Doane DIVAS: Digital Imaging and Vision Applications in Science

Doane University, Crete NE

Investigators

Abstract

The Digital Imaging and Vision Applications in Science (DIVAS) project will have strong significance and importance toward advancing the prosperity and welfare of the country by creating a pedagogical and programmatic 'onramp' of computational materials that empower natural science majors to engage in authentic computational problems. DIVAS will ultimately increase the number of skilled computationally trained scientists entering the workforce, addressing the critical shortage of these workers. DIVAS' goal is to develop, use, and test instructional practices and curricular innovations that will engage and train STEM undergraduates in computation and computing related to image processing. The scope will be to assess practices and innovations in the traditional classroom environment, in informal training 'boot camps', and in undergraduate research settings for their impact on student self-efficacy, computational competency, and intended and actual career paths. The project team will use an established instrument for assessing self-efficacy in computation and will develop a new tool to assess computational competency across a wide range of educational settings. Growth in self-efficacy, computational skills, and career choice will be assessed each time a student engages in a DIVAS innovation. This collaborative project will establish and strengthen partnerships with key academic institutions and organizations and will prioritize practices and innovations for adoption within a broader DIVAS network. DIVAS will test the effectiveness of educational interventions occurring in the traditional learning environment, in informal training environments, and in professional settings.