NSF TUES Type 1 Funded Projects: Abstracts
The following are abstracts from TUES Type 1 proposals funded in the past two years. This is just a small sample to give
an idea of the range of TUES Type 1 project possibilities. More abstracts, as well as samples of successful proposals, are
available from RSP.
Leveraging Laboratory Activities to Achieve Educational Reform (1140767) 6/1/2012
Koetje, David, dkoetje@calvin.edu, Calvin College, GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Award Amount: $199990
Abstract: At Calvin College faculty from Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics and Computer Science are collaborating to
reform the four courses of the introductory biology sequence to align with the findings of the document "Vision and
Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action." Building on problem-based learning in the first course,
they are now developing laboratory modules, derived from faculty research, in the middle two courses, which culminate
in student research projects in the fourth course. The three-week laboratory modules develop students' abilities to read
and critique the scientific literature, to frame scientific questions and to seek their experimental answers, and to learn
the conventions of oral and written communication of scientific results. Like genuine research projects, the modules
include quantitative and interdisciplinary features, so students are less inclined to see their STEM courses as isolated
from one another. The lecture aspects of the courses have also been revised to be more student-centered and
interactive, making use of the best ideas in pedagogy. Participating in the review and testing of this strategic reform are
partners from two universities, four liberal arts colleges, and a community college, all of whom have collaborated with
Calvin College on previous projects. Grand Rapids Community College contributes an external collaborator, a biologist,
who receives a stipend for carrying out review, testing, and evaluation of the modules, as do the other collaborators. By
following the blueprint of "Vision and Change" for reform of classroom, laboratory, and assessment practices, Calvin
College's project is sure to have a broad impact on undergraduate biology education.
Enhancing Undergraduate Education Through Student-Led Research in Biomass Renewable Energy (1139977)
1/15/2012
Liu, Peter, pliu@eiu.edu, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL - Award Amount: $198695
Abstract: Using an investigative learning model, this project is engaging undergraduate students (and a limited number
of high school students) in a series of student-led research activities on biomass renewable energy. Students design and
implement their own research plans based upon available biomass resources. The adoption of a student-led
investigative approach is a potentially transformative model in biomass renewable energy education. Students identify
biomass sources, test heat value and moisture content of the biomass, process the biomass into a useful form, gasify the
biomass to produce combustible syngas, use the syngas to drive an internal combustion engine and an electrical
generator, charge a bank of batteries, and invert to provide 110 VAC power output. Through the experience of
participating in design and implermentation of a complete cycle of renewable energy generation and utilization,
undergraduate students develop a real passion, knowledge and skill for using renewable energy. Exemplary learning
materials are being developed to enable other higher education institutions to transfer the methodology into their
respective curricula. With a systematic assessment, the project adds to our knowledge of how students learn biomass
renewable energy through a series of student-led research activities. The project contributes to the national effort to
reduce our dependence on foreign oil and to maintain a sustainable social, economic and environmental system for
many generations to come.
Mobile Math Apps (1140299) 1/1/2012
Ensley, Douglas, deensley@ship.edu, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania - Award Amount: $174226
Abstract: This project is creating mobile, smart phone applications ("apps") with the goal of increasing student
performance on standard precalculus problems, measured in both achievement level and time on task. Content modules
are being developed, each corresponding to a specific, traditional precalculus topic and including visualizations that
illuminate concepts and encourage practice. The project's intellectual merit rests in two areas. First, the "apps" take
advantage of the general portability of smart phones and their unique user interfaces, while addressing the challenges
of screen size and processor speed. Each module also comes with practice problems for students to demonstrate
mastery of skills. Second, usage data from phones are used to study patterns and modes of use of the apps by students.
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NSF TUES Type 1 Funded Projects: Abstracts
Learning measures include the number and level of practice problems completed successfully, as well as the increase in
time-on-task within the smart phone environment. These data are then being correlated with performance in the
classroom using standard assessment tools. The broader impacts of the project are felt through its targeting of improved
student success rate in precalculus, a traditional bottleneck for students pursuing degrees in science, technology,
engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The output and outcomes of the project are also informing future work
by a growing community of developers for other courses, even those outside of mathematics. Through its nurturing of
this community the project is positioned to transform the fast developing area of mobile technology in undergraduate
education.
