Terc Inc

REIMAGINING EQUITY: AN INFORMAL STEM LEARNING EQUITY RESOURCE CENTER -DIVERSITY, EQUITY, ACCESS, INCLUSION, AND BELONGING-RELATED CHANGE IS OFTEN DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE IN ORGANIZATIONS. IN THE CONTEXT OF INFORMAL STEM LEARNING (ISL), THIS RESULTS IN INEQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR BOTH ISL PROFESSIONALS AND LEARNERS TO ENGAGE IN STEM ENVIRONMENTS AND EXPERIENCES. FOR PEOPLE TO THRIVE IN THESE SETTINGS, CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE APPROACHES THAT ADDRESS HISTORICAL AND CURRENT REALITIES OF INTERSECTIONAL MARGINALIZATION AND INEQUITABLE NORMS WITHIN INFORMAL STEM INSTITUTIONS ARE NECESSARY TO DISRUPT CONVENTIONS, INSTITUTIONAL BARRIERS, AND PATTERNS OF INEQUITIES. TERC AND THE DETROIT ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY WILL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT AN ISL EQUITY RESOURCE CENTER (THE CENTER). THE CENTER WILL ADVANCE EQUITY WITHIN THE ISL FIELD BY CULTIVATING A MULTI-SECTOR, DIVERSE LEARNING COMMUNITY THAT DESIGNS AND CONDUCTS EVIDENCE-BASED RESEARCH AND PRACTICE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO EQUITY-FOCUSED LEADERSHIP, DECISION-MAKING, THEORY, METHODS, PROJECT TOPIC SELECTION AND DESIGN, AND BUDGET MANAGEMENT. THE CENTER WILL CULTIVATE LASTING CHANGE IN THE ISL AND BROADER STEM LEARNING ECOSYSTEM VIA (A) SHARING MORE INCLUSIVE, CULTURALLY RELEVANT, AND RESPONSIVE ISE RESEARCH AND PRACTICE; (B) IDENTIFYING SCALABLE, EQUITY-FOCUSED RESEARCH FINDINGS USEFUL IN ISL PROGRAMMING; AND (C) PROMOTING GREATER PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF BROADENING PARTICIPATION IN STEM. THE CENTER'S PRIMARY STAKEHOLDERS ARE ISL PROFESSIONALS, INCLUDING RESEARCHERS, PRACTITIONERS, AND EVALUATORS. THE CENTER WILL MAINTAIN AND EXPAND A DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT INNOVATION AND SHARING ACROSS THE ISL FIELD. THROUGH ITS COMBINED EFFORTS, THE CENTER WILL RAISE THE VISIBILITY AND IMPACT OF ISL EQUITY-FOCUSED RESEARCH AND PRACTICE AND ITS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE OVERALL STEM ENDEAVOR. THE CENTER WILL ALSO ORGANIZE AND HOST THE BIENNIAL AISL AWARDEE MEETING. THE CENTER IS FUNDED BY THE ADVANCING INFORMAL STEM LEARNING PROGRAM, WHICH SEEKS TO (A) ADVANCE NEW APPROACHES TO AND EVIDENCE-BASED UNDERSTANDING OF THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF STEM LEARNING IN INFORMAL ENVIRONMENTS; (B) PROVIDE MULTIPLE PATHWAYS FOR BROADENING ACCESS TO AND ENGAGEMENT IN STEM LEARNING EXPERIENCES; (C) ADVANCE INNOVATIVE RESEARCH ON AND ASSESSMENT OF STEM LEARNING IN INFORMAL ENVIRONMENTS; AND (D) ENGAGE THE PUBLIC OF ALL AGES IN LEARNING STEM IN INFORMAL ENVIRONMENTS. 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.

MSPNET.ORG: AN ONLINE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING NETWORK

THE IMPACT OF AN INCLUSIVE GRADES K-2 EARLY ALGEBRA INTERVENTION IMPLEMENTED BY CLASSROOM TEACHERS -THE IMPORTANCE OF ALGEBRA IN STUDENTS? ACADEMIC SUCCESS IS WELL-DOCUMENTED AND HAS LED TO CALLS FOR A GRADES K-12 APPROACH TO TEACHING AND LEARNING ALGEBRA. EFFECTIVE ?EARLY? ALGEBRA INTERVENTIONS IN ELEMENTARY GRADES THAT CAN DEVELOP ALL STUDENTS? ALGEBRA READINESS FOR LATER GRADES ARE NEEDED. THIS STUDY WILL USE AN EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN TO TEST THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A GRADES K?2 EARLY ALGEBRA INTERVENTION WHEN IMPLEMENTED IN DIVERSE CLASSROOM SETTINGS BY ELEMENTARY TEACHERS. THE BROADER IMPACT OF THE STUDY WILL BE TO DEEPEN THE ROLE OF ALGEBRA IN ELEMENTARY GRADES, PROVIDE MUCH-NEEDED CURRICULAR SUPPORT FOR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS, AND STRENGTHEN COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS STANDARDS AND PRACTICES. IMPORTANTLY, THE STUDY WILL INCLUDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WITH HIGH PERCENTAGES OF STUDENTS FROM UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES WHO TRADITIONALLY HAVE LESS ACCESS TO THE KINDS OF INSTRUCTION THAT CAN LEAD TO SUCCESS IN ALGEBRA. ALGEBRA INNOVATIONS THAT ARE SHOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE WITH THIS POPULATION OF LEARNERS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR INCREASING THEIR ACCESS TO STEM DISCIPLINES. UNDERSTANDING THE K?2 EARLY ALGEBRA INTERVENTION?S EFFECTIVENESS AND HOW TEACHERS MIGHT IMPLEMENT IT WITH FIDELITY FOR DIVERSE LEARNERS IS CRITICAL TO IMPROVING EARLY CHILDHOOD STEM LEARNING. THE STUDY WILL USE A CLUSTER RANDOMIZED TRIAL TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A GRADES K?2 EARLY ALGEBRA LEARNING PROGRESSION (K?2 EALP) INTERVENTION WHEN TAUGHT BY ELEMENTARY TEACHERS IN DIVERSE CLASSROOMS UNDER NORMAL EDUCATIONAL CONDITIONS. K-2 EALP IS BASED ON A LEARNING PROGRESSIONS APPROACH TO CURRICULAR DESIGN. THE STUDY SEEKS TO EXAMINE THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: (1) STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT: TO WHAT EXTENT DO STUDENTS ACROSS DIVERSE CLASSROOMS WHO ARE TAUGHT THE INTERVENTION DURING REGULAR INSTRUCTION DIFFER IN PERFORMANCE FROM STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE ONLY REGULAR INSTRUCTION ON MEASURES OF ALGEBRA KNOWLEDGE AND GENERAL MATHEMATICS KNOWLEDGE? (2) FIDELITY OF IMPLEMENTATION: WHAT IS THE FIDELITY WITH WHICH TEACHERS IMPLEMENT THE INTERVENTION, WHAT ASPECTS DO THEY IMPLEMENT WITH HIGH OR LOW FIDELITY, AND HOW DO VARIATIONS IN TEACHERS? FIDELITY OF IMPLEMENTATION RELATE TO VARIATIONS IN STUDENTS? PERFORMANCE? THE 3-YEAR LONGITUDINAL STUDY WILL BE IMPLEMENTED ACROSS GRADES K?2, WITH RANDOMIZATION AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL. STUDENT ASSESSMENT DATA WILL BE COLLECTED USING PROXIMAL AND DISTAL MEASURES OF ALGEBRAIC KNOWLEDGE AND GENERAL MATHEMATICAL KNOWLEDGE. HIERARCHICAL LINEAR MODELING WILL BE USED TO ASSESS EFFECTS OF THE INTERVENTION ON STUDENT PERFORMANCE AND TO ASSESS WHETHER THE EFFECTS VARY BY STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS. QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE DATA WILL BE COLLECTED FROM TREATMENT GROUP TEACHERS THROUGH CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS, INTERVIEWS, AND SURVEYS TO ASSESS FIDELITY OF IMPLEMENTATION. COMPARISON GROUP TEACHING PRACTICES AND REGULAR CURRICULA WILL BE ANALYZED THROUGH DOCUMENT ANALYSIS AND DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS TO UNDERSTAND HOW EARLY ALGEBRA TREATMENT DIFFERS BETWEEN TREATMENT AND CONTROL SCHOOLS. THE DISCOVERY RESEARCH PREK-12 PROGRAM (DRK-12) IS AN APPLIED RESEARCH PROGRAM THAT SEEKS TO SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE THE LEARNING AND TEACHING OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) BY PREK-12 STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. PROJECTS IN THE DRK-12 PROGRAM BUILD ON FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH IN STEM EDUCATION AND PRIOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS THAT PROVIDE THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL JUSTIFICATION FOR FUNDED PROJECTS. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

INFACT: THE INCLUSION OF NEURODIVERSITY IN FOUNDATIONS AND APPLICATIONS OF COMPUTATIONAL THINKING

EDUCATION RESEARCH PROGRAM

IGERT RESOURCE CENTER: IGERT.NET

KIDS' SURVEY NETWORK: DEVELOPING AND STUDYING AN APPRENTICESHIP NETWORK FOR INFORMAL MATH AND SCIENCE LEARNING

STRENGTHENING MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHEMATICAL ARGUMENTATION THROUGH TEACHER COACHING: BRIDGING FROM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO CLASSROOM PRACTICE

LEVELING UP: SUPPORTING AND MEASURING HIGH SCHOOL STEM KNOWLEDGE BUILDING IN SOCIAL DIGITAL GAMES

STEM FOR ALL COLLABORATORY: ACCELERATING DISSEMINATION AND FOSTERING COLLABORATIONS FOR STEM EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

EVALUATING THE DEVELOPING MATHEMATICAL IDEAS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM: RESEARCHING ITS IMPACT ON TEACHING AND STUDENT LEARNING

MSPNET: PHASE II

STEM TEACHER LEADERSHIP NETWORK

ENGAGING RURAL, LATINX YOUTH IN AN AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM THAT INTEGRATES DESIGN THINKING, MAKING AND MATH -THE PROJECT WILL DEVELOP AND RESEARCH AN AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM DESIGNED TO ENGAGE RURAL, LATINX YOUTH IN DESIGN THINKING AND MATH THROUGH MAKING. MAKING IS A LEARNER-CENTERED ENVIRONMENT WHERE PARTICIPANTS DESIGN, CREATE, AND DEVELOP PROJECTS. LATINX INDIVIDUALS ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE STEM WORKFORCE. THE PROJECT WILL ENGAGE LATINX YOUTH DURING THE CRITICAL MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS WHEN YOUNG PEOPLE MAKE CHOICES THAT AFFECT THEIR FUTURES. THE PROJECT WILL WORK WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AFTER SCHOOL STAFF, AND YOUTH AS CO-DESIGNERS TO DEVELOP AND PILOT THE COMPLETE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM WILL INVOLVE LATINX YOUTH WHO LIVE IN THE AGRICULTURAL REGIONS OF THE SOUTHWEST UNITED STATES WITH THE GOAL OF DEVELOPING AGENCY AND POSITIVE IDENTITY, AS MAKERS, MATHEMATICAL DOERS AND USERS, AND ACTIVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THEY WILL ENGAGE IN DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE MATHEMATICS, SUCH AS THE VOLUME AND SURFACE AREA OF GEOMETRIC SHAPES, WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF INFORMAL LEARNING PROJECTS. THE PROGRAM WILL COMPRISE FOUR SEMESTER-LONG AFTER SCHOOL PROJECTS, INVOLVING PARTICIPANTS FOR 2-4 HOURS EACH WEEK, DURING WHICH TIME YOUTH WILL DESIGN AND CREATE OBJECTS TO ADDRESS TYPICAL COMMUNITY CHALLENGES. EACH PROJECT WILL INCORPORATE SMALLER MODULES TO ENABLE YOUTH WITH DIFFERENT ATTENDANCE NEEDS TO PARTICIPATE. REAL COMMUNITY PROBLEMS (E.G., DROUGHT) AND SOLUTION PATHS (E.G., WATER CATCHMENT SYSTEM) WILL MOTIVATE THE MAKING AND THE MATHEMATICS. THE PROGRAM, CO-DESIGNED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CESAR CHAVEZ FOUNDATION, PROMISES TO REACH 100,000 YOUTH OVER THE NEXT DECADE. BECAUSE THE PROGRAM CAN SERVE AS A MODEL FOR OTHERS WITH SIMILAR GOALS, THIS REACH HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE EXPANDED IN MANY OTHER COMMUNITIES. PROJECT RESEARCH WILL ADDRESS A GAP IN THE CURRENT LITERATURE ON MATHEMATICS, MAKING, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERSHIP. THE PROJECT CONNECTS COMMUNITY MATHEMATICS?THE RICH MATHEMATICAL KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES DRAWN FROM COMMUNITIES?TO EDUCATIONAL MAKING TO BOTH ENRICH UNDERSTANDING OF SCHOOL MATHEMATICS AND AID IN DEVELOPING STUDENTS? POSITIVE MATHEMATICAL AND CULTURAL IDENTITIES. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO RESULT IN A MODEL OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT CAN BE USED AND STUDIED BY AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND RESEARCHERS, CONTRIBUTING TO THE LIMITED BODY OF KNOWLEDGE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON STEM MAKING FOR AFTER SCHOOL FACILITATORS. THE RESEARCH DESIGN FOR THIS PROJECT WILL FOLLOW A MIXED METHODS APPROACH WHERE QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS WILL OCCUR SIMULTANEOUSLY. RESULTS OF BOTH STRANDS WILL BE BROUGHT TOGETHER AT THE INTERPRETATION AND REPORTING LEVEL TO COMPARE AND BRING OUT THE CONVERGENCE, DIVERGENCE, OR COMPLEMENTARITY OF FINDINGS. THE RESEARCH WILL TAKE PLACE IN TWO STAGES (CO-DESIGN AND PILOT) OVER 3 YEARS, WITH AN ADDITIONAL HALF YEAR FOR DEVELOPING COMMUNICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS. RESEARCH WILL ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: (1) WHAT ARE THE KEY FEATURES OF PROJECTS FOR INTEGRATING COMMUNITY MATHEMATICS, SCHOOL MATHEMATICS UNDERSTANDING, AND DESIGN/MAKING? (2) HOW DO FACILITATORS SUPPORT THE YOUTH IN ENGAGING IN PROGRAM ACTIVITIES? (3) WHAT MATH CONTENT AND PRACTICES DO YOUTH LEARN THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN PROGRAM ACTIVITIES? AND (4) HOW DO YOUTH?S AGENCY AND IDENTITY AS MAKERS, MATHEMATICS DOERS AND USERS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS CHANGE WITH PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM? PROGRAM RESEARCH AND RESOURCES WILL BE DISSEMINATED NATIONALLY THROUGH THE CESAR CHAVEZ FOUNDATION AND BY SHARING PROJECT RESEARCH AND RESOURCES THROUGH PUBLICATIONS AND CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS REACHING RESEARCHERS, EDUCATORS, AND PROGRAM DEVELOPERS. THIS RESEARCH PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE ADVANCING INFORMAL STEM LEARNING (AISL) PROGRAM, WHICH SEEKS TO (A) ADVANCE NEW APPROACHES TO AND EVIDENCE-BASED UNDERSTANDING OF THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF STEM LEARNING IN INFORMAL ENVIRONMENTS; (B) PROVIDE MULTIPLE PATHWAYS FOR BROADENING ACCESS TO AND ENGAGEMENT IN STEM LEARNING EXPERIENCES; (C) ADVANCE INNOVATIVE RESEARCH ON AND ASSESSMENT OF STEM LEARNING IN INFORMAL ENVIRONMENTS; AND (D) ENGAGE THE PUBLIC OF ALL AGES IN LEARNING STEM IN INFORMAL ENVIRONMENTS. 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.

