Enhancing STEM Success: A Multi-modal Investigating of Spatial Reasoning and Training in Undergraduate Education

促进 STEM 成功：本科教育空间推理和培训的多模式研究

• 批准号: 2300785
• 负责人: Melissa Beck
• 金额: $ 107.65万
• 依托单位: Louisiana State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-07-01 至 2027-06-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2300785&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Enhancing; STEM; Success; Multi; modal

Despite the growing demand for STEM professionals, many students face challenges in completing STEM degree programs due to difficulties in mastering the content. One crucial predictor of success in STEM disciplines is spatial reasoning ability, which involves mentally manipulating and representing objects in space. However, STEM courses often neglect the purposeful development of spatial reasoning skills, and limited knowledge exists on effective training methods. This project aims to address this gap by: 1) identifying neural and cognitive processes associated with successful mental rotation, a fundamental aspect of spatial reasoning; 2) assessing the responsiveness of these processes to training; and 3) measuring the transfer of training effects to real-world STEM problems, specifically focusing on introductory chemistry.To develop effective cognitive training protocols, a comprehensive understanding of the cognitive factors supporting optimal performance is necessary. This project involves a large-scale cross-sectional study utilizing eye movement tracking, brain activity measurement, and response time analysis during mental rotation tasks. Multivariate analysis techniques will identify latent variables that explain performance variability. Additionally, a validated randomized controlled training protocol, including an active control group, will monitor changes in measures as mental rotation performance improves through training. Comparing longitudinal training effects to performance determinants observed in the cross-sectional study will identify the most responsive neural and cognitive processes for targeted interventions. Moreover, the project will examine the extent of transferability of training-induced improvements to real-world STEM spatial reasoning tasks, such as molecular symmetry determination. By developing guidelines for effective mental rotation skill development, this research has the potential to increase success, retention, and diversity in STEM disciplines, thereby enhancing the quality and availability of the US STEM workforce.This project is funded by the EDU Core Research (ECR) program, which supports fundamental research on STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation in STEM, and STEM workforce development as well as the Discovery Research preK-12 program (DRK-12). 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.

尽管对 STEM 专业人士的需求不断增长，但由于掌握内容的困难，许多学生在完成 STEM 学位课程时面临挑战。空间推理能力是成功的一个关键预测因素，这涉及在心理上操纵和表示空间中的物体。 STEM 课程经常忽视空间推理技能的有目的地发展，而有效培训方法的知识有限，该项目旨在通过以下方式解决这一差距：1）识别与成功的心理旋转（空间推理的基本方面）相关的神经和认知过程； 2）评估响应能力将这些过程转化为培训；3) 衡量培训效果对现实世界 STEM 问题的转移，特别关注入门化学。为了制定有效的认知培训方案，需要全面了解支持最佳表现的认知因素。涉及在心理旋转任务期间利用眼动跟踪、大脑活动测量和响应时间分析进行的大规模横断面研究，该研究将识别解释表现变异性的潜在变量。主动对照组，将监测措施的变化通过将纵向训练效果与横断面研究中观察到的表现决定因素进行比较，将确定对有针对性的干预措施最敏感的神经和认知过程。此外，该项目还将检查训练引起的改善的可转移性程度。现实世界的 STEM 空间推理任务，例如分子对称性测定，通过制定有效的心理旋转技能发展指南，这项研究有可能提高 STEM 学科的成功率、保留率和多样性，从而提高美国的质量和可用性。 STEM 劳动力。该项目由EDU 核心研究 (ECR) 计划，支持 STEM 学习和学习环境的基础研究、扩大 STEM 的参与、STEM 劳动力发展以及 Discovery Research preK-12 计划 (DRK-12 计划)。 12) 力求通过研究和开发创新资源、模型和工具，显着增强学前班至 12 年级学生和教师对科学、技术、工程和数学 (STEM) 的学习和教学。 DRK-12 计划建立在 STEM 教育的基础研究和先前的研究和开发工作的基础上，为拟议项目提供理论和实证依据。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响进行评估，被认为值得支持审查标准。