GP:IMPACT: Interactive Simulations and Systems Thinking to Broaden Pathways into the Geosciences

GP:IMPACT：交互式模拟和系统思维拓宽地球科学的途径

基本信息

批准号：
1701062
负责人：
Juliette Rooney-Varga
金额：
$ 33.98万
依托单位：
University of Massachusetts Lowell
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2017
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2017-07-01 至 2022-06-30
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1701062&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
GP IMPACT Interactive Simulations Systems

项目摘要

Part 1. Our project seeks to promote the progress of science and advance the national prosperity by broadening the pipeline of students interested in the sciences. We will develop and leverage immersive learning tools that bring state-of-the-art sustainability science directly to 3,000 students, with the potential to scale to reach hundreds of thousands of students. Our educational approach combines interactive computer models with engaging role-play simulations, in which students learn for themselves by making decisions, and then finding out, through the computer models, how the Earth and energy systems are expected to respond to those decisions. In short, rather than being lectured to, students learn for themselves through a process that mimics scientific discovery. Further, our learning tools will take students ?under the hood,? to understand important Earth system processes and to gain a deeper understanding of the modeling process. Our project focuses on a student target audience that is currently under-represented in STEM: economically disadvantaged, first-generation-in-college students in federally funded TRIO Student Support Services programs. This focus will benefit the project by (1) leveraging and improving existing programs and networks for dissemination; (2) enhancing participation in the scientific enterprise by college students; and (3) enhancing the prospects of economically disadvantaged students.Part 2Overview:The overarching goal of this proposal is to broaden the pathway of low-income, first-generation-in-college students to the geosciences through development, implementation, and evaluation of scalable simulation-based climate and sustainability science educational tools. Our project team brings together expertise in climate and sustainability education (UMass Lowell Climate Change Initiative, or CCI, and Dr. McNeal), educational evaluation and research (SageFox Consulting Group and Dr. Newton), and leaders in advancing college access and success opportunities for low-income, first-generation-in-college students through federally funded TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) programs around the Nation (the Council for Opportunity in Education, or COE). Our goal is to significantly increase geoscience knowledge, interest, and motivation among early, low-income, first-generation undergraduate students. The three key project components include: (1) Develop and test a new ?Geo-Interactive? curriculum that is centered on engaging simulation-based learning tools, uses an active learning approach to introduce climate and Earth system feedback processes, and makes direct connections to academic career opportunities; (2) Leverage the extensive nationwide network of 1,080 TRIO SSS programs that together reach 205,000 students to implement, propagate, and disseminate the Geo-Interactive curriculum to those currently underrepresented in STEM professions, careers or education pathways; and (3) Determine the impact of the Geo-Interactive curriculum on geoscience-related motivation, learning, and career interest.Intellectual Merit:The simulation-based curriculum we are proposing takes an approach that is supported by educational research: it is student-centered, experiential, and addresses a highly relevant, real-world problem. The proposed curriculum will include the World Climate simulation, which was co-developed by the PI and our project partners at Climate Interactive. Initial results have shown that World Climate delivers significant gains in climate literacy, systems thinking skills, and, importantly student motivation to learn and do more about climate and sustainability. By combining World Climate with new modules that explore geoscience concepts and academic and career opportunities, potential paths into geoscience will be opened for students whose engagement and motivation has been stimulated. Importantly, our target population are early undergraduates in SSS programs, a demographic that is under-represented in the geosciences and STEM more generally, and that has strong potential to broaden and diversify the Nation?s geoscience pipeline.Broader Impacts:The proposed project is designed to benefit to society by: (1) contributing to the evidence base for effective educational approaches that reach all students, with a focus on students who have been underserved and underrepresented in the geoscience and STEM pipelines; (2) playing a role in closing the projected shortfall in geoscience professionals by broadening geoscience participation among more than 3,000 low-income, first-generation undergraduate students; (3) building a citizenry and workforce that is informed about and enable to make effective decisions in the context of global environmental change.