DOING THE MATH WITH PARAEDUCATORS: ENHANCING AND EXPANDING AND SUSTAINING A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MODEL IN PREK TO GRADE 3 MATH CLASSROOMS

EMPOWERING TEACHERS THROUGH VIDEOREVIEW

BROADENING PARTICIPATION IN INFORMAL STEM LEARNING FOR AUTISTIC LEARNERS AND OTHERS THROUGH VIRTUAL REALITY

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: CONFRONTING THE CHALLENGES OF CLIMATE LITERACY

SIGNING HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE

ZOOMBINIS: THE FULL DEVELOPMENT IMPLEMENTATION RESEARCH STUDY OF A COMPUTATIONAL THINKING GAME FOR UPPER ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL LEARNERS

RESEARCH TO UNDERSTAND AND INFORM THE IMPACTS OF AMBIENT AND DESIGNED SOUND ON INFORMAL STEM LEARNING -THIS RESEARCH IN SERVICE TO PRACTICE PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE ADVANCING INFORMAL STEM LEARNING (AISL) PROGRAM, WHICH SEEKS TO (A) ADVANCE NEW APPROACHES TO AND EVIDENCE-BASED UNDERSTANDING OF THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF STEM LEARNING IN INFORMAL ENVIRONMENTS; (B) PROVIDE MULTIPLE PATHWAYS FOR BROADENING ACCESS TO AND ENGAGEMENT IN STEM LEARNING EXPERIENCES; (C) ADVANCE INNOVATIVE RESEARCH ON AND ASSESSMENT OF STEM LEARNING IN INFORMAL ENVIRONMENTS; AND (D) ENGAGE THE PUBLIC OF ALL AGES IN LEARNING STEM IN INFORMAL ENVIRONMENTS. THIS PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT COLLABORATION BETWEEN INFORMAL STEM LEARNING (ISL) RESEARCHERS, DESIGNERS, AND EDUCATORS WITH SOUND RESEARCHERS AND ACOUSTIC ECOLOGISTS TO JOINTLY EXPLORE THE ROLE OF AUDITORY EXPERIENCES?SOUNDSCAPES?ON LEARNING. IN INFORMAL STEM LEARNING SPACES, WHERE CONVERSATION ADVANCES STEM LEARNING AND IS A VITAL PART OF THE EXPERIENCE OF EXPLORING STEM PHENOMENA WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS, ATTENTION TO THE IMPACTS OF SOUNDSCAPES CAN HAVE AN IMPORTANT BEARING ON LEARNING. UNDERSTANDING HOW SOUNDSCAPES MAY FACILITATE, SPARK, DISTRACT FROM, OR EVEN OVERWHELM THINKING AND CONVERSATION WILL PROVIDE ISL EDUCATORS AND DESIGNERS EVIDENCE TO INFORM THEIR PRACTICE. THE PROJECT IS STRUCTURED TO REFLECT THE COMPLEXITY OF ISL AUDIENCES AND EXPERIENCES; THUS, PARTNERS INCLUDE THE NORTH PARK VILLAGE NATURE CENTER LOCATED IN IN A DIVERSE IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORHOOD IN CHICAGO; WILD INDIGO, A GREAT LAKES AUDUBON PROGRAM PRIMARILY SERVING AFRICAN AMERICAN VISITORS IN MIDWEST CITIES; AN AFTER-SCHOOL/SUMMER CAMP PROVIDER, STEAMING AHEAD NEW MEXICO, SERVING FAMILIES IN THE RURAL SOUTHWEST CORNER OF NEW MEXICO, AND FOUR SITES IN OHIO, METROPARKS, COLUMBUS ZOO AND AQUARIUM, FRANKLIN PARK CONSERVATORY AND BOTANICAL GARDENS, AND THE CENTER OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. INVESTIGATORS WILL CONDUCT LARGE-SCALE EXPLORATORY RESEARCH TO ANSWER AN UNDERSTUDIED RESEARCH QUESTION:?HOW DO ENVIRONMENTAL SOUNDS IMPACT STEM LEARNING IN INFORMAL LEARNING SPACES? ?RESEARCHERS AND PRACTITIONERS WILL CHARACTERIZE AND DESCRIBE THE SOUNDSCAPES THROUGHOUT THE DIFFERENT OUTDOOR AND INDOOR EXHIBIT/LEARNING SPACES. RESEARCHERS WILL OBSERVE 800 VISITORS, TRACKING ATTRACTION, ATTENTION, DWELL TIME, AND SHARED LEARNING. IN ADDITION TO OBSERVATIONS, RESEARCHERS WILL JOIN ANOTHER 150 VISITORS FOR THINK-ALOUD INTERVIEWS, WHERE RESEARCHERS WILL WALK ALONGSIDE VISITORS AND CAPTURE PERTINENT NOTES WHILE VISITORS DESCRIBE THEIR EXPERIENCE IN REAL TIME. CORRELATIONAL AND CLUSTER ANALYSES USING MACHINE LEARNING ALGORITHMS WILL BE USED TO IDENTIFY PATTERNS ACROSS DIFFERENT SOUNDS, SOUNDSCAPES, RESPONSES, AND REFLECTIONS OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS. IN PARTICULAR, THE ANALYSES WILL IDENTIFY CHARACTERISTICS OF SOUNDS THAT CORRELATE WITH INCREASED ATTENTION AND SHARED LEARNING. THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT, A TEAM OF EVALUATORS WILL MONITOR PROGRESS AND SUPPORT CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, INCLUDING GUIDANCE FOR DEVELOPING CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE RESEARCH METRICS CO-DEFINED WITH PROJECT PARTNERS. EVALUATORS WILL ALSO DOCUMENT THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE PROJECT IMPACTS CAPACITY BUILDING, AND INFLUENCES PLANNING AND DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR PROJECT PARTNERS. THIS EXPLORATORY STUDY IS THE INITIAL IN A LARGER RESEARCH AGENDA, LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR FUTURE EXPERIMENTAL STUDY DESIGNS THAT TEST CAUSAL CLAIMS ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SPECIFIC SOUNDSCAPES AND VISITOR LEARNING. RESULTS OF THIS STUDY WILL BE DISSEMINATED WIDELY TO INFORMAL LEARNING RESEARCHERS AND PRACTITIONERS THROUGH WORKSHOPS, PRESENTATIONS, JOURNAL ARTICLES, FACILITATED CONVERSATIONS, AND A SHORT FILM THAT ALIGNS WITH THE FOCUS AND FINDINGS OF THE RESEARCH. 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.

USING ROUTINES AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL TOOL FOR DEVELOPING STUDENTS' CONCEPTIONS OF PROOF

MATH OFF THE SHELF

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: FOCUS ON ENERGY: PREPARING ELEMENTARY TEACHERS TO MEET THE NGSS CHALLENGE

STEM VIDEOHALL: CONNECTING COMMUNITIES AND DISSEMINATING CUTTING EDGE WORK THROUGH VIDEO AND DISCOURSE

STATISTICS FOR ACTION

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: INTERPRETERS AND SCIENTISTS WORKING ON OUR PARKS

RESEARCH ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPUTATIONAL AND SYSTEMS THINKING IN MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS THROUGH EXPLORATIONS OF COMPLEX EARTH SYSTEMS

GIRLS ENERGY CONSERVATION CORPS

TALK SCIENCE: SCALABLE, WEB-BASED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING TO IMPROVE SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENT

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: HEAD START ON ENGINEERING: DEVELOPING A LEARNING COMMUNITY TO STUDY AND SUPPORT FAMILY-LEVEL INTEREST IN ENGINEERING

BUILDING A GRADES K-2 EARLY ALGEBRA LEARNING PROGRESSION PROTOTYPE FOR DIVERSE POPULATIONS

NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION RESEARCH

EDUCATION RESEARCH PROGRAM

ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION CHALLENGES: TEACHING AND LEARNING SCIENCE PRACTICES IN THE CONTEXT OF COMPLEX EARTH SYSTEMS

ACCESSING SCIENCE IDEAS: ENHANCING CURRICULUM TO SUPPORT SCIENTIFIC REASONING OF STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES

EMBODIED PHYSICS: USING THE LENSES OF PHYSICS AND DANCE TO INVESTIGATE LEARNING, ENGAGEMENT, AND IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT FOR BLACK AND LATINX YOUTH

BIOMIMICRY AS AN AUTHENTIC ANCHOR: GIVING TEACHERS THE TOOLS TO ADAPT AN INTERDISCIPLINARY MIDDLE SCHOOL CURRICULUM -INTEGRATING STEM SUBJECTS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL IS BENEFICIAL FOR STUDENT LEARNING AND CAN HELP PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THE STEM WORKPLACE. THIS PROJECT BUILDS CAPACITY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS TO ENACT AND ADAPT INTEGRATED STEM CURRICULUM UNITS WITH THEIR STUDENTS. THE UNITS WILL FOCUS ON BIOMIMICRY - EXAMINING STRUCTURES AND FUNCTIONS FOUND IN NATURE AND APPLYING THESE TO SOLVE HUMAN PROBLEMS, WHICH COMBINES SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND TECHNOLOGY. THE USE OF BIOLOGY AS A BASIS FOR ENGINEERING DESIGN AND PROBLEM-SOLVING AUTHENTICALLY MIRRORS CURRENT PRACTICE OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS AND ROBOTICISTS. THE PROJECT ENABLES TEACHERS TO DESIGN ACTIVITIES THAT ARE PERSONALLY AUTHENTIC TO THEIR STUDENTS, BY SUPPORTING TEACHERS TO EXAMINE THEIR STUDENTS' ASSETS, NEEDS, AND INTERESTS AND CENTER THESE DURING UNIT DESIGN. THE PROJECT'S MODULAR CURRICULUM APPROACH PROVIDES MULTIPLE POINTS OF ENTRY FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS IN DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES AND ALLOWS TEACHERS TO CHOOSE THE LEVEL OF TECHNOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY THEY ARE COMFORTABLE ENACTING. PROVIDING TEACHERS WITH THE TOOLS TO ENACT INTEGRATED STEM INSTRUCTION SUPPORTS LEARNING THROUGH THEIR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CROSS-CUTTING CONCEPT OF STRUCTURE-FUNCTION ANALYSIS, AS WELL AS KEY PRACTICES IN SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND COMPUTING AS DESCRIBED IN THE NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS. THIS PROJECT IS DEVELOPING A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MODEL THAT SUPPORTS TEACHERS FIRST TO PLAN AND ADAPT CURRICULUM MATERIALS THAT ARE COHESIVE AND MODULAR, AND THEN TO EFFECTIVELY USE THE MATERIALS TO ENACT INTEGRATED SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING LESSONS THAT ARE PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY AUTHENTIC TO THEIR STUDENTS. THE RESEARCHERS EXPECT THAT OVER TIME, THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WILL INCREASE THE LEVEL OF TECHNOLOGY THAT TEACHERS ARE COMFORTABLE INTEGRATING. THE PROJECT WORKS WITH 20 TEACHERS AND APPROXIMATELY 1000 STUDENTS AT SCHOOL SITES IN INDIANA, MAINE, AND MASSACHUSETTS. THIS PROJECT EMPLOYS A MIXED-METHODS RESEARCH DESIGN TO BUILD NEW KNOWLEDGE IN THE FIELDS OF SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND COMPUTING EDUCATION BY: (1) IDENTIFYING THE SKILLS AND RESOURCES THAT IMPACT MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS' PLANNING FOR INTEGRATED STEM INSTRUCTION; (2) CHARACTERIZING HOW A SITUATED AND MODULAR APPROACH TO MATERIALS DESIGN AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SUPPORTS TEACHERS' DESIGN AND INSTRUCTIONAL CHOICES OVER TIME; AND (3) DOCUMENTING HOW THE CURRICULUM FEATURES OF COHESION ACROSS DISCIPLINES AND AUTHENTIC LEARNING EXPERIENCES IMPACT STUDENT LEARNING OF CONTENT AND PRACTICES IN SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND COMPUTATIONAL THINKING, INCLUDING THE OVERARCHING CONCEPT OF STRUCTURE-FUNCTION ANALYSIS. THE DISCOVERY RESEARCH PREK-12 PROGRAM (DRK-12) SEEKS TO SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE THE LEARNING AND TEACHING OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS BY PREK-12 STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, THROUGH RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIVE RESOURCES, MODELS AND TOOLS. PROJECTS IN THE DRK-12 PROGRAM BUILD ON FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH IN STEM EDUCATION AND PRIOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS THAT PROVIDE THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL JUSTIFICATION FOR PROPOSED PROJECTS. 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.

BIOCOMPLEXITY: TRANSFORMING AN INNOVATIVE HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM WITH UDI SCAFFOLDS AND MULTIMEDIA RESOURCES

NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION RESEARCH

NATIVE STEM PORTRAITS: A LONGITUDINAL, MIXED-METHODS STUDY OF THE INTERSECTIONAL EXPERIENCES OF NATIVE LEARNERS AND PROFESSIONALS IN STEM

VIVID AI (VISUALIZE, IMPLEMENT, & VALIDATE INTELLIGENT DESIGNS WITH AI): A CO-DESIGNED MAKER EXPERIENCE CONNECTING NEURODIVERSE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEARNERS TO AI-ENABLED STEM PATHWAYS -ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) IS RAPIDLY TRANSFORMING THE AMERICAN WORKPLACE, REQUIRING A WORKFORCE THAT UNDERSTANDS WHAT AI SYSTEMS CAN DO, WHERE THEY FALL SHORT, AND HOW THEY CAN BE IMPROVED. NEURODIVERGENT YOUNG PEOPLE, INCLUDING THOSE WITH AUTISM, ADHD, AND DYSLEXIA, OFTEN POSSESS STRENGTHS WELL SUITED TO TECHNICAL DESIGN CAREERS, SUCH AS PATTERN RECOGNITION, SYSTEMATIC REASONING, CREATIVITY, AND PERSISTENCE, YET THEY REMAIN UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE PATHWAYS THAT LEAD TO THOSE CAREERS, IN PART BECAUSE MANY AI LEARNING EXPERIENCES ARE LANGUAGE-HEAVY AND ABSTRACT. THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP AND STUDY VIVID AI (VISUALIZE, IMPLEMENT, AND VALIDATE INTELLIGENT DESIGNS WITH AI), A HANDS-ON MAKER PROGRAM IN WHICH NEURODIVERSE MIDDLE-SCHOOL LEARNERS AGES 10 TO 14, BOTH NEURODIVERGENT AND NEUROTYPICAL, WILL DESIGN, BUILD, PROGRAM, AND SHARE THEIR OWN AI-ENABLED PHYSICAL INVENTIONS AT THE NEW YORK HALL OF SCIENCE (NYSCI). WORKING WITH SENSORS, MOTORS, LIGHTS, DISPLAYS, BEGINNER-FRIENDLY BLOCK CODING, AND AI TOOLS, LEARNERS WILL DISCOVER WHAT AI SYSTEMS CAN DO, DELIBERATELY INVESTIGATE WHERE AND WHY THOSE SYSTEMS MAKE MISTAKES, AND LEARN HOW TECHNICAL DESIGNERS TEST AND IMPROVE AI-ENABLED SYSTEMS. THE PROJECT WILL PRODUCE RESEARCH FINDINGS ALONG WITH FREE, PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ACTIVITY GUIDES, BUILD INSTRUCTIONS, FACILITATOR SUPPORTS, AND ACCESSIBILITY MATERIALS THAT MUSEUMS, MAKERSPACES, AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS, AND CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION SETTINGS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WILL BE ABLE TO USE. BY MAKING AI LEARNING CONCRETE, ENGAGING, AND ACCESSIBLE TO LEARNERS WITH A WIDE RANGE OF COGNITIVE PROFILES, THE PROJECT WILL BROADEN PARTICIPATION IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM), STRENGTHEN PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF AI, AND HELP PREPARE YOUNG PEOPLE FOR AN AI-DRIVEN ECONOMY. THIS THREE-YEAR PROJECT WILL PURSUE TWO INTERTWINED STRANDS OF WORK: THE CO-DESIGN AND ITERATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INFORMAL AI MAKER PROGRAM, AND A MIXED-METHODS STUDY OF HOW TANGIBLE AI MAKING SUPPORTS AI LITERACY, STEM ENGAGEMENT, AND AWARENESS OF AI-RELATED TECHNICAL DESIGN PATHWAYS AMONG NEURODIVERSE LEARNERS. GROUNDED IN UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING (UDL), COGNITIVE LOAD THEORY (CLT), RESEARCH ON EXECUTIVE FUNCTION (EF), AND EMERGING AI LITERACY FRAMEWORKS, THE PROJECT TEAM WILL WORK WITH NEURODIVERGENT LEARNERS, INFORMAL SCIENCE EDUCATORS, TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPERS, AND RESEARCHERS TO CO-DESIGN FIVE ACTIVITY AREAS SPANNING MACHINE PERCEPTION, TRAINING DATA AND CLASSIFICATION, GENERATIVE AI LIMITATIONS, REASONING UNDER UNCERTAINTY, AND LEARNER-DRIVEN INVENTION. IN YEAR 1, DESIGN-BASED RESEARCH CYCLES WILL ITERATIVELY TEST AND REFINE EACH ACTIVITY, DRAWING ON OBSERVATIONS, LEARNER ARTIFACTS, REFLECTIONS, FACILITATOR NOTES, AND INTERVIEWS TO EXAMINE ENGAGEMENT, ACCESS BARRIERS, AND COGNITIVE LOAD. IN YEAR 2, THE INTEGRATED PROGRAM WILL BE PILOTED AS A WEEK-LONG CAMP AT NYSCI. IN YEAR 3, AN EARLY EFFICACY STUDY WILL ENROLL 80 TO 100 NEURODIVERSE LEARNERS ACROSS FOUR WEEK-LONG CAMPS USING A WITHIN-SUBJECTS, REPEATED-MEASURES DESIGN. VALIDATED INSTRUMENTS, INCLUDING THE AI LITERACY CONCEPT INVENTORY AND AN ADAPTED SIMPSON-TROOST ATTITUDE QUESTIONNAIRE, WILL MEASURE AI LITERACY, STEM INTEREST, PERCEPTIONS OF STEM, STEM SELF-EFFICACY, INTENTIONS TO PERSIST IN STEM, AND AWARENESS OF AI-RELATED TECHNICAL DESIGN PATHWAYS. QUANTITATIVE DATA WILL BE ANALYZED USING REPEATED-MEASURES MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE. QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS WILL COMPLEMENT THE QUANTITATIVE RESTS USING THEMATIC ANALYSIS AND CASE STUDIES EXAMINING HOW LEARNERS WITH DIFFERENT COGNITIVE PROFILES EXPERIENCE THE PROGRAM. THE PROJECT WILL CONTRIBUTE NEW EMPIRICAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HOW NEURODIVERSE LEARNERS DEVELOP AI LITERACY THROUGH TANGIBLE MAKING, ALONG WITH RESEARCH-BASED DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR ACCESSIBLE AI LEARNING, DISSEMINATED THROUGH PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS, CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS, AND OPEN-ACCESS PROGRAM MATERIALS. THIS PROJECT WAS FUNDED BY THE STEM K-12 PROGRAM, WHICH SUPPORTS FUNDAMENTAL, APPLIED, AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH ON STEM LEARNING IN BOTH FORMAL K-12 EDUCATION AND INFORMAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS.? 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

