectives and the efficacy of CITA to increase participation in computing will be assessed. The project will promote implementation of the curriculum and effective strategies through widespread dissemination. ................
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