第 1 部分。我们的项目旨在通过拓宽对科学感兴趣的学生的渠道来促进科学进步并促进国家繁荣。我们将开发和利用沉浸式学习工具，将最先进的可持续发展科学直接带给 3,000 名学生，并有可能扩大到数十万学生。我们的教育方法将交互式计算机模型与引人入胜的角色扮演模拟相结合，学生通过做出决策来自学，然后通过计算机模型找出地球和能源系统将如何响应这些决策。简而言之，学生不是听课，而是通过模仿科学发现的过程自学。此外，我们的学习工具将带领学生“深入了解”。了解重要的地球系统过程并更深入地了解建模过程。我们的项目重点关注目前在 STEM 中代表性不足的学生目标受众：联邦政府资助的 TRIO 学生支持服务计划中的经济弱势第一代大学生。这一重点将通过以下方式使项目受益：（1）利用和改进现有的传播计划和网络；（2）加强大学生对科学事业的参与； (3) 提高经济困难学生的前景。第二部分概述：本提案的总体目标是通过开发、实施和评估，拓宽低收入第一代大学生进入地球科学的道路。可扩展的基于模拟的气候和可持续性科学教育工具。我们的项目团队汇集了气候和可持续发展教育方面的专业知识（麻省大学洛厄尔分校气候变化倡议，或 CCI 和 McNeal 博士）、教育评估和研究（SageFox Consulting Group 和 Newton 博士）以及促进大学入学和成功机会的领导者通过联邦政府资助的全国范围内的 TRIO 学生支持服务 (SSS) 计划（教育机会委员会，简称 COE），为低收入的第一代大学生提供服务。我们的目标是显着提高早期低收入第一代本科生的地球科学知识、兴趣和动力。三个关键项目组成部分包括： (1) 开发和测试新的“Geo-Interactive”课程以基于模拟的学习工具为中心，使用主动学习方法来介绍气候和地球系统反馈过程，并与学术职业机会直接联系； (2) 利用由 1,080 个 TRIO SSS 项目组成的广泛全国网络（总计覆盖 205,000 名学生），向目前在 STEM 专业、职业或教育途径中代表性不足的人群实施、传播和传播 Geo-Interactive 课程； (3) 确定地理互动课程对地球科学相关动机、学习和职业兴趣的影响。智力优势：我们提出的基于模拟的课程采用了一种得到教育研究支持的方法：它是学生以中心为中心，以体验为中心，解决高度相关的现实问题。拟议的课程将包括世界气候模拟，该课程由 PI 和我们的气候互动项目合作伙伴共同开发。初步结果表明，《世界气候》在气候素养、系统思维技能以及更重要的是学生学习和做更多有关气候和可持续发展的积极性方面取得了显着进步。通过将世界气候与探索地球科学概念以及学术和职业机会的新模块相结合，将为激发参与度和积极性的学生开辟进入地球科学的潜在途径。重要的是，我们的目标人群是 SSS 项目的早期本科生，这一人群在地球科学和 STEM 领域的代表性不足，但具有扩大国家地球科学管道和使其多样化的巨大潜力。更广泛的影响：拟议的项目是旨在通过以下方式造福社会：(1) 为惠及所有学生的有效教育方法提供证据基础，重点关注在地球科学和 STEM 渠道中服务不足和代表性不足的学生； (2) 通过扩大 3,000 多名低收入第一代本科生对地球科学的参与，在弥补预计的地球科学专业人员短缺方面发挥作用； (3) 建设一支了解全球环境变化并能够在全球环境变化的背景下做出有效决策的公民和劳动力队伍。

项目成果

期刊论文数量（7）

专著数量（0）

科研奖励数量（0）

会议论文数量（0）

专利数量（0）

System dynamics and sustainability: A research agenda for the coming decade(s)

系统动力学和可持续性：未来十年的研究议程

DOI：
发表时间：
2021
期刊：
International System Dynamics Conference
影响因子：
0
作者：
de Gooyert, V.;Goncalves, P.;Herrera, H.;Kampmann, C.;Kapmeier, F.;Kopainsky, B.;Moxnes, E.;Rooney-Varga, J.;Rouwette, E.;Struben, J.
通讯作者：
Struben, J.

Does replacing coal with wood lower CO 2 emissions? Dynamic lifecycle analysis of wood bioenergy

用木材代替煤炭会降低 CO 2 排放吗？

DOI：
10.1088/1748-9326/aaa512
发表时间：
2017
期刊：
Environmental Research Letters
影响因子：
6.7
作者：
Sterman, John D;Siegel, Lori;Rooney-Varga, Juliette N
通讯作者：
Rooney-Varga, Juliette N

Building Consensus for Ambitious Climate Action Through the World Climate Simulation

通过世界气候模拟为雄心勃勃的气候行动建立共识

DOI：
10.1029/2021ef002283
发表时间：
2021
期刊：
Earth's Future
影响因子：
0
作者：
Rooney‐Varga, Juliette N.;Hensel, Margaret;McCarthy, Carolyn;McNeal, Karen;Norfles, Nicole;Rath, Kenneth;Schnell, Audrey H.;Sterman, John D.
通讯作者：
Sterman, John D.

The Climate Action Simulation