RESEARCHING THE INTEGRATION OF ROBOTICS INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL PHYSICAL SCIENCE COURSES: EXAMINING INSTRUCTIONAL AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

PROJECT LEAP: EXTENDING A GRADES 3-5 EARLY ALGEBRA LEARNING PROGRESSION INTO GRADES K-2.

THE INQUIRY PROJECT

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: CLIMATE LITERACY & ENERGY AWARENESS NETWORK (CLEAN) PATHWAY

NEUROVIVID: DEVELOPING AND TESTING A MAKER EXPERIENCE TO BUILD INTEREST IN CAREERS IN BRAIN-COMPUTER INTERFACES AMONG NEURODIVERGENT YOUTH -NEURODIVERGENT YOUTH, INCLUDING THOSE WITH AUTISM AND ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER, POSSESS COGNITIVE ASSETS THAT UNDERLIE CORE MECHANISMS FOR STEM INNOVATION. HOWEVER, NEURODIVERGENT YOUTH OFTEN DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS IN WHICH THEY CAN REFLECT ON THEIR COGNITIVE STRENGTHS AND IDENTIFY THEM AS OFFERING CRITICAL SKILLS AND VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FUTURE STEM WORKFORCE AND TO SOCIETY. TO INCREASE ACCESS TO THIS TYPE OF LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP AND TEST A SUITE OF MATERIALS FOR MAKERSPACES, INCLUDING CURRICULA AND FACILITATOR GUIDES, CALLED NEUROVIVID. NEUROVIVID WILL PROVIDE NEURODIVERSE YOUTH WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD SIMPLE ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM (EEG) HEADSETS USING LOW-COST AND WIDELY AVAILABLE MATERIALS; TO VIEW AND INTERPRET DATA RELATED TO THEIR BRAIN ACTIVITY; AND TO INTERACT WITH THESE DATA IN PLAYFUL WAYS. AS EXAMPLES, YOUTH CAN USE SENSOR DATA TO PLAY MUSIC, CONTROL ROBOTS, OR OPERATE SIMPLE MACHINES. WITHIN THIS CONTEXT, NEURODIVERGENT YOUTH WILL LEARN ABOUT NEUROSCIENCE WITH A FOCUS ON NEUROPLASTICITY AND COGNITIVE ASSETS. NEUROVIVID WILL BE ITERATIVELY CO-DEVELOPED AND TESTED WITH MAKERSPACE FACILITATORS AND WITH APPROXIMATELY 85 RACIALLY, ETHNICALLY, AND SOCIOECONOMICALLY DIVERSE AND NEURODIVERGENT YOUTH (AGE 10 TO 14). RESEARCH WILL EXPLORE WHICH DESIGN ELEMENTS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR BRAIN-COMPUTER INTERFACE (BCI) LEARNING MATERIALS THAT ENHANCE NEURODIVERGENT YOUTHS? INTEREST IN STEM, WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON THEIR INTEREST IN BCI CAREERS. THIS EMPIRICAL RESEARCH, AS WELL AS THE NEUROVIVID MATERIALS, WILL BE DISSEMINATED WIDELY THROUGH MAKERSPACE NETWORKS AS WELL AS THROUGH EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH VENUES. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS (ITEST) PROGRAM, WHICH SUPPORTS PROJECTS THAT BUILD UNDERSTANDINGS OF PRACTICES, PROGRAM ELEMENTS, CONTEXTS AND PROCESSES CONTRIBUTING TO INCREASING STUDENTS' KNOWLEDGE AND INTEREST IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) AND INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) CAREERS. THIS PROJECT WILL RESULT IN A SUITE OF MAKER CURRICULA AND MATERIALS, TITLED NEUROVIVID, INTENDED TO COUNTER DEFICIT MODELS OF COGNITIVE DIFFERENCES THROUGH HIGHLIGHTING THE COGNITIVE ASSETS OF NEURODIVERGENT YOUTH. YOUTH WILL BE SELECTED TO CO-DEVELOP AND USE THESE MATERIALS, AS THEY WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE PROJECT TEAM AND WITH MAKERSPACE FACILITATORS, IF THEY SCORE IN THE BOTTOM QUARTILE ON AN AMALGAMATION OF THE FOLLOWING FOUR TASKS RELATED TO EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING: N-BACK TASK (ASSOCIATED WITH WORKING MEMORY); FLANKER TASK (ASSOCIATED WITH VISUAL ATTENTION); GO/NO-GO TASK (ASSOCIATED WITH INHIBITION CONTROL); AND A CARD SORT TASK (ASSOCIATED WITH COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY). THE RESEARCH TEAM WILL USE MIXED METHODS RESEARCH TO IDENTIFY THE DESIGN ELEMENTS THAT ARE ESSENTIAL TO BCI LEARNING MATERIALS THAT BUILD INTEREST IN STEM AMONG NEURODIVERGENT LEARNERS. THIS RESEARCH WILL ALSO EXPLORE HOW INTERSECTIONS OF RACE/ETHNICITY, GENDER, AND NEURODIVERGENCE AFFECT THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTERESTS AND IDENTITIES IN STEM IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS CURRICULUM. TO ACHIEVE THESE RESEARCH PURPOSES, A NEURODIVERSE PROJECT TEAM WILL GENERATE DATA SOURCES SUCH AS TRANSCRIPTS FROM INTERVIEWS AND FOCUS GROUPS FROM RACIALLY AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE YOUTH WHO PARTICIPATE IN NEUROVIVID. PRE- AND POST-SURVEYS THAT MEASURE STEM INTERESTS AND IDENTITIES WILL ALSO PROVIDE INDICATORS AS TO NEUROVIVID?S EFFECTIVENESS AMONG NEURODIVERGENT YOUTH. NEUROVIVID WILL BE DISSEMINATED WIDELY THROUGH DIGITAL PLATFORMS AND CONFERENCES USED OR ATTENDED BY MAKERSPACE PERSONNEL. ULTIMATELY, THIS PROJECT WILL ADVANCE PRACTICE IN MAKERSPACES THROUGH GENERATING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HOW THESE SPACES CAN MORE EXPLICITLY AFFIRM A BROADER RANGE OF COGNITIVE STRENGTHS, WHILE INCREASING NEURODIVERGENT YOUTHS? INTEREST IN STEM CAREERS OF THE FUTURE. 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.

ENGAGING AFRICAN AMERICAN YOUNG WOMEN IN STEM AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP THROUGH COMMUNITY-CENTERED MAKING -THE PROJECT WILL DEVELOP AND RESEARCH A MODEL FOR ENGAGING HIGH-SCHOOL-AGED AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN FROM LOW-INCOME FAMILIES IN STEM-RELATED MAKING AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. MAKING IS A CULTURE THAT EMPHASIZES INTEREST-DRIVEN LEARNING BY DOING WITHIN AN INFORMAL, PEER-LED, AND CREATIVE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT. THE PROJECT WILL INTRODUCE PARTICIPANTS TO A PRODUCT DESIGN AND BUILD CYCLE, INVOLVING THREE MAKING DISCIPLINES (E.G., COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN, CERAMICS, AND TEXTILES INTEGRATED WITH STEM CONCEPTS, SKILLS, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP. NEW PATHWAYS TO STEM CAREERS WILL OPEN FOR THESE YOUNG WOMEN AS THEY MAKE CONNECTIONS AMONG THEIR STRENGTHS AND INTERESTS, AND THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS THEY DEVELOP IN THE MAKERSPACE. EACH OF THE PROJECT?S PARTNERS, INCLUDING THE FORGE GREENSBORO MAKERSPACE, THE GREENSBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY (PROVIDING LOW-INCOME HOUSING NEAR THE FORGE), AND TERC (A STEM EDUCATION DESIGN AND RESEARCH ORGANIZATION), BRINGS DISTINCT AND NECESSARY EXPERTISE TO THE PROJECT: THE FORGE GREENSBORO MAKERSPACE (MAKING AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP). PARTICIPANTS WILL SPEND ABOUT 4 HOURS A WEEK OVER 13 WEEKS IN THE PROGRAM. THEY WILL START WITH A MINI-DESIGN CHALLENGE WEEK THAT PROVIDES A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE DESIGN CYCLE, MAKING, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP, CONDUCTED VIA A MOBILE MAKER SPACE IN THE PARTICIPANTS? COMMUNITY. AFTER THIS SESSION, PARTICIPANTS WILL CHOOSE MAKING DISCIPLINES THAT THEY WISH TO EXPLORE. FOLLOWING THIS INITIAL WEEK, PARTICIPANTS WILL WORK THROUGH A SERIES OF DESIGN AND BUILD SPRINTS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP SESSIONS, WHICH WILL CULMINATE IN A PRODUCT-PITCH-AND-FEEDBACK COMMUNITY EVENT WITH A PANEL OF LOCAL BUSINESS PEOPLE. MENTORS FROM THE FORGE MAKERSPACE WILL WORK WITH PARTICIPANTS AS THEY DEVELOP THEIR PROJECT IDEAS AND DESIGNS AND SUPPORT PARTICIPANTS IN DEVELOPING APPROPRIATE AND RELEVANT SKILLS. BASED ON PROJECT RESEARCH AND EVALUATION, THE PROJECT WILL PRODUCE A COMPREHENSIVE MULTIMEDIA GUIDE AIMED AT INFORMAL LEARNING SPACES ON DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING A MAKING-AND-ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM, INCLUDING HOW TO CREATE PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND MAKERSPACES TO ENGAGE MINORITIZED YOUTH. THE GUIDE AND PROJECT RESEARCH WILL BE SHARED WITH RELEVANT COMMUNITIES OF INFORMAL LEARNING RESEARCHERS AND DEVELOPERS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE MAKER COMMUNITY VIA JOURNALS, CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA. THE PROJECT WILL USE AN ITERATIVE, PARTICIPATORY DESIGN RESEARCH (PDR) FRAMEWORK THAT WILL BRING THE PARTICIPANTS, YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN, TOGETHER WITH MAKERSPACE EXPERTS, LEARNING DESIGNERS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS TO CO-CREATE PROCESSES AND PRODUCTS THAT REFLECT THE WOMEN?S STEM-RELATED INTERESTS. THE PROJECT?S RESEARCH WILL ADDRESS QUESTIONS REGARDING PARTICIPANTS? DEVELOPMENT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROJECT MODEL: (1) WHAT STEM AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP PRACTICES DO THE PARTICIPANTS DEVELOP, INCLUDING DEFINING PROBLEMS, PLANNING AND CARRYING OUT AN INVESTIGATION/DESIGN CYCLE, USING MATH AND COMPUTATIONAL THINKING, DESIGNING A SOLUTION, COMMUNICATION, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP PRACTICES; (2) HOW DO PARTICIPANTS COME TO VIEW THEIR FUTURES, WITH REGARD TO STEM-RELATED CAREERS AND PATHWAYS TO THEM? (3) WHAT FEATURES OF THE PROGRAM HOLD PROMISE FOR STIMULATING AND SUPPORTING PARTICIPANTS LEARNING OF STEM AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP PRACTICES, AND AWARENESS OF STEM CAREER PATHWAYS? AND (4) HOW DOES THE INTRODUCTION OF A CADRE OF YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN INTO THE MAKERSPACE CHANGE THE EXISTING MAKERSPACE COMMUNITY? THE RESEARCH WILL USE QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE METHODS SUCH AS SURVEYS, ANALYSIS OF PARTICIPANT ARTIFACTS, FOCUS GROUPS, INTERVIEWS, AND ETHNOGRAPHIC FIELD OBSERVATIONS TO ITERATIVELY DEVELOP THE PROGRAM MODEL AND DETERMINE HOW ITS FEATURES AFFECT PARTICIPANTS? STEM-RELATED PRACTICES, STEM CAREER AWARENESS, AND THEIR VIEWS OF THE FUTURE. THE PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS (ITEST) PROGRAM, WHICH SUPPORTS PROJECTS THAT BUILD UNDERSTANDINGS OF PRACTICES, PROGRAM ELEMENTS, CONTEXTS, AND PROCESSES CONTRIBUTING TO INCREASING STUDENTS' KNOWLEDGE AND INTEREST IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) AND INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) CAREERS. 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.