Developing an Innovative Randomization-based Introductory Statistics Curriculum (1140629) 1/1/2012
Tintle, Nathan, ntintle@dordt.edu, Dordt College, Sioux Center, IA - Award Amount: $181478
Abstract: The algebra-based introductory statistics course has seen tremendous growth in enrollments over the last two
decades using a consensus curriculum and sequencing of topics. However, research has also shown students typically
leave these courses with a shallow understanding of key inferential ideas. Recently, many statistics educators have
proposed moving from this traditional curriculum to one centered on computer-intensive, randomization-based
inference methods. Two advantages of this approach are: (1) randomization methods enable students to focus on the
core logic of inference, and (2) efficiency in presentation allows students to gain experience in computer-intensive and
multivariable methods that are being increasingly used by applied researchers. This project is providing instructors with
a fully integrated set of curriculum materials with which to teach a substantially different curriculum that introduces
statistical inference from the start. The materials are undergoing class-testing at numerous institutions and being
disseminated through publication as a textbook, workshops, and presentations. The accompanying evaluation
component is providing information about potential gains in student understanding of core concepts of inference and
documentation of how students develop skills of inferential reasoning. These curricular materials and assessment
findings have the potential for effecting a substantial change in the content and focus of introductory statistics courses
across the country.
Collaborative Research: Development of a New Power Electronics Curriculum Relevant to Tomorrow's Power
Engineering Challenges (1044035) 10/1/2011
Aliprantis, Dionysios, dali@iastate.edu, Iowa State University, AMES, IA - Award Amount: $81000
Abstract: Participating Institutions: Purdue University and Iowa State University Project Description This project
involves a collaborative team that is developing a new power electronics curriculum. It is enhancing the relevance of the
subject by identifying the role of power electronics in addressing tomorrow's grand challenge of developing sustainable
energy resources. The effort is focusing on the increased demand for highly qualified personnel in the energy industry by
creating a curriculum that helps entice and educate engineering students; addressing a severe workforce shortage in the
power industry. There are three main objectives of the project: (1) to develop a new power electronics curriculum that
educates the next generation of power engineers with the required knowledge and skills to tackle tomorrow's
challenges; (2) to foster integration of research into the undergraduate curriculum and incorporate undergraduate
students into research projects; and (3) to initiate a multi-faceted renewable energy, distributed generation, and electric
vehicles curriculum. The effort is producing specifically tailored analytical/experimental tools to enhance active
design/research-based learning practices by leveraging highly qualified personnel from two academic institutions with
complementary expertise. The project's success in accomplishing these objectives is being assessed by an external
evaluator. Broader Significance The educational materials produced by this effort are being broadly disseminated via
a mix of active and passive methods, through participation in conferences, journal publications and the Web (using
Purdue's HUBzeroTM technology to create a 'Power Electronics Hub'). In addition, the developed lecture notes will
provide the foundation for a new textbook on power electronics focused on renewable energy integration and electric
vehicles applications. The new laboratory is being showcased to local high-school students, who are invited to attend
exciting demonstrations of energy conversion projects. The proposed problem solving-based learning practices and
engaging laboratory environment are helping to attract underrepresented groups into pursuing careers in the power
systems industry.
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NSF TUES Type 1 Funded Projects: Abstracts
Collaborative NSF Sessions at the ASEE Annual Conference (1114883) 10/1/2011
Genalo, Lawrence, genalo@iastate.edu, Iowa State University, AMES, IA - Award Amount: $99988
Abstract: The project supports a highly visible dissemination outlet for grant holders in the ATE, CCLI, STEP, and TUES
programs, and in various EEC programs. The investigators are organizing poster sessions at the American Society for
Engineering Education's (ASEE) Annual Conference for 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. The project invites engineering grant
award recipients in these programs to submit an abstract for inclusion in the poster session. Submissions are reviewed
for quality and, if accepted, award recipients submit a paper that is published in the meeting proceedings and also
present a poster in a special session at the meeting.
