Development of Student-Centered STEM Curriculum Using Data Science Innovations of W.E.B. Du Bois

University Of California - Merced, Merced CA

Investigators

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national interest by developing, evaluating, and disseminating novel curricular materials to increase engaged student learning through student-centered pedagogy that benefits all students in undergraduate science courses. The new materials will be of broad importance as they are intended to teach the process of scientific reasoning and data visualization across a range of science, technology, engineering, and math courses. Curriculum materials will feature the early 20th century work of the foundational social scientist, W.E.B. Du Bois, whose laboratory pioneered data visualization techniques that are still considered state of the art across science disciplines. The Lab demonstrated the value of data visualization by creating scientific graphs of survey data evidence against theories which falsely claimed inherent biological differences between different American demographic groups. This made the Lab’s findings accessible for broad audiences. The project team includes faculty and students from multiple institutions and science disciplines to contribute to curriculum development and participate in testing its impact. The project intends to measure how the curriculum influences undergraduate student learning, sense of belonging in science, and persistence in science. Curricular materials and study results will be widely shared in an open, online repository, which could benefit large numbers of students and faculty in undergraduate science courses across the country. The project aims to develop, implement, and assess the Du Bois curriculum module that could be implemented in a variety of science courses during three, 50-minute class or laboratory sessions and associated homework assignments. Undergraduate students will be engaged in exploring Du Bois’ scientific discoveries, recreating data visualizations by Du Bois with domain-appropriate data for their particular disciplinary course, and completing metacognitive written reflections on their learning. These learning activities will include beginner-friendly coding interactives using R or Python through web-based Jupyter Lite Notebooks. Requiring only a web browser and no software installation, the Jupyter interactives will provide students with an accessible and tangible experience of self-efficacy through creating a visualization from code. The curriculum will be developed in collaboration with science faculty and students at each of the three partner institutions –– each of which has unique student populations. Developed curriculum will be piloted in 40 courses reaching over 1,600 students across the three collaborating institutions. The project will test the hypothesis that implementation of this student-centered curriculum can promote science learning and sense of belonging among undergraduate students, in particular fostering positive science associations and science identities among students from all backgrounds. Investigation of curriculum impact will use a pre/post-assessment design and published assessment tools that have evidence of validity for measuring constructs such as: 1) belonging, 2) positive scientist identity and relatability, and 3) self-efficacy. Further, the project will collect assessment evidence in course offerings that use the module intervention as well as in course offerings that do not, enabling direct analyses to test for shifts in student assessments over time that are associated with the intervention. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through its 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.