DESIGNING BIOMIMETIC ROBOTS: RESEARCHING THE IMPACT OF AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIO-ENGINEERING-COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN CURRICULUM ON MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE EDUCATION

SITUATING SCIENCE LEARNING ON ALTERNATIVE SANITATION SOLUTIONS IN BREWERIES TO INCREASE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN DECISION-MAKING RELATED TO WASTEWATER SYSTEMS -MOST U.S. SANITATION SYSTEMS RELY ON AGING WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE. INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO SANITATION ARE AVAILABLE THAT CAN SUPPORT FERTILIZER, MINERAL, AND CHEMICAL INDEPENDENCE FOR FARMING COMMUNITIES WHILE SAVING COSTS AND SAVING WATER. HOWEVER, WITHOUT GREATER PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING AND DEMAND, THEY ARE UNLIKELY TO BE ADOPTED. WHILE CHILDREN REGULARLY GET EXPOSURE TO STEM VIA SCHOOL AND INFORMAL LEARNING SETTINGS LIKE MUSEUMS, MANY YOUNG ADULTS MAY LACK THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME ENGAGED WITH STEM IF THEY ARE NOT EXPOSED TO IT IN THE CONTEXT OF HIGHER EDUCATION OR WORK. THIS CAN AFFECT THEIR ABILITY TO ENGAGE IN DECISION-MAKING FOR ISSUES AT THE INTERSECTION OF SOCIETY AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION. JUST AS MUSEUMS CAN SERVE TO HELP CHILDREN LEARN ABOUT STEM AND STEM CAREERS, OTHER TYPES OF INFORMAL SPACES MAY HELP YOUNG ADULTS LEARN ABOUT HOW STEM IS INFUSED IN DAILY LIFE AND DIFFERENT WORKPLACES. THIS PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE HOW TO PRESENT STEM CONCEPTS TO YOUNG ADULT AUDIENCES IN NON-TRADITIONAL SETTINGS. SPECIFICALLY, IT WILL EXPLORE THE DELIVERY OF SANITATION AND AGRICULTURAL CONCEPTS TO YOUNG ADULT AUDIENCES IN THE CONTEXT OF BREWERIES. BUSINESSES IN MASSACHUSETTS, NEW MEXICO, AND VERMONT SELL A PRODUCT INTRINSICALLY CONNECTED TO THE NUTRIENT CYCLE AND OFFER A COMPELLING SETTING FOR INCREASING AWARENESS OF ALTERNATIVE SANITATION SOLUTIONS. TO ADDRESS THIS NEED, AN INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM AND STEM RESEARCHERS FROM TERC, NOTABLE HUMAN FILMS, UNC SCHOOL OF THE ARTS, AND RICH EARTH INSTITUTE WILL COMBINE 2D INFOGRAPHICS, 3D INTERACTIVES, DEMONSTRATION TOILETS, EXPERT PERSPECTIVES, AND DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS TO CREATE IMMERSIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR YOUNG ADULTS. ULTIMATELY THE PROJECT WILL INCREASE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN DISCUSSIONS AND DECISION-MAKING RELATED TO LOCAL WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS, CREATING THE CONDITIONS FOR MORE RESILIENT AND ECONOMICALLY VIABLE INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS. THE RESEARCH ADVANCES INFORMAL STEM LEARNING BY INVESTIGATING HOW DIALOGUE-BASED SCIENCE COMMUNICATION CAN ENGAGE YOUNG ADULT AUDIENCES. THE PROJECT ALSO CONTRIBUTES NEW KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HOW COMMUNITIES DEVELOP AWARENESS, CURIOSITY, AND RECEPTIVITY TOWARD EMERGING TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS. RESPONDING TO CALLS FOR AN APPROACH TO SCIENCE COMMUNICATION THAT BUILDS A PRACTICE BASED IN DIALOGUE, THE PROJECT EMPLOYS ETHNOGRAPHIC METHODS, QUALITATIVE INQUIRY, AND ARTIFACT ANALYSIS TO EXAMINE HOW DOCUMENTARY FILMS, INSTALLATIONS, FACILITATED CONVERSATIONS, AND INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES FUNCTION TOGETHER WITHIN BUSINESSES THAT ARE COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACES TO AFFECT HOW YOUNG ADULTS COME TO UNDERSTAND STEM TOPICS AND THEIR INTERSECTION WITH LOCAL ECONOMIC ISSUES. THREE INTERRELATED STRANDS OF RESEARCH INVESTIGATE (1) THE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE, (2) PARTICIPANTS' LEARNING, ENGAGEMENT, AND EVOLVING PERSPECTIVES, AND (3) THE ROLE OF DOCUMENTARY FILM WITHIN THE BROADER LEARNING ECOLOGY. IN ADDITION TO STUDYING AN EXPERIENTIAL MODEL FOR STEM LEARNING IN GATHERING SPACES THE PROJECT CREATES AN EVENT KIT, INCLUDING DOCUMENTARY SHORTS AND LEARNING RESOURCES FOR INFORMAL EDUCATORS AND THE BROADER ECOLOGICAL SANITATION COMMUNITY. THIS PROJECT WAS FUNDED BY THE STEM K-12 PROGRAM, WHICH SUPPORTS FUNDAMENTAL, APPLIED, AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH ON STEM LEARNING IN BOTH FORMAL K-12 EDUCATION AND INFORMAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

EYES IN THE SKY II: FACILITATING CLASSROOM RESEARCH USING NASA RESOURCES AND GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGYWORKING TOGETHER WITH NASA - TERC WILL DEVELOP AND

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: INK-12: TEACHING AND LEARNING USING INTERACTIVE INK INSCRIPTIONS IN K-12

EXPLORING THE INTEGRATION OF SYSTEMS THINKING IN BIOLOGY IN PARTICIPATORY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT -THE PROJECT WILL DEVELOP A TEACHER PROFESSIONAL LEARNING (PL) MODEL THAT FOCUSES ON MIDDLE-SCHOOL BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES IN ADDRESSING REAL WORLD PROBLEMS. SYSTEMS THINKING IS CENTRAL TO UNDERSTANDING BIOLOGY SYSTEMS. GAME DESIGN HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HELP DEVELOP SYSTEMS THINKING IN TEACHERS AND STUDENTS. STUDENTS WILL PARTICIPATE IN PL TO ILLUSTRATE THE VALUE OF DISTRIBUTED EXPERTISE BY SHARING THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF COMPUTER. TEACHERS WILL ADAPT THEIR EXISTING CURRICULUM AND WILL CO-DESIGN GAMES WITH STUDENTS TO EXPERIENCE PARTICIPATORY PRACTICES. THE PL MODEL INCLUDES 36 HOURS OF SYNCHRONOUS IN-PERSON AND ONLINE ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING FOUR CONSECUTIVE SIX-HOUR DAYS IN THE SUMMER AND FOUR THREE-HOUR SESSIONS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. THE PROJECT WILL WORK WITH 14 TEACHERS WITH MULTIPLE IMPLEMENTATIONS OVER THREE YEARS, INVOLVING APPROXIMATELY 1,900 STUDENTS. PARTICIPATORY CLASSROOMS WILL ENHANCE THE CAPACITY OF ALL STUDENTS TO SEE THEMSELVES AS SKILLED AND PERSISTENT LEARNERS. THROUGH THE PL, TEACHERS WILL BECOME KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT APPLYING SYSTEMS THINKING TO INTERPRET AND UNDERSTAND THE FUNCTIONING OF BIOLOGY SYSTEMS, INTEGRATING GAME DESIGN IN THEIR EXISTING LESSONS TO ENHANCE STUDENT APPLICATION OF SYSTEMS THINKING SKILLS TO LEARNING ABOUT BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS, AND ENGAGING IN PARTICIPATORY PRACTICES. THE MODEL EXPANDS OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PL PROCESS, RESULTING IN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR IMPACT ON TEACHER PEDAGOGY WHEN USING COMPUTATIONAL TOOLS. PROJECT RESEARCH HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPING NEW KNOWLEDGE ON OUR UNDERSTANDING OF NGSS-ALIGNED TEACHING AND LEARNING, SCIENCE CONTENT UNDERSTANDING (SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO BIODIVERSITY), AND ULTIMATELY STUDENT LEARNING, AGENCY, AND ACTION. THE PROJECT WILL RESEARCH HOW THE PL CONTRIBUTES TO TEACHER LEARNING AND HOW TEACHERS? PEDAGOGY CHANGES AS THEY TAKE UP AND USE PROJECT TOOLS TO SUPPORT STUDENT LEARNING ABOUT BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS, AND HOW STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT BIOLOGY SYSTEMS AND IMPROVE SYSTEMS THINKING SKILLS. THE THEORETICAL AND RESEARCH FRAMEWORK FOR THIS PL MODEL IS GROUNDED IN: (1) HOW SYSTEMS IN BIOLOGY AND GAME DESIGN ARE SYNERGISTIC, (2) THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDENTS? PRESENCE IN PL, AND (3) ENACTING PARTICIPATORY PRACTICES. THIS MIXED METHODS STUDY WILL INCLUDE DESIGN-BASED RESEARCH (DBR) TO ITERATIVELY TEST AND REVISE A PL MODEL THAT IDENTIFIES RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN STRUCTURAL SUPPORT ELEMENTS, INCLUDING TOOLS, TASK STRUCTURES, PARTICIPANT STRUCTURES, AND DISCURSIVE PRACTICES, IN A TEACHER LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. CONJECTURE MAPPING APPROACH WILL BE USED IN CYCLES OF DBR TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT A PARTICIPATORY PD LEARNING ENVIRONMENT SUPPORTS TEACHERS IN INTEGRATING GAME DESIGN AS A CONSTRUCTIONIST LEARNING OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS TO ENGAGE WITH AND LEARN FROM SYSTEMS. PROJECT RESEARCH WILL BE GUIDED BY THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: (1) HOW DO THE ELEMENTS OF THE PL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT CONTRIBUTE TO TEACHER LEARNING? (2) HOW DO TEACHERS USE THE TOOLS PROVIDED BY THE PROJECT (GAME, DESIGN, AND PARTICIPATORY PRACTICES) TO SUPPORT STUDENT LEARNING ABOUT BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS AND HOW DOES THIS CHANGE THEIR PEDAGOGY? AND (3) HOW DOES DESIGNING A GAME HELP STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT BIOLOGY SYSTEMS AND DEVELOP SKILLS IN SYSTEMS THINKING? QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE DATA WILL BE TRIANGULATED TO ADDRESS EACH RESEARCH QUESTION AND TO PROVIDE A RELIABILITY CHECK ON FINDINGS. QUALITATIVE DATA, SUCH AS FIELDNOTES, AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDINGS, INTERVIEWS, TEACHER AND STUDENT ARTIFACTS, LOGS, AND OPEN-ENDED SURVEY AND ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS WILL BE ANALYZED THROUGH CODES THAT REPRESENT EXPECTED THEMES AND PATTERNS RELATED TO STUDENT AND TEACHER EXPERIENCES IN PL AND IN THE CLASSROOM. QUANTITATIVE DATA, INCLUDING TEACHER SURVEY LIKERT SCALE QUESTIONS, IMPLEMENTATION LOGS, AND STUDENT ASSESSMENT AND GAME RUBRICS, WILL BE ANALYZED USING REPEATED MEASURE ANOVA TO EXAMINE PRE-POST CHANGES IN TEACHERS AND STUDENTS. RESEARCH FINDINGS AND PRACTICES FROM THE PROJECT WILL BE WIDELY DISSEMINATED TO TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND RESEARCHERS THROUGH CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO CREATE A ?PLAYBOOK? THAT WILL ENABLE EDUCATORS TO FREELY DRAW ON AND MODIFY THE TOOLS AND PROCESSES UTILIZED IN THE PROJECT FOR THEIR LOCAL CONTEXTS AND COMMUNITY NEEDS. THE DISCOVERY RESEARCH PREK-12 PROGRAM (DRK-12) SEEKS TO SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE THE LEARNING AND TEACHING OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) BY PREK-12 STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, THROUGH RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIVE RESOURCES, MODELS AND TOOLS. PROJECTS IN THE DRK-12 PROGRAM BUILD ON FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH IN STEM EDUCATION AND PRIOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS THAT PROVIDE THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL JUSTIFICATION FOR PROPOSED PROJECTS.? 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.

ITEST STRATEGIES - SPORTSLAB:2020 - BRINGING SPORT RESEARCH AND DESIGN CHALLENGES INTO THE 21ST CENTURY

PROMOTING INVESTIGATORS' CAPACITY IN STEM EDUCATION LITERATURE SYNTHESIS -THIS PROJECT, PROMOTING INVESTIGATORS? CAPACITY IN STEM EDUCATION LITERATURE SYNTHESIS (PICSELS), WILL TRAIN INVESTIGATORS TO USE QUALITATIVE META-SYNTHESIS METHODS IN THEIR STEM EDUCATION RESEARCH PRACTICES. QUALITATIVE META-SYNTHESIS IS A SET OF METHODS THAT INVOLVES COLLECTING, ANALYZING, AND SYNTHESIZING QUALITATIVE RESEARCH STUDIES TO IDENTIFY PATTERNS AND THEMES ACROSS THEM, LEADING TO NEW INSIGHTS ON A SPECIFIC TOPIC BASED ON EXAMINING A BROAD BODY OF STUDIES WHICH PROVIDES MORE COMPLETE AND NUANCED INSIGHT INTO AN ISSUE THAN A SINGLE STUDY MIGHT PROVIDE. META-SYNTHESIS STUDIES ARE HIGHLY VALUED IN DISCIPLINES WHERE HIGH VOLUMES OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH ARE GENERATED, SUCH AS MEDICINE OR STEM EDUCATION, AND THEY CAN SERVE THE PUBLIC BY QUICKLY AND SUCCINCTLY IDENTIFYING KEY FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND RESEARCH GAPS ON A GIVEN TOPIC. PICSELS WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF INVESTIGATORS WHO ARE TRAINED TO USE QUALITATIVE META-SYNTHESIS METHODS IN THEIR RESEARCH, WRITING, PUBLISHING, AND PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT. TRAINING WILL BE OFFERED AT BOTH INTRODUCTORY AND ADVANCED LEVELS. THE PROJECT WILL ADD A TRAIN-THE-TRAINER COMPONENT TO ADVANCED WORKSHOPS, OFFERING PEDAGOGICAL TRAINING, HIGH-QUALITY AND FREE COURSE MATERIALS, AND A LEARNING COMMUNITY. IN EFFECT, THIS COMPONENT WILL SUPPORT THE INTEGRATION OF TEACHING QUALITATIVE META-SYNTHESIS IN INVESTIGATORS? FUTURE STEM EDUCATION COURSE OFFERINGS, THUS MAKING META-SYNTHESIS SCALABLE AND INCREASING THE PROJECT?S IMPACT AS AN NSF INVESTMENT. PICSELS WILL FACILITATE BROADER PARTICIPATION IN STEM EDUCATION BY INCREASING AND DEEPENING THE TRAINING OF INVESTIGATORS, INCLUDING THOSE WHO ARE MEMBERS OF MINORITIZED GROUPS AND/OR AT MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTIONS (MSIS), AND BY INTEGRATING EXAMPLES FROM STEM EDUCATION EQUITY AND INCLUSION LITERATURE THROUGHOUT ALL PROJECT WORKSHOPS AND WRITTEN MATERIALS. PICSELS WILL ENHANCE THE NATION?S STEM EDUCATION ENTERPRISE THROUGH PROMOTING THE CAPACITY OF STEM EDUCATION INVESTIGATORS TO CONDUCT AND PUBLISH RIGOROUS META-SYNTHESES, AND TO TEACH THIS METHOD TO OTHERS. PICSELS? GOALS ARE TO 1: BUILD NEW CAPACITY FOR PERFORMING META-SYNTHESIS STUDIES AMONG STEM EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS; 2: PROVIDE ADVANCED TRAINING FOR INVESTIGATORS WHO ARE READY TO GO BEYOND INTRODUCTORY META-SYNTHESIS LESSONS; AND 3: PROMOTE AN INCREASE IN META-SYNTHESIS PREPARATION BY INCLUDING A TRAIN-THE-TRAINER COMPONENT. EACH YEAR OF THE PROJECT, 100 INVESTIGATORS WHO ARE NEW TO META-SYNTHESIS (300 TOTAL) WILL BE OFFERED CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TRAINING THROUGH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL INTRODUCTORY WORKSHOPS. PICSELS WILL ADDITIONALLY SUPPORT THREE COHORTS OF 24 INVESTIGATORS ADVANCED IN THIS METHOD (TOTAL 72) THROUGH YEARLONG, HANDS-ON, HYBRID TRAINING; COACHING AND MENTORING; COMMUNITY SUPPORT; AND ONLINE RESOURCES. OUTCOMES OF ADVANCED WORKSHOPS WILL INCLUDE FULLY EXECUTED META-SYNTHESES, COMPETITIVE SYNTHESIS GRANT PROPOSALS, AND SUBMITTED META-SYNTHESIS MANUSCRIPTS TO PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS. FURTHERMORE, BY COMPLETING AND PUBLISHING A META-SYNTHESIS PROJECT, INVESTIGATORS WILL ESTABLISH AND DEMONSTRATE DOMAIN EXPERTISE IN A PARTICULAR AREA OF STEM EDUCATION. PICSELS WILL ALSO PROVIDE PEDAGOGICAL TRAINING AND OPEN-ACCESS CURRICULUM MATERIALS TO EMERGENT META-SYNTHESIS INSTRUCTORS, THEREBY SCALING UP THE NUMBER OF FACULTY WHO ARE PREPARED TO TEACH META-SYNTHESIS SKILLS. PICSELS WILL FACILITATE BROADENING PARTICIPATION IN STEM THROUGH OUTREACH TO INVESTIGATORS BELONGING TO MINORITIZED GROUPS, PARTNERING WITH MSIS, AND CONSISTENTLY EMPLOYING EXAMPLES FROM STEM EDUCATION EQUITY AND INCLUSION LITERATURE IN ALL ASPECTS OF TRAINING. THE PROJECT FALLS WITHIN THE INSTITUTES FOR METHODS AND PRACTICES IN STEM EDUCATION RESEARCH TRACK OF NSF?S EDU CORE RESEARCH BUILDING CAPACITY IN STEM EDUCATION RESEARCH (ECR: BCSER) PROGRAM, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO BUILD INVESTIGATORS? CAPACITY TO CARRY OUT HIGH-QUALITY STEM EDUCATION RESEARCH. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

INSTITUTE FOR META-SYNTHESIS: A PRACTICUM THROUGH THE LENS OF STEM EQUITY AND INCLUSION LITERATURE

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: BIOCOMPLEXITY AND THE HABITABLE PLANET -- AN INNOVATIVE CAPSTONE COURSE FOR HIGH SCHOOL

PERSONALIZED COMPUTATIONAL THINKING FOR GRADES 3-8

INVESTIGATING STEM LITERACIES IN MAKER SPACES

THE HANDHELD SIGNING MATH & SCIENCE DICTIONARIES FOR DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING MUSEUM VISITORS RESEARCH PROJECT

BEYOND THE DOUBLE BIND: WOMEN OF COLOR IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS

USING AUGMENTED REALITY TO ENHANCE ATTENTION IN STEM LEARNING FOR STUDENTS WITH EXECUTIVE FUNCTION DISABILITIES -USING AUGMENTED REALITY TO ENHANCE ATTENTION IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS LEARNING FOR STUDENTS WITH EXECUTIVE FUNCTION DISABILITIES EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING REPRESENTS A BROAD SKILL SET THAT IS CENTRAL TO STEM LEARNING AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS, INCLUDING SKILLS RELATED TO ATTENTION, PERSISTENCE, EMOTION REGULATION, AND INHIBITION CONTROL. FOR STUDENTS WITH EXECUTIVE FUNCTION DIFFICULTIES, FOCUSING DURING HOMEWORK AND OTHER INDEPENDENT LEARNING TASKS IS A CHALLENGE. MANY EXISTING ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES SUPPLEMENTING A STUDENT?S ORGANIZATIONAL CAPABILITIES ARE EXPENSIVE AND EXCLUSIONARY AND RELY ON STUDENTS? ABILITY TO ORGANIZE OR INITIATE THEIR OWN TASK MONITORING. THIS PROJECT PROVIDES AN INNOVATIVE, SCALABLE INTERVENTION THAT ENABLES INDIVIDUALS WHO STRUGGLE WITH EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING TO PERSIST AND THRIVE IN ACADEMIC AND WORKPLACE SETTINGS BY USING AUGMENTED REALITY TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT AN INDIVIDUAL?S ABILITY TO SELF-MONITOR THEIR ATTENTION AND RE-ENGAGE WITH THE CONTENT WHEN THEY ARE OFF TASK. IN THE LONG TERM, THE SYSTEM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME A WIDELY USED LEARNING TECHNOLOGY THAT IMPROVES OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS WITH AND WITHOUT EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING DIFFICULTIES. THE PROJECT WILL SERVE THE PUBLIC INTEREST BY INCREASING THE PARTICIPATION OF A POPULATION THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDERREPRESENTED IN STEM EDUCATION AND THE STEM WORKFORCE. THIS PROJECT WILL MAKE A NOVEL CONTRIBUTION TO BOTH THE COMPUTER SCIENCES AND THE LEARNING SCIENCES, ACHIEVED THROUGH TWO OVERARCHING PROJECT GOALS. FIRST, USING A TEMPORAL ANALYSIS OF HEAD POSITION, HEAD ORIENTATION, AND GAZE ORIENTATION, THE PROJECT TEAM WILL DEVELOP AN OPEN-SOURCE TOOL BASED ON DEEP LEARNING ALGORITHMS THAT CAN DETECT OFF-TASK BEHAVIOR AS UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WORK ON MATH HOMEWORK PROBLEMS. SECOND, THE TEAM WILL USE AUGMENTED REALITY TO PROVIDE APPROPRIATE FEEDBACK TO STUDENTS IN THE FORM OF REDIRECTION OR BREAKS RELATED TO THEIR OWN LEVEL OF FOCUS AND DISTRACTIBILITY. DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM WILL INVOLVE AN ITERATIVE PROTOTYPING AND TESTING PROCESS, AND WILL CONCLUDE WITH AN EARLY EFFICACY STUDY. TO EXPLORE THE MOST EFFECTIVE PROMPTS, STUDENTS WITH EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING ISSUES WILL PARTICIPATE AS CO-DESIGNERS OF THE SYSTEM. THE DEEP LEARNING ALGORITHM FOR THE DETECTION OF OFF-TASK BEHAVIOR IS A NOVEL CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMPUTER SCIENCE FIELD THAT HAS POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS FOR OTHER SUBJECT AREAS AND OTHER TYPES OF LEARNING DIFFICULTIES. FURTHERMORE, THE RESULTANT SELF-MONITORING AND REDIRECTION PROMPTS ARE A CONTRIBUTION TO THE LEARNING SCIENCES THAT CAN BENEFIT MOST LEARNERS. THUS, THIS RESEARCH WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT IN THE APPLICATION OF AUGMENTED REALITY TO LEARNING AS IT EXPLORES THE MOST PRODUCTIVE MEANS OF STUDENT INTERACTION WITH EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY IN A COMPLEX PROBLEM SPACE. 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.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: EXPANSIVE MEANINGS AND MAKINGS IN ARTSCIENCE

CHILDREN AND SCIENCE TESTS

RUI: DISCOVERY RESEARCH K-12: DEVELOPING ALGEBRA-READY STUDENTS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL: EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF EARLY ALGEBRA

EXPLORING DATA SCIENCE THROUGH THE LENS OF CIVICS EDUCATION -THIS RESEARCH STUDY EXAMINES THE POTENTIAL OF INTEGRATING STUDENT-DRIVEN DESCRIPTIVE INVESTIGATIONS OF COMPLEX MULTIVARIATE CIVIC DATASETS INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSROOMS. IT USES A COLLABORATIVE CO-DESIGN PROCESS TO DEVELOP DATA-RICH EXPERIENCES FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSROOM CRAFTED TO (1) DEEPEN STUDENTS' DATA LITERACY, (2) DEVELOP STUDENTS' SENSE OF EFFICACY IN WORKING WITH CIVIC DATA SETS, AND (3) CREATE LEARNING EXPERIENCES THAT CONNECT DATA TO LOCAL PROBLEMS THAT HAVE MEANING FOR STUDENTS AND THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE PROJECT GOAL IS TO EXPLORE THE SYNERGIES BETWEEN DATA SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION IN CREATING A TRANSDISCIPLINARY SPACE TO PROMOTE TRANSFORMATIVE DATA EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTS AND DEEPEN THE FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE NEEDED FOR STUDENTS TO ENGAGE PRODUCTIVELY WITH DATA. THE TEAM USES A MIXED METHODS APPROACH TO GENERATE THE CURRICULUM AND EXAMINE HOW IT WORKS IN PRACTICE. THE TEAM STRATEGICALLY ITERATES BETWEEN QUALITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE METHODS TO SUPPORT ROBUST INFERENCE ACROSS ALL PHASES OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH. THE INVESTIGATOR AND COLLEAGUES GENERATE A COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH AND DESIGN PROCESS TO BUILD LEARNING EXPERIENCES TO INTENSIVELY INTERROGATE CIVIC-DATA AND BUILD DATA SCIENCE LITERACY FOR TEACHERS AND THEIR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS. TOGETHER MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS, MATHEMATICS TEACHERS, AND PROJECT LEADERSHIP CO-LEARN AND CO-DESIGN 2-3 WEEK A SERIES OF DATA INVESTIGATIONS. THE TEACHERS IMPLEMENT THESE DATA INVESTIGATIONS IN THEIR IN SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSROOMS. DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES, AND THE RESEARCH TEAM STUDIES THE IMPLEMENTATION, FOCUSING ON STUDENT DATA SCIENCE LEARNING, ALONG WITH THE DATA-BASED INFERENCES THAT THESE STUDENTS DRAW, AND WARRANTED ARGUMENTS THEY MAKE. THE CYCLE THEN REPEATS. DURING YEAR TWO, THE SUMMER WORKSHOP SHIFTS TO FOCUS ON ANALYSIS OF STUDENT AND CLASSROOM DATA AND REVISION OF THE DATA INVESTIGATION SEQUENCES FOR A SECOND ROUND OF CLASSROOM IMPLEMENTATION AND TESTING FOR STUDENT OUTCOMES. THE PROJECT IS LED BY A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED TEAM OF STEM AND SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION RESEARCHERS, IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH SOCIAL STUDIES AND MATHEMATICS TEACHERS, AND INCLUDES DIVERSE STUDENT GROUPS GENERALLY UNDER-REPRESENTED IN THE STEM DISCIPLINES. THE DISCOVERY RESEARCH PREK-12 PROGRAM (DRK-12) SEEKS TO SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE THE LEARNING AND TEACHING OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) BY PREK-12 STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, THROUGH RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIVE RESOURCES, MODELS, AND TOOLS. PROJECTS IN THE DRK-12 PROGRAM BUILD ON FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH IN STEM EDUCATION AND PRIOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS THAT PROVIDE THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL JUSTIFICATION FOR PROPOSED PROJECTS.? 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

THE BLUE MARS SCIENCE CENTER: DESIGNING A VIRTUAL SCIENCE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

ENHANCING USE OF DATA IN EDUCATION: BRIDGING THE SCIENTIFIC AND EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITIES

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: DESIGNING AND EXPLORING A MODEL FOR DATA SCIENCE LEARNING FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH

CAREER: TRANSFORMING COLLEGE STUDENTS' STATISTICAL THINKING: DATA, TECHNOLOGY & MODELING

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: RESEARCH: ZOO AND AQUARIUM ACTION RESEARCH COLLABORATIVE (ZAARC)

FOUNDATIONS OF ALGEBRA IN THE ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE GRADES: SUPPORTING STUDENTS TO MAKE, REPRESENT AND JUSTIFY GENERAL CLAIMS ABOUT OPERATIONS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: UNDERSTANDING AND IMPROVING CURRICULUM MATERIALS DESIGN PRACTICES FOR EFFECTIVE 'LARGE SCALE' IMPLEMENTATION IN SCIENCE

CREATING A WEB PRESENCE FOR THE I3 TRACK

ENGINEERING BEYOND THE DOUBLE BIND: WOMEN OF COLOR IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION AND CAREERS

DOING THE MATH WITH PARAEDUCATORS: A RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: REVEALING THE INVISIBLE: DATA-INTENSIVE RESEARCH USING COGNITIVE, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES TO OPTIMIZE STEM

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: THE IMPACT OF EARLY ALGEBRA ON STUDENTS' ALGEBRA-READINESS

EDUCATING THE IMAGINATION: A STUDIO DESIGN FOR TRANSFORMATIVE SCIENCE LEARNING

ARCADIA: THE NEXT GENERATION - TRANSFORMING STEM LEARNING THROUGH TRANSMEDIA GAMES

INNOVATE TO MITIGATE: A CROWDSOURCED CARBON CHALLENGE

WINDOWS ON EARTH

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: PROMOTING EQUITY IN EARLY MATHEMATICS EDUCATION FOR LATINX CHILDREN IN HEAD START PROGRAMS -MATHEMATICS LEARNING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD LAYS A FOUNDATION FOR ONGOING ENGAGEMENT WITH MATH AND STEM, SUPPORTS DEVELOPMENT ACROSS A VARIETY OF OTHER DOMAINS LIKE READING, AND IS AN IMPORTANT PREDICTOR OF LONG-TERM ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY MATH, RESEARCHERS AND EDUCATORS HAVE CREATED A VARIETY OF CLASSROOM-FOCUSED RESOURCES TO SUPPORT MATHEMATICAL LEARNING, THINKING, AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT. HOWEVER, MANY OF THESE RESOURCES DO NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE IMPORTANT ROLES THAT PARENTS, AND THE HOME LEARNING ENVIRONMENT PLAY IN SUPPORTING MATH LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT. CURRENT EFFORTS ALSO DO NOT GO FAR ENOUGH IN COUNTERING DEFICIT PERSPECTIVES ON FAMILIES AND MOVING BEYOND ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITY STRUCTURES BASED PRIMARILY ON CULTURAL MODELS OF LEARNING FROM WHITE, MONOLINGUAL, MIDDLE- AND UPPER-CLASS COMMUNITIES. TO ACHIEVE A NEW VISION OF EQUITABLE MATH LEARNING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD, IT IS IMPORTANT TO DISRUPT POWER HIERARCHIES BETWEEN MINORITIZED FAMILIES AND SCHOOLS AND REPOSITION PARENTS AS CENTRAL TO CHILDREN?S MATHEMATICS LEARNING. EDUCATORS AND RESEARCHERS MUST ALSO RECONCEPTUALIZE TRADITIONAL IDEAS ABOUT MATH THAT ARE ROOTED IN HISTORIES OF MARGINALIZATION AND DISCRIMINATION. TO ADVANCE APPROACHES FOR ADDRESSING THESE SYSTEMIC BARRIERS, THE PROJECT, VIVIENDO MATEMATICAS, WILL CONDUCT AN EQUITY-INFORMED DESIGN-BASED IMPLEMENTATION RESEARCH (DBIR) STUDY WITH THE GOAL OF DEVELOPING A POTENTIALLY TRANSFORMATIVE MODEL FOR COLLABORATING WITH LATINX FAMILIES AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS TO SHAPE A MORE EQUITABLE VISION OF MATHEMATICS EDUCATION IN THE PRESCHOOL YEARS. PARTNERING WITH HEAD START EDUCATORS IN PORTLAND, OR, AND NEW YORK, NY AND LATINX PARENTS WITH PRESCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN (3?5 YEARS) WHO ARE HEAD START ELIGIBLE BASED ON THE HOUSEHOLD'S LOWER INCOME, THE PROJECT WILL EXTEND PRIOR EQUITY WORK BY USING DIALOGIC AND ASSET-BASED APPROACHES TO AMPLIFY EXISTING MATH KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES WITHIN FAMILIES, BROADEN OUR COLLECTIVE UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF MATHEMATICS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM, AND IDENTIFY DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR PARENT EDUCATOR COLLABORATIONS THAT CAN BE SHARED WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES. THROUGH THE ITERATIVE, COMMUNITY-BASED DESIGN PROCESS, THE PROJECT WILL DELIVER: (A) A STRENGTH-BASED FRAMEWORK DESCRIBING LATINX EARLY CHILDHOOD MATH PRACTICES, (B) A PROGRAM MODEL AND ASSOCIATED RESOURCES FOR SUPPORTING PARENT-EDUCATOR MATH DIALOGUE GROUPS, AND (C) DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS UNDERLYING THE DIALOGUE PROGRAM AND HOW IT SUPPORTS A MORE EQUITABLE VISION OF MATH LEARNING. BY REORGANIZING TRADITIONAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PARENTS AND SCHOOL, THE PROJECT SEEKS TO EMPOWER LATINX PARENTS AND FAMILIES AS EQUAL PARTNERS AND ADVOCATES FOR THEIR CHILDREN?S EDUCATION, AS WELL AS SUPPORT THE CREATION OF SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES FOR HEAD START PROGRAMS IN OUR COMMUNITIES THAT ALIGN WITH FAMILIES? GOALS AND VALUES. THIS COLLABORATIVE PROJECT IS FUNDED THROUGH THE RACIAL EQUITY IN STEM EDUCATION PROGRAM (EDU RACIAL EQUITY). THE PROGRAM SUPPORTS RESEARCH AND PRACTICE PROJECTS THAT INVESTIGATE HOW CONSIDERATIONS OF RACIAL EQUITY FACTOR INTO THE IMPROVEMENT OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE. AWARDED PROJECTS SEEK TO CENTER THE VOICES, KNOWLEDGE, AND EXPERIENCES OF THE INDIVIDUALS, COMMUNITIES, AND INSTITUTIONS MOST IMPACTED BY SYSTEMIC INEQUITIES WITHIN THE STEM ENTERPRISE. THIS PROGRAM ALIGNS WITH NSF?S CORE VALUE OF SUPPORTING OUTSTANDING RESEARCHERS AND INNOVATIVE THINKERS FROM ACROSS THE NATION'S DIVERSITY OF DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS, REGIONS, AND TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS. PROGRAMS ACROSS EDU CONTRIBUTE FUNDS TO THE RACIAL EQUITY PROGRAM IN RECOGNITION OF THE ALIGNMENT OF ITS PROJECTS WITH THE COLLECTIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT THRUSTS OF THE FOUR DIVISIONS OF THE DIRECTORATE. 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.

RESEARCHING THE WIRELESS HIGH SCHOOL: EFFECTS ON SCIENCE TEACHING AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

TAKING GAMES TO SCHOOL: EXPLORATORY STUDY TO SUPPORT GAME-BASED TEACHING AND LEARNING IN HIGH-SCHOOL SCIENCE CLASSES

LEARNING TRAJECTORIES IN GRADES K-2 CHILDREN'S UNDERSTANDING OF ALGEBRAIC RELATIONSHIPS

THE SIGNING MATH DICTIONARY FOR KIDS PROJECT

CLIMATE LITERACY AND ENERGY AWARENESS NETWORK (CLEAN) CORE

ARCADIA RESOURCE CENTER: TARGETED RESEARCH TOWARDS A SERIOUS GAMES PATHWAY

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: INVESTIGATING HOW ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS USE DYNAMIC REPRESENTATIONAL TECHNOLOGY TO PARTICIPATE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHEMATI

CHILDREN'S UNDERSTANDING OF FUNCTIONS IN GRADES K-2

INCREASING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT INTERPRETERS' FLUENCY AND ACCURACY IN INTERPRETING STEM CONTENT -THIS PROJECT AIMS TO SERVE THE NATIONAL INTEREST BY INCREASING THE BIOSCIENCE VOCABULARY KNOWLEDGE OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT INTERPRETERS TO ENABLE THEM TO INTERPRET BIOLOGY CONTENT FLUENTLY AND ACCURATELY FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING. DUE TO THE LACK OF POSTSECONDARY COURSES THAT ARE DELIVERED IN SIGN LANGUAGE, THE ONLY WAY FOR STUDENTS WHO USE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE (ASL) AS THEIR PRIMARY METHOD OF COMMUNICATION TO ENGAGE FULLY IN STEM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS) LEARNING IS THROUGH USE OF QUALIFIED SIGN-LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS WHO CAN INTERPRET STEM CONTENT EFFECTIVELY AND ACCURATELY. HOWEVER, RESEARCH SHOWS THAT MANY SIGN- LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS LACK ADEQUATE SKILLS TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH FULL ACCESS TO STEM CONTENT, ARE UNABLE TO ACCURATELY INTERPRET IT, AND OFTEN DO NOT HAVE STEM-RELATED TRAINING OR EXPERIENCE. THE PROJECT BUILDS ON OUTCOMES OF TWO PREVIOUS IUSE: EDU EXPLORATION AND DESIGN PROJECTS AND ADDRESSES THIS ISSUE. DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES WILL RESULT IN COMPLETION OF A UNIQUE SIGNING BIOSCIENCE LEXICON (SBL) FOR ENABLING STUDENT INTERPRETERS TO DEVELOP AN ASL BIOSCIENCE VOCABULARY, VIDEOS TO AID IN USE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE FIVE PRINCIPLES OF FINGERSPELLING, AND A SET OF VIDEO TUTORIALS TO EQUIP INSTRUCTORS TO INCORPORATE THE PRINCIPLES OF FINGERSPELLING INTO THEIR TEACHING OF STUDENT INTERPRETERS. RESEARCH WILL INVOLVE STUDY OF THE MATERIALS? USE AND EFFECTIVENESS WHEN IMPLEMENTED AT THE DEVELOPMENT SITE WITH LAMAR UNIVERSITY?S DEAF STUDIES AND DEAF EDUCATION UNDERGRADUATE INTERPRETING STUDENTS, AND AT A SECOND SITE WITH STUDENTS ENROLLED IN EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY?S (EKU) INTERPRETER TRAINING PROGRAM (ITP). OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT WILL BE SIGNIFICANT IN THAT THEY WILL INFORM DIRECTION OF SUBSEQUENT PROJECTS, WITHIN AND BEYOND LAMAR AND EKU, WHICH WILL INCLUDE OTHER STEM CONTENT AREAS, OTHER ITPS, AND INTERPRETING STUDENTS NATIONWIDE. THIS PROJECT HAS THE IMPORTANT AND FAR-REACHING POTENTIAL OF NOT ONLY INCREASING PARTICIPATION OF STUDENTS WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING IN COURSES THAT INCLUDE STEM CONTENT, BUT ALSO MAY BE INSTRUMENTAL IN ENCOURAGING THEM TO PURSUE STEM CAREERS. THE PROJECT HAS FIVE GOALS: 1) CREATE AN SBL THAT INCORPORATES A HUMAN SIGNER RATHER THAN AN AVATAR AND INTEGRATES THE FIVE PRINCIPLES OF FINGERSPELLING; 2) FINALIZE THE VIDEO TUTORIALS; 3) IMPLEMENT THE MATERIALS AND CONDUCT A FORMATIVE EVALUATION OF USE AND EFFECTIVENESS; 4) MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO THE MATERIALS BASED ON TEST RESULTS; 5) DISSEMINATE PROJECT DELIVERABLES AND BEGIN WORKING WITH SITES TO INTEGRATE THEM INTO THEIR INTERPRETING PROGRAMS. THE EVALUATION WILL INCLUDE TWO STUDIES, ONE AT LAMAR AND ONE AT EKU, EACH OF WHICH WILL BE DIVIDED INTO TWO PHASES. PHASE ONE WILL EVALUATE WHETHER THE SBL HELPS STUDENTS IN THE MASTERY OF ASL BIOSCIENCE VOCABULARY. PHASE TWO WILL EXAMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE APPLICATION OF THE FIVE PRINCIPLES OF FINGERSPELLING IN INCREASING STUDENTS? FINGERSPELLING FLUENCY AND ACCURACY AND THEIR ABILITY TO INTERPRET A TYPICAL BIOSCIENCE LECTURE FLUENTLY AND ACCURATELY. MANY STUDENT INTERPRETERS STRUGGLE WITH FINGERSPELLING, AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF SIGN LANGUAGES. THEIR FINGERSPELLING OFTEN LOOKS LIKE TYPING, AS THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW TO MOVE FROM ONE VISUAL PHONEME TO THE NEXT. AS MORE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING STUDENTS ENTER ADVANCED STEM PROGRAMS, ONE WAY TO REMOVE BARRIERS IS TO HAVE HIGHLY SKILLED INTERPRETERS WHO ARE EFFECTIVE FINGERSPELLERS AND WHO CAN RAPIDLY AND EFFECTIVELY INTERPRET ONGOING CONTEXTS THAT INCLUDE MANY TERMS THAT DO NOT HAVE ESTABLISHED SIGNS. THE PROJECT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO MAKE BIOSCIENCE CONTENT MORE ACCESSIBLE TO UNDERGRADUATES WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING, AND THUS MAY BE INSTRUMENTAL IN SUPPORTING THEIR PURSUIT OF BIOLOGY (OR OTHER STEM) MAJORS AND CAREERS. THE NSF IUSE: EDU 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.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: INTEGRATING COMPUTATIONAL MAKING PRACTICES IN STEM TEACHING

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: THE CULTURAL CONTEXT OF LEARNING: NATIVE-AMERICAN SCIENCE EDUCATION

STEPPINGSTONES OF TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION

STEPPINGSTONES OF TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION

APPLYING A COMPLEX SYSTEMS PERSPECTIVE TO INVESTIGATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHOREOGRAPHY AND AGENT-BASED MODELING AS TOOLS FOR SCIENTIFIC SENSE-MAKING -SCIENCE IS A PROCESS OF INQUIRY THAT INVOLVES QUESTION ASKING, EXPERIMENTATION, AND EXPLORATION. HOWEVER, FOR YOUTH, IT IS OFTEN PRESENTED AS SETTLED, A FIXED COLLECTION OF FACTS, PRINCIPLES, AND THEORIES THAT CAN SEEM STERILE AND UNIMAGINATIVE. THIS PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO COMBAT THAT IDEA. THIS RESEARCH IN SERVICE TO PRACTICE PROJECT BRINGS SCIENTISTS, MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH AND CHOREOGRAPHERS TOGETHER TO EXPLORE UNSETTLED SCIENTIFIC PHENOMENA FROM A COMPLEX SYSTEMS PERSPECTIVE USING CHOREOGRAPHY AND AGENT-BASED MODELING (ABM), TO ENGAGE ALL PARTICIPANTS IN CUTTING EDGE SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY. GIVEN THE UBIQUITY OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS, BEING ABLE TO ADOPT A COMPLEX SYSTEMS PERSPECTIVE IS CRITICAL TO UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD AND OUR RELATIONSHIP TO IT. HOWEVER, RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT THIS CAN BE A CHALLENGE, SPECIFICALLY FOR YOUTH. WHILE MOST COMPLEX SYSTEMS RESEARCH HAS NOT FOCUSED ON THE ROLE OF THE BODY, RECENT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THE PROMISE AND POTENTIAL OF EMBODIMENT AS ITS OWN FORM OF REASONING ABOUT COMPLEX SYSTEMS. THUS, THIS PROJECT WILL CREATE EXPLORATORY SCIENCE SPACES FOREGROUNDING EMBODIMENT IN THE PROCESS OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. THE PROGRAM HAS TWO PHASES: (1) A 20-HOUR TRAINING WORKSHOP WHERE SCIENTISTS AND CHOREOGRAPHERS ENGAGE IN INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATIVE DESIGN WORK, AND (2) A 60-HOUR SUMMER PROGRAM WHERE THE RESEARCHER-PRACTITIONER PARTNERSHIP INVOLVING SCIENTISTS, CHOREOGRAPHERS AND YOUTH ENGAGES IN AGENT- BASED & EMBODIED CHOREOGRAPHIC SCIENTIFIC MODELING. THE SUMMER PROGRAM TAKES PLACE IN COMMUNITY-BASED CENTERS IN GAINESVILLE, FL AND BOSTON, MA BROADENING PERCEPTIONS OF WHAT SCIENCE RESEARCH LOOKS LIKE AND CAN BE. EACH SITE WILL HOST 20 YOUTH, TWO LOCAL SCIENTISTS, AND A LOCAL CHOREOGRAPHER. PARTICIPANTS WILL ENGAGE IN EMBODIED COLLABORATIVE INQUIRY, BRAINSTORMING AND MODELING TO CREATE CHOREOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATIONS AND CULMINATE IN A PUBLIC EVENT FOR THE COMMUNITY. THE PROJECT AIMS TO UNDERSTAND THE EXPERIENCES OF AND SHIFTS IN YOUTH AND SCIENTISTS AS THEY ENGAGE IN THESE ACTIVITIES AND TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO DESIGN SUCH A MODEL FOR INFORMAL LEARNING. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO HELP SCIENTISTS APPLY A COMPLEX SYSTEMS LENS TO THEIR OWN WORK AND SETTLED PERSPECTIVES. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE ADVANCING INFORMAL STEM LEARNING (AISL) PROGRAM WHICH SEEKS TO ADVANCE NEW APPROACHES TO, AND EVIDENCE-BASED UNDERSTANDING OF, THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF STEM LEARNING IN INFORMAL ENVIRONMENTS. USING A DESIGN-BASED RESEARCH (DBR) APPROACH, THE PROJECT WILL DEVELOP AND EXPAND EMBODIED AND AGENT-BASED LEARNING THEORIES, WHILE ALSO PILOTING, ANALYZING, AND REFINING COLLABORATIVE MODELS FOR SCIENCE LEARNING IN INFORMAL SPACES. THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS ARE: 1. HOW DOES ENGAGING IN THE PROCESS OF CREATING EMBODIED AND AGENT-BASED MODELS OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS CONTRIBUTE TO NEW WAYS OF UNDERSTANDING SCIENCE, DE-SETTLE IDEAS ABOUT THE PROCESS OF HOW SCIENCE GETS ?MADE?, AND IMPACT UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLE OF THE BODY IN MAKING SCIENCE? AND 2. HOW CAN ARRANGEMENTS OF BODIES AND MODELING TOOLS WORK TOGETHER TO SUPPORT UNDERSTANDING OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS? THE RESEARCH AND DESIGN ARE INFORMED BY THREE MAIN THEORETICAL PRINCIPLES: (A) SCIENCE IS ?DANCE OF AGENCY?, A PROCESS OF INQUIRY THAT THROUGH ITERATIVE DIALOGIC INTERACTION WITH TOOLS, TECHNOLOGY, AND HUMANS, PRODUCES UNDERSTANDINGS THAT MORE AND MORE CLOSELY EXPLAIN NATURAL PHENOMENA; (B) EMBODIED-INTERACTIONIST THEORIES OF LEARNING ALLOW US TO UNDERSTAND REPRESENTATIONAL SENSE-MAKING BY LOOKING CLOSELY AT THE PROCESSES BY WHICH REPRESENTATIONS ARE MADE, NOT JUST AT REPRESENTATIONAL END- PRODUCTS; AND (C) CREATIVE EMBODIMENT AND AGENT BASED MODELING ARE VALUABLE TOOLS FOR SENSE-MAKING AROUND COMPLEX SCIENCE IDEAS AND EMERGENT PHENOMENA. TWO CYCLES OF DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, AND ANALYSIS ACROSS TWO DIFFERENT INFORMAL LEARNING SITES WILL BE CONDUCTED. DATA WILL BE COLLECTED AT BOTH SITES, RESULTING IN FOUR IMPLEMENTATION AND DATA COLLECTION PERIODS. EACH ROUND OF IMPLEMENTATION WILL BE STAGGERED SO THAT REFLECTIONS AND LESSONS FROM AN IMPLEMENTATION CAN INFORM THE NEXT DESIGN ITERATION. THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE INSIGHTS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHOREOGRAPHY AND ABM AS TOOLS FOR SCIENTIFIC SENSE-MAKING AND EXPAND ABM TO CONSIDER THE ROLE OF MOVEMENT AND BODIES MORE BROADLY IN PHYSICAL SPACE. IT WILL ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW UNDERREPRESENTED YOUTH?S PERCEPTIONS AND CONCEPTIONS OF SCIENCE CAN BE SHAPED THROUGH EMBODIED SCIENCE ACTIVITIES, AND OF THE RELATIONSHIPS THESE YOUTH SEE BETWEEN THEIR OWN BODIES AND IDENTITIES, SCIENCE, AND THE CREATIVE ARTS. FINALLY, BY INVOLVING INDIVIDUALS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES AS RESEARCHERS, DESIGNERS, SCIENTISTS, EVALUATORS, AND ADVISORS, THIS PROJECT EXPANDS CROSS-CULTURAL AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION AND STEM RESEARCH. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

STEM WORKFORCE STORIES FOR ADOLESCENTS WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING

LITERATURE ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS OF WOMEN OF COLOR IN TECHNOLOGY AND COMPUTING

EXAMINING THE INTEGRATION OF EQUITY AND INTERDISCIPLINARITY IN THE POLICIES OF INNOVATIVE GRADUATE TRAINING PROGRAMS -THE COMPLICATED CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY, SUCH AS FACING CLIMATE CHANGE AND ADAPTING TO RAPIDLY CHANGING TECHNOLOGY, CANNOT BE ANSWERED BY INDIVIDUAL DISCIPLINES; THEY ARE SIMPLY TOO COMPLEX. SCIENTISTS, CITIZENS, AND STAKEHOLDERS FROM MULTIPLE AREAS MUST WORK TOGETHER TO DEVELOP INNOVATIVE WAYS TO SOLVE THESE CHALLENGES. CONSEQUENTLY, THERE HAVE BEEN A GROWING NUMBER OF GRADUATE PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO TRAIN SCIENTISTS AS INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCHERS. AT THE SAME TIME, MANY UNIVERSITIES ARE WORKING ACTIVELY TO MAKE MANY GRADUATE PROGRAMS MORE EQUITABLE FOR HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED PEOPLE IN STEM. SOME RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT THESE TWO GOALS (INTERDISCIPLINARITY AND EQUITY) CAN BE LINKED. ONE ARGUMENT IS THAT INTERDISCIPLINARY SCIENCE IS SOMETIMES SEEN AS HAVING MORE POTENTIAL TO TACKLE JUSTICE-ORIENTED REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS, BECAUSE IT CAN INTEGRATE SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES FIELDS CONCERNED WITH ETHICS. HOWEVER, RESEARCH ALSO SUGGESTS THAT INTERDISCIPLINARY SCHOLARS FACE MORE BARRIERS TO PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS, BECAUSE UNIVERSITIES ARE OFTEN NOT WELL SET-UP FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY WORK?THUS, ACTUALLY PRACTICING AS AN INTERDISCIPLINARY SCHOLAR MAY LEAD TO MORE INEQUITABLE OUTCOMES. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO SERVE THE NATIONAL INTEREST BY EXPLORING THESE ASSUMPTIONS AND COMPLEXITIES IN PROGRAMS FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION THAT ARE INTENDED TO TRAIN INTERDISCIPLINARY SCHOLARS IN EQUITABLE WAYS. AS THE GRAND CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY BECOME MORE COMPLEX, NATIONAL PRIORITIES FOR STEM EDUCATION ARE SHIFTING TOWARD DEVELOPING INTERDISCIPLINARY SCHOLARS THROUGH NEW GRADUATE TRAINING PROGRAM INITIATIVES. THERE IS A SIMULTANEOUSLY CALL FOR BROADENING PARTICIPATION FOR HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED PEOPLE IN STEM AND FOR CREATING MORE EQUITABLE EDUCATION STRUCTURES. THESE TWO ARE OFTEN IMPLICITLY LINKED, AS INTERDISCIPLINARY WAYS OF KNOWING ARE SEEN AS HAVING POTENTIAL TO TACKLE JUSTICE-ORIENTED REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS AND ENGAGE MARGINALIZED STUDENTS IN STEM. HOWEVER, THERE ARE ALSO DRAWBACKS, AS INTERDISCIPLINARY SCHOLARS FACE MORE BARRIERS TO PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS, SUCH AS HAVING FEWER RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS, FACING CHALLENGES IN THE TENURE AND PROMOTION PROCESS, AND EXPERIENCING STRUGGLES FOR IDENTITY AND RECOGNITION, ALL OF WHICH MAY BE AMPLIFIED WHEN CONSIDERED WITHIN THE INTERSECTIONAL EXPERIENCE OF MARGINALIZED SCHOLARS. THUS, THERE IS A NEED FOR A ROBUST EXAMINATION OF THESE COMPLEXITIES TO CONNECT INTERDISCIPLINARITY AND EQUITY. DEEPENING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THIS CONNECTION AND HOW IT IS INSTANTIATED WITHIN POLICIES AND PRACTICES IS CRUCIAL TO CREATE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT FOSTER EQUITABLE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS. THIS QUALITATIVE PROJECT WILL EXAMINE THE FOLLOWING RESEARCH QUESTIONS: (1) HOW IS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN INTERDISCIPLINARITY AND EQUITY CURRENTLY CONCEPTUALIZED IN THE RESEARCH LITERATURE ON STEM GRADUATE TRAINING? (2) HOW DO SUPPORTS OR CHALLENGES FOR INTERDISCIPLINARITY PROVIDE LEVERAGE (OR FURTHER OBSTACLES) FOR EQUITY IN INTERDISCIPLINARY GRADUATE TRAINING PROGRAMS? POLICIES AND STRUCTURES? TO ANSWER RQ1, A META-SYNTHESIS WILL IDENTIFY THEMES IN THE CURRENT LITERATURE BODY ON EQUITY IN INTERDISCIPLINARY TRAINING TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BEST PRACTICES. THESE FINDINGS WILL BE USED TO INFORM THE ANALYSIS AND DEVELOPMENT OF RQ2, IN WHICH A POLICY ANALYSIS OF INTERDISCIPLINARY GRADUATE TRAINING PROGRAMS WILL BE CONDUCTED THROUGH DOCUMENT ANALYSIS AND INTERVIEWS WITH STAKEHOLDERS, TO UNDERSTAND HOW EQUITABLE PRACTICES ARE OR ARE NOT CREATED THROUGH POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURES, AND TO UNDERSTAND THE EXPERIENCES OF STAKEHOLDERS WITHIN THOSE SYSTEMS. THE PROJECT WILL BUILD THE PI?S CAPACITY IN CONDUCTING RESEARCH ON EQUITY IN STEM AND ON INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES. THE PROJECT IS SUPPORTED BY NSF'S EDU CORE RESEARCH BUILDING CAPACITY IN STEM EDUCATION RESEARCH (ECR: BCSER) PROGRAM, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO BUILD INVESTIGATORS? CAPACITY TO CARRY OUT HIGH-QUALITY STEM EDUCATION RESEARCH. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

REU SITE: STEM EDUCATION RESEARCH THROUGH A SOCIAL JUSTICE LENS -THIS REU SITE AWARD TO TERC, LOCATED IN CAMBRIDGE, MA, WILL SUPPORT THE TRAINING OF EIGHT STUDENTS FOR TEN WEEKS DURING THE SUMMERS OF 2023-2025. STUDENTS WILL PERFORM RESEARCH IN THE FIELD OF INFORMAL STEM EDUCATION. THEIR PROJECTS WILL HAVE A THEME OF ADVANCING SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY. THE SOCIAL JUSTICE THEME AIMS TO ATTRACT STUDENTS TO STEM EDUCATION RESEARCH, AS EVIDENCE SUGGESTS STUDENTS VALUE WORKING TOWARD EQUITY AND SOCIAL CHANGE. STUDENTS WILL CONDUCT INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PROJECTS AND WILL LEARN APPROPRIATE RESEARCH METHODS. STUDENT SUPPORTS WILL INCLUDE MENTORING, NETWORKING, PEER RELATIONSHIPS, RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS PRACTICE, AND SEMINAR PARTICIPATION. THESE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFERINGS WILL INCORPORATE SOCIAL JUSTICE APPROACHES. STUDENT RESEARCH RESULTS MAY POTENTIALLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE KNOWLEDGE BASE OF BROADENING PARTICIPATION IN INFORMAL STEM LEARNING. THROUGH THEIR INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PROJECTS, GRADUATED SUPPORTS, AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE MENTORING, THE PROJECT HAS POTENTIAL TO IMPACT PARTICIPANTS ABILITIES TO MAKE GAINS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDEPENDENT RESEARCH SKILLS, ESPECIALLY SOCIAL JUSTICE?INFORMED RESEARCH METHODS, AND GAIN AWARENESS OF ETHICS AND RELATED CAREERS WHILE DEVELOPING AN IDENTITY AS AN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCHER. STUDENTS WHO ARE RISING JUNIORS AND SENIORS MAJORING IN STEM, STEM EDUCATION, OR A SOCIAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINE WILL BE RECRUITED NATIONALLY. TO SPECIFICALLY REACH STUDENTS UNDERREPRESENTED IN STEM, RECRUITMENT WILL LEVERAGE TERC?S NETWORK OF NATIONAL STEM ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUPPORT THESE POPULATIONS AS WELL AS LOCAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. THE ANNUAL APPLICATION DEADLINE WILL BE IN MID-JANUARY, AND PARTICIPANTS WILL BE SELECTED BASED ON THEIR LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES FOR SIMILAR RESEARCH AT THEIR HOME INSTITUTIONS AND ASPIRATIONS TO ENTER THE STEM EDUCATION FIELD. OUTCOMES OF THE THREE COHORTS WILL BE EVALUATED BASED ON SELF-ASSESSMENT AND OBSERVED GROWTH AS EMERGENT RESEARCHERS IN RESPONSE TO MENTORING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. STUDENTS WILL BE TRACKED AFTER THE PROJECT IN ORDER TO DETERMINE STUDENT CAREER PATHS. STUDENTS WILL BE ASKED TO RESPOND TO AN AUTOMATIC EMAIL SENT VIA THE NSF REPORTING SYSTEM. MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE BY VISITING HTTPS://WWW.TERC.EDU/WORK-WITH-US/TERC-SCHOLARS-INTERSHIP-PROGRAM/ OR BY CONTACTING STEPHEN D. ALKINS, PHD. THIS REU SITE IS FUNDED BY THE ADVANCING INFORMAL STEM LEARNING (AISL) AND THE DISCOVERY RESEARCH PREK-12 (DRK-12) PROGRAMS. IT SUPPORTS THE AISL PROGRAM GOALS TO ADVANCE NEW APPROACHES TO, AND EVIDENCE-BASED UNDERSTANDING OF, THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF STEM LEARNING IN INFORMAL ENVIRONMENTS. IT SUPPORTS THE DRK-12 PROGRAM GOAL OF ENHANCING THE LEARNING AND TEACHING OF STEM BY PREK-12 STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. 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.

TAMARA LEDLEY/TECHNICAL EDUCATION RESEARCH CENTERS INCEARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE- A KEY TO CLIMATE LETERARYTHE EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE: A KEY TO CLIMATE L

EXP: COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: EXTRACTING SALIENT SCENARIOS FROM INTERACTION LOGS (ESSIL)

DIP: COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: STEM LITERACY THROUGH INFOGRAPHICS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: THE CLIMATE LAB: AN INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN CLIMATE RESEARCH AND MIDDLE-SCHOOL PRACTICE

EXPLORING STUDENTS? DATA SCIENCE LEARNING AND PARTICIPATION THROUGH ENGAGEMENT WITH AUTHENTIC, MESSY DATA AT DATAFEST -THIS PROJECT AIMS TO SERVE THE NATIONAL INTEREST BY SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS? DATA LITERACY SKILLS AND BY PROMOTING THE INCLUSION OF HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED STUDENTS IN DATA SCIENCE. IT WILL DO SO BY STUDYING DATAFEST, A RAPIDLY GROWING NATIONAL CO-CURRICULAR DATA COMPETITION WITH OVER 2000 PARTICIPANTS FROM OVER 100 INSTITUTIONS ANNUALLY. DATAFEST IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH AUTHENTIC DATASETS OVER TWO INTENSE DAYS. AS TECHNOLOGY AND COMPUTING POWER CONTINUE TO RAPIDLY ADVANCE, IT IS CRITICAL TO ENSURE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS HAVE THE SKILLS TO WORK WITH AND MAKE SENSE OF LARGE, MESSY DATASETS. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO DEVELOP A DEEPER AND MORE FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING OF HOW STUDENTS WORK WITH AND THINK ABOUT THESE TYPES OF DATA, AND HOW THEY WORK TOGETHER TO BRING THEIR OTHER EXPERTISE TO BEAR IN INVESTIGATING THESE TYPES OF DATASETS. IT IS ALSO CRUCIAL TO ENSURE THAT THESE SKILLS ARE DEVELOPED EQUITABLY. ALTHOUGH THE TRADITIONAL COMPETITIVE HACKATHON MODEL HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE EXCLUSIONARY TO MARGINALIZED STUDENTS, THERE ARE SEVERAL ASPECTS OF THE DATAFEST DESIGN THAT MAY BETTER FOSTER INCLUSION, SUCH AS MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION AND SOCIALLY RELEVANT TASKS. THUS, THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO SEEK TO UNDERSTAND WHO CURRENTLY DOES AND DOES NOT PARTICIPATE IN DATAFEST AND WHY. THIS WILL BE DONE TO UNDERSTAND HOW DATAFEST CAN BE LEVERAGED AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE DATA SCIENCE MORE ACCESSIBLE, ENGAGING, AND WELCOMING TO ALL. THE SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT INCLUDES COLLECTING DATA FROM MULTIPLE DATAFEST SITES IN ORDER TO (1) BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS NAVIGATE BIG, MESSY, AUTHENTIC DATA AND, IN PARTICULAR, HOW THEY DRAW ON INTERDISCIPLINARY RESOURCES IN DOING SO; AND (2) EXAMINE WHO PARTICIPATES IN DATAFEST AND WHY, IN ORDER TO EXPLORE HOW DATAFEST CAN POTENTIALLY BE A VEHICLE FOR BROADENING PARTICIPATION BOTH IN DATA SCIENCE AS A DISCIPLINE AND IN FOSTERING THE DEVELOPMENT OF DATA LITERACY FOR STUDENTS ACROSS DISCIPLINES. THE INVESTIGATORS WILL USE MIXED-METHODS AND MULTIMODAL DATA STREAMS THAT INCLUDE SURVEYS, INTERVIEWS WITH DATAFEST TEAMS, FOCUS GROUPS WITH SITE ORGANIZERS, CLOSE OBSERVATIONS AND VIDEO RECORDINGS OF TEAMS WORKING, AND VIDEO RECORDINGS OF FINAL PRESENTATIONS. THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP (1) RICH, DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF (A) WAYS IN WHICH TEAMS DRAW ON INTERDISCIPLINARY REASONING IN THE CONTEXT OF DATAFEST, (B) PHASES OF THE DATA INVESTIGATION PROCESS THAT BENEFIT FROM INTERDISCIPLINARY THINKING, AND (C) CHALLENGES OF MESSY, AUTHENTIC DATA THAT PROVIDE ENTRY POINTS FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY THINKING TO BECOME WOVEN INTO THE SOLUTION. THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO DEVELOP (2) A SURVEY INSTRUMENT THAT CAN BEGIN TO ASSESS OPENNESS TO INTERDISCIPLINARY THINKING; AND (3) INITIAL INSIGHTS INTO BROADENING PARTICIPATION IN STEM THROUGH CO-CURRICULAR EVENTS LIKE DATAFEST. FINDINGS WILL BE DISSEMINATED TO PARTICIPATING SITES, THE LARGER DATAFEST COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS TO THE BROADER FIELD OF STEM AND DATA SCIENCE EDUCATION. 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.

SIGNING GLOSSARIES FOR SCIENCE EXHIBITS

DI?LOGOS: HARNESSING LATINX COMMUNITY CULTURAL WEALTH TO SUPPORT EXECUTIVE FUNCTION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD THROUGH FAMILY ENGINEERING EXPERIENCES

INCREASING STEM SIGNING KNOWLEDGE OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT INTERPRETERS

EMBODIED PHYSICS: STEM LEARNING FOR UNDER-REPRESENTED YOUTH

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: EXPLORING THE MATHEMATICS OF BIOLOGICAL ECOSYSTEMS WITH DATA SCIENCE

FRAMING RESEARCH ON ACTIVITIES AS MATHEMATICAL EXPERIENCES

DATA SCIENCE EXHIBITS: DEVELOPING THEORETICAL GROUNDING AND PRACTICAL GUIDANCE FOR MUSEUM PRACTITIONERS -DATA SCIENCE IS EVER-PRESENT IN MODERN LIFE. THE NEED TO LEARN WITH AND ABOUT DATA SCIENCE IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT IN A WORLD WHERE THE QUANTITY OF DATA IS CONSTANTLY GROWING, WHERE ONE?S OWN DATA ARE OFTEN BEING HARVESTED AND MARKETED, WHERE DATA SCIENCE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES ARE RAPIDLY INCREASING, AND WHERE UNDERSTANDING STATISTICS, DATA SOURCES, AND DATA REPRESENTATION IS INTEGRAL TO UNDERSTANDING STEM AND THE WORLD AROUND US. MUSEUMS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN INTRODUCING THE PUBLIC TO DATA SCIENCE CONCEPTS IN WAYS THAT CENTER PERSONAL RELEVANCE, SOCIAL CONNECTIONS AND COLLABORATIVE LEARNING. HOWEVER, DATA SCIENCE AND STATISTICS ARE DIFFICULT CONCEPTS TO DISTILL AND PROVIDE MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT WITH DURING THE BRIEF LEARNING EXPERIENCES TYPICAL TO SCIENCE MUSEUMS. THIS PILOT AND FEASIBILITY STUDY BRINGS TOGETHER DATA SCIENTISTS, DATA SCIENCE EDUCATORS, AND MUSEUM EXHIBIT DESIGNERS TO CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONS: 1. WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT DATA SCIENCE CONCEPTS FOR THE PUBLIC TO EXPLORE AND UNDERSTAND IN MUSEUM EXHIBITS? 2. HOW CAN MUSEUM EXHIBITS BE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT VISITORS WITH DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS AND EXPERIENCES TO ENGAGE WITH THESE DATA SCIENCE CONCEPTS? 3. WHAT PRINCIPLES CAN SHAPE THESE DESIGNS TO PROMOTE BROADENING PARTICIPATION IN DATA SCIENCE SPECIFICALLY AND STEM MORE BROADLY? THIS PILOT AND FEASIBILITY PROJECT COMBINES MULTIDISCIPLINARY EXPERT CONVENING, FEASIBILITY TESTING, AND EARLY EXPLORATORY PROTOTYPING AROUND THE FOCAL TOPIC OF DATA SCIENCE EXHIBITS. PROJECT PARTNERS, TERC, THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, BOSTON, AND THE TECH INTERACTIVE IN SAN JOSE WILL ENGAGE IN AN ITERATIVE PROCESS TO DEVELOP A THEORETICAL GROUNDING AND PRACTICAL GUIDANCE FOR MUSEUM PRACTITIONERS. THE PROJECT WILL INCLUDE TWO CONVENINGS, BRINGING TOGETHER TEAMS OF EXPERTS FROM THE FIELDS OF DATA SCIENCE, DATA SCIENCE EDUCATION AND MUSEUM EXHIBIT DESIGN. PRIOR TO THE FIRST CONVENING, AN INITIAL LITERATURE SUMMARY AND A SURVEY OF CONVENING PARTICIPANTS WILL BE CONDUCTED, CULMINATING IN A PRELIMINARY LIST OF BIG IDEAS ABOUT DATA SCIENCE. PERIODICALLY, PARTICIPANTS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RANK, ANNOTATE AND EXPAND THIS LIST, AS A FORM OF ONGOING DATA COLLECTION. DURING THE CONVENINGS, PARTICIPANTS WILL EXPLORE THE PRELIMINARY LIST, SHARE RELATED WORK FROM THE THREE DISCIPLINES, ENGAGE WITH RELATED DATA SCIENCE ACTIVITIES IN SMALL GROUPS, AND WORK TOGETHER TO BUILD CONSENSUS AROUND PROMISING DATA SCIENCE TOPICS AND APPROACHES FOR EXHIBITS. PARTICIPANT EVALUATION WILL ALLOW FOR ITERATIVE IMPROVEMENT OF THE CONVENINGS AND THE CAPTURE OF MISSED POINTS OR OVERLOOKED TOPICS. AFTER EACH CONVENING, MUSEUM PARTNERS WILL CREATE PROTOTYPES THAT RESPOND TO THE CONVENING CONVERSATIONS. PROTOTYPES WILL BE PILOT TESTED (EVALUATED) WITH AN INTENTIONALLY RECRUITED GROUP OF FAMILIES THAT INCLUDES BOTH FREQUENT VISITORS AND THOSE WHO ARE LESS LIKELY TO VISIT THE MUSEUM; DIVERSITY IN TERMS OF RACE, LANGUAGES AND DIS/ABILITY WILL BE REFLECTED IN SELECTION. PILOT DATA COLLECTION WILL CONSIST OF STRUCTURED OBSERVATIONS AND INTERVIEWS. RESULTS FROM THE FIRST ROUND OF PROTOTYPING WILL BE SHARED WITH CONVENING PARTICIPANTS AS A WAY TO MODIFY THE LIST OF BIG IDEAS AND TO FURTHER INTERROGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF COMMUNICATING THESE IDEAS IN AN EXHIBIT FORMAT. RESULTS FROM THE CONVENINGS AND FROM BOTH ROUNDS OF PROTOTYPING WILL BE COMBINED IN A GUIDING DOCUMENT THAT WILL BE SHARED ON ALL THREE PARTNER WEBSITES, AND MORE BROADLY WITH THE INFORMAL STEM LEARNING FIELD. THE TEAM WILL ALSO HOST A WORKSHOP FOR PRACTITIONERS INTERESTED IN DESIGNING DATA SCIENCE EXHIBITS, AND PRESENT AT A CONFERENCE FOCUSED ON MUSEUM EXHIBITS AND THEIR DESIGN. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE ADVANCING INFORMAL STEM LEARNING (AISL) PROGRAM, WHICH SEEKS TO ADVANCE NEW APPROACHES TO, AND EVIDENCE-BASED UNDERSTANDING OF, THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF STEM LEARNING IN INFORMAL ENVIRONMENTS. THIS INCLUDES PROVIDING MULTIPLE PATHWAYS FOR BROADENING ACCESS TO AND ENGAGEMENT IN STEM LEARNING EXPERIENCES, ADVANCING INNOVATIVE RESEARCH ON AND ASSESSMENT OF STEM LEARNING IN INFORMAL ENVIRONMENTS, AND DEVELOPING UNDERSTANDINGS OF DEEPER LEARNING BY PARTICIPANTS. 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.

REDDDOT PHASE 1: PLANNING GRANT: ALTERNATIVE SYSTEMS FOR HUMAN WASTE MANAGEMENT -FLUSH TOILETS IN THE UNITED STATES ARE THE NORM, YET MANY COMMUNITIES STAND TO BENEFIT FROM ADOPTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES, PARTICULARLY AS INTENSE STORMS PLAY HAVOC WITH WASTEWATER SYSTEMS. THE NEED TO AUGMENT AND RE-EXAMINE COMMITMENTS TO EXISTING SYSTEMS IS URGENT. TO ASSIST COMMUNITIES AND REGULATORS IN WEIGHING OPTIONS AND PRIORITIES, AND TO INCREASE CURIOSITY FOR INNOVATIONS IN HUMAN WASTE MANAGEMENT, THE PROJECT ADOPTS SCIENCE COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES THAT EXPANDS DIALOGUE, PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, AND DEMOCRATIC ACCESS TO STEM INNOVATIONS. THE PROJECT FURTHERS NSF?S MISSION TO ?ADVANCE THE NATIONAL HEALTH, PROSPERITY AND WELFARE.? AN INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM WITH EXPERTISE IN SUSTAINABILITY, PRODUCT DESIGN, PUBLIC SERVICE, COMMUNICATION, AND STEAM EDUCATION WILL WORK TOGETHER TO CRAFT DIALOGIC AND SURVEY EXPERIENCES WHICH INCORPORATE VISUALIZATIONS, STORIES, AND DESIGN CHALLENGES ALL RELATED TO WATER THAT IS TYPICALLY FLUSHED AWAY. PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY BASED PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH (CBPR), PRIORITIZE UNDERSTANDING THE NEEDS OF DIVERSE POPULATIONS AND CROSS-SECTOR, BI-DIRECTIONAL LEARNING. AN INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM INCLUDING RIVERKEEPERS, AND BLACK FOLKS CAMP TOO LEADERS, FACULTY FROM PEPPERDINE, UNC CHAPEL HILL, THE NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS WITH EXPERTISE IN SUSTAINABILITY, AND PROFESSIONALS IN PRODUCT DESIGN, PUBLIC SERVICE, COMMUNICATION, AND TERC?S STEM EDUCATORS WILL ADD TO THE SCANT OF RESEARCH ON THE PUBLIC?S ACCEPTANCE OF SUSTAINABLE SANITATION SOLUTIONS AND ADDRESS THE CONUNDRUM OF INTRODUCING TECH SOLUTIONS WITHOUT TRIGGERING PUSHBACK. THE PROJECT WILL PILOT A SURVEY AND FACILITATED CONVERSATIONS THAT ENGAGE PARTICIPANTS IN DESIGNING APPROACHES TO MANAGE HUMAN WASTE. RECRUITMENT FOR PARTICIPATION WILL TAKE PLACE IN RECREATIONAL AREAS ALONG NORTH CAROLINA RIVERS. WE PLAN TO SPEAK PRIMARILY TO INDIVIDUALS WHO STRUGGLED WITH INADEQUATE SANITATION AS WELL AS THOSE WHO USE NON-FLUSH TOILETS. DURING FACILITATED CONVERSATIONS OF MIXED AUDIENCES (INCLUDING SCIENTISTS, REGULATORS, FAITH LEADERS, AND OTHERS), PROJECT LEADERS WILL: 1) CONSULT WITH AND ENGAGE PROSPECTIVE USERS OF NEW TECH TO IDENTIFY PRIORITIES, VALUES, AREAS OF CURIOSITY, AND PREFERENCES OF DIVERSE NC RESIDENTS; AND 2) LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR A MARKET SEGMENTATION STUDY. BY THE END OF YEAR 2, THE PROJECT TEAM WILL HAVE COMPLETED A DESIGN FOR EXPERIENTIAL ENGAGEMENT. THE TEAM WILL ALSO HAVE PILOTED A SURVEY AND SHOW THAT IT SOLICITS MEANINGFUL RESPONSES ACROSS A RANGE OF DISTINCT PROFILES. TO ASSESS ENGAGEMENT, THE TEAM WILL CONDUCT PRE- AND POST-SURVEYS. BY DESIGN THE STUDY IS LIMITED IN GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE AND SIZE AS THE METHODS WILL BE TESTED AND REFINED FOR USE IN A LARGER STUDY. NEWSLETTERS AND SOCIAL MEDIA WILL KEEP ADVISORS, PARTNERS, AND PARTICIPANTS INFORMED. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

INCREASING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT INTERPRETERS' FLUENCY AND ACCURACY IN INTERPRETING BIOLOGY VOCABULARY IN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE

FUN: A FINLAND US NETWORK FOR ENGAGEMENT AND STEM LEARNING IN GAMES

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: RETHINKING HOW TO TEACH ENERGY: LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: EARTHSCOPE CHRONICLES: SCIENTISTS' STORIES AND MEDIA-RICH EARTH SCIENCE INVESTIGATIONS

CIMBLE: CONFERENCE ON INTEGRATING MATH INTO INFORMAL BUILDING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE: EXAMINING THE RESEARCH BASE ON BIOLOGICAL LAB EXPERIENCES, GRADES 1-13

CLIMATE LITERACY AND ENERGY AWARENESS NETWORK (CLEAN) CORE ACTIVITIES

EDUCATING ABOUT STATISTICAL ISSUES IN LARGE SCIENTIFIC DATA SETS

PATHWAYS: COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: ISWOOP--INTERPRETERS AND SCIENTISTS WORKING ON-SITE AT OUR PARKS

THE SIGNING EARTH SCIENCE DICTIONARY FOR GRADES 9-12 TRACK 1 PROJECT

CONFERENCE ON LITERACIES IN ENGINEERING FOR ACCESS AND PARTICIPATION

BP: COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: I-ECS: INCLUSIVE EXPLORING CS CURRICULUM ENHANCEMENT AS FACE-TO-FACE AND ONLINE SUPPORT FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED, HIGH SCHOO

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: INK-12: INTERACTIVE INK INSCRIPTIONS IN K-12

FACILITATING A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF CHANGE IN THE EARTH SYSTEM ON MULTIPLE TIME SCALES

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: USING CULTURALLY SUSTAINING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS TO EXPLORE COMPUTATIONAL LEARNING & IDENTITY

EAGER: COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT MATHEMATICAL ARGUMENTATION

CEOSE MINI-SYMPOSIUM ON WOMEN OF COLOR IN STEM: PERSPECTIVES ON EXPERIENCES, RESEARCH, EVALUATION, AND POLICY IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND CAREERS

MATHEMATICIANS WRITING FOR TEACHERS CONFERENCE, MT. HOLYOKE COLLEGE IN EARLY SUMMER 2008.

RAPID: RETENTION OF EARLY ALGEBRAIC UNDERSTANDING

DCL: NSF INCLUDES CONFERENCE - COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: ENVISIONING IMPACT

STORYBOOK STEM: PROFESSIONAL CONVENING FOR CROSS-SECTOR UNDERSTANDING OF CHILDREN'S LITERATURE AS A TOOL FOR SUPPORTING INFORMAL STEM LEARNING

SHARED SIGNING SCIENCE PLANNING PROJECT

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: PLANNING GRANT: COMPUTER SCIENCE FOR ALL (CS4ALL)

FOSTERING THE NEXT GENERATION OF THE U.S FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE THROUGH RESEARCH EXPERIENCES IN APPLIED CONSERVATION: PILOT YEAR PLANNING

EDUCATIONAL DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT: PLANNING FOR A STEM LEARNING RESEARCH TRANSFORMATION

USING DATA PROJECT: BUILDING MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE EDUCATION REFORM LEADERS' DATA LITERACY

PROMOTING NOAA NOS EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES TO ELEMENTARY AUDIENCES THROUGH CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS, PRINT/ONLINE PUBLICATIONS, AND WEBINARS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: SCAFFOLDING MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS? SCIENTIFIC EVALUATIONS OF SOURCES AND ALTERNATIVE CLAIMS IN EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES -CONTEMPORARY SCIENTIFIC AND SOCIAL ISSUES, SUCH AS WATER SECURITY OR CLIMATE CHANGE, ARE OFTEN COMPLEX AND INTERRELATED. THIS REQUIRES REASONED AND SCIENTIFIC EVALUATIONS TO DETERMINE APPROPRIATE RESPONSES. ALTHOUGH REASONED AND SCIENTIFIC EVALUATIONS MAY BE CHALLENGING FOR STUDENTS, WELL-DESIGNED INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS MAY FACILITATE THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF CONTEMPORARY SCIENTIFIC AND SOCIAL ISSUES. STUDENTS LEARNING ABOUT THESE SOCIOSCIENTIFIC ISSUES ENCOUNTER BOTH SCIENTIFIC SOURCES THAT REPRESENT CURRENT CONSENSUS AND UNDERSTANDING AS WELL AS EVERYDAY INFORMATION SOURCES THAT MAY NOT BE CONSISTENT WITH CURRENT SCIENCE. THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES TOOLS TO SUPPORT STUDENTS IN READING AND EVALUATING A VARIETY OF SOURCES TO COMPARE VARIOUS CLAIMS ADDRESSING SOCIOSCIENTIFIC ISSUES. IT DRAWS ON LITERACY CONCEPTS FROM SCIENCE EDUCATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT SCAFFOLDING TOOLS THAT CAN SUPPORT STUDENTS' UNDERSTANDING OF THE LINKS AMONG DATA, EVIDENCE, AND CLAIMS WHILE CONSIDERING THE TRUSTWORTHINESS AND PLAUSIBILITY OF SOURCES. THE PROJECT WILL DESIGN AND TEST SUCH INSTRUCTIONAL SCAFFOLDS WITH THE GOAL OF HELPING MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES STUDENTS TO DEEPEN THEIR EVALUATION SKILLS AS THEY MAKE REASONED EVALUATIONS AS EXPECTED OF CITIZENS IN A FUNCTIONAL DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY. THE PROJECT'S FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH QUESTIONS ARE: (1) WHAT ARE THE FEATURES OF INSTRUCTIONAL SCAFFOLDS THAT SUPPORT MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO DEVELOP MORE CRITICAL SOURCE TRUSTWORTHINESS AND CLAIM PLAUSIBILITY EVALUATIONS? (2) WHEN ENGAGING IN THESE INSTRUCTIONAL SCAFFOLDS, HOW DO STUDENTS' EVALUATIONS RELATE TO THEIR SHIFTS IN TRUSTWORTHINESS AND PLAUSIBILITY JUDGMENTS TOWARD JUSTIFIABLE UNDERSTANDINGS (E.G., BASED ON EVIDENCE AND REASONING)? (3) HOW DO THESE EVALUATIONS AND JUDGMENTS RELATE TO CHANGES IN STUDENTS? CORE DISCIPLINARY KNOWLEDGE OF SOCIAL, CIVIC, AND SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS RELATED TO SOCIOSCIENTIFIC ISSUES? THE PROJECT WILL DEVELOP COMPLEMENTARY INSTRUCTIONAL SCAFFOLDS TO SUPPORT SOURCE AND CLAIM EVALUATION AND CONDUCT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS WITH PAIRS OF MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS TO ENABLE THEM TO IMPLEMENT THESE SCAFFOLDS IN THEIR CLASSROOMS EFFECTIVELY. FURTHERMORE, THE PROJECT TEAM WILL CONDUCT RIGOROUS CLASSROOM-BASED TESTS TO GAUGE STUDENTS' ENGAGEMENT, REASONING, AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE FUNDAMENTAL SCIENTIFIC, SOCIAL, AND CIVIC PHENOMENA UNDERLYING THESE TOPICS. THE PROJECT TEAM ANTICIPATES THAT THESE SCAFFOLDS WILL SUPPORT STUDENTS' REASONING AND DEEPENING UNDERSTANDING OF SOCIOSCIENTIFIC PHENOMENA. THE DISCOVERY RESEARCH PREK-12 PROGRAM (DRK-12) SEEKS TO SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE THE LEARNING AND TEACHING OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) BY PREK-12 STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, THROUGH RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIVE RESOURCES, MODELS AND TOOLS. PROJECTS IN THE DRK-12 PROGRAM BUILD ON FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH IN STEM EDUCATION AND PRIOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS THAT PROVIDE THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL JUSTIFICATION FOR PROPOSED PROJECTS. 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.

EYES IN THE SKY II: FACILITATING CLASSROOM RESEARCH USING NASA RESOURCES AND GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGY:

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: MULTIMEDIA ENGINEERING NOTEBOOK TOOLS TO SUPPORT ENGINEERING DISCOURSE IN URBAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASSROOMS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: CULTURAL EPISTEMOLOGIES AND SCIENCE-RELATED PRACTICES: LIVING AND LEARNING IN RELATIONSHIPS