Collaborative Research: Stochastic Challenge (1043701) 9/1/2011
Guardiola, Ivan, guardiolai@mst.edu, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO
Award Amount: $42614
Abstract: The project is a collaborative effort involving Texas Tech University, Missouri University of Science and
Technology, and University of Texas - Pan American. It is developing a suite of multimedia educational materials and
supporting mechanisms to create a knowledge-centered learning environment for the undergraduate instruction of
stochastic processes and applied probability that seamlessly integrates into the curriculum. This project is creating highquality video clips that challenge students to solve real problems from industry in collaborative settings. These videos
are being posted on a project website along with other supporting material consisting of wiki-style tutorials and
problem-solving software. A Facebook page for the project is being created to support a "wall" where students may
collaboratively work on active problems and tangentially develop professional skills, such as teaming and
communication. The investigators are anticipating that students at other location, even without their instructors
directing them, will visit the site and will learn through the knowledge-centered aspects of the wiki-style resources,
"wall" discussions, and review of active and archived problems. The team is making sure that students from
underrepresented groups are featured in the videos in an effort to increase the interest among these groups of
students. The project is using a few external faculty members as a design review team to provide guidance, and an
experienced outside evaluator is using surveys and tests to monitor progress toward the learning outcomes and data on
website and Facebook visits to monitor participation. Broader impacts include the dissemination of the project's
products through the website postings and the use of social networking and the focus on broadening the participation of
underrepresented groups.
Putting Undergraduate Chemistry on Solid Ground: Analysis of Solids for a Deeper Understanding of Chemistry
(1043846) 8/1/2011
Fraley, David, dfraley@georgetowncollege.edu, Georgetown College, Georgetown, KY - Award Amount: $199900
Abstract: At Georgetown College, the Chemistry faculty are transforming the way chemical education is conducted and
thus impacting the interest levels, skills, and depth of knowledge of the students by introducing solids analysis through a
graduated approach. The project enhances students' understanding of solids and aids the development of their
understanding of the use of Chemistry to a wide variety of practical applications, strengthens the scientific literacy of the
general student body by demystifying chemical equipment and drawing connections between chemical analysis and
relevant topics such as art, photography, environmental pollution, new materials, and food, and attracts more students
to the STEM fields by giving them direct hands-on experience with modern instrumentation early in the academic
career.
A new course, Chemistry, Color, and Art, is helping improve the scientific literacy and experience of students
who choose non-science careers. More than half of the students at Georgetown College are directly impacted through
Chemistry classes. Additionally, the program will have a broader impact on the region through a Bluegrass Regional
Physical Chemistry Symposium, a high school summer science camp, and a Science Alliance with K-12 teachers from six
surrounding counties. The details of the curriculum development and its evaluation will be disseminated through
presentations at national meetings and publication in a chemical education journal. This project is also addressing the
critical shortage of science professionals in Kentucky.
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NSF TUES Type 1 Funded Projects: Abstracts
Collaborative Research: An Integrated Cognitive and Conceptual Curriculum for a General Chemistry Inquiry
Laboratory (1044031) 8/1/2011
Monteyne, Kereen, monteynek1@nku.edu, NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC., Highland
Heights, KY - Award Amount: $120362
Abstract: Investigators from Northern Kentucky University and California State University Fullerton are designing a series
of integrated laboratory activities that scaffold students' development of cognitive skills to support conceptual
understanding in chemistry. More specifically, the laboratory activities target cognitive skills specific to inquiry-based
learning in the laboratory, and target the abilities of students to transform concepts between macroscopic, particulate
and symbolic representations. The laboratory instructional materials focus on four concept domains in first-term general
chemistry: physical and chemical change, stoichiometry, solutions, and gases. Laboratory activities are being developed
using a Learning Continuum Framework which describes a developmental progression of cognitive and conceptual
learning objectives scaffolded across the three inquiry approaches of structured, guided and open. The research studies
relationships between cognitive skills and conceptual development in the first-term chemistry laboratory. A focus of the
research will be on how students develop the capacity to interpret, develop and refine mental models that bridge
between particulate and macroscopic level perspectives. The results of the research will provide practical guidance on
the nature and degree of scaffolding necessary for development of cognitive skills and the nexus between conceptual
learning and mental model development. Implementation of the laboratory activities is being studied at both higher
education institutions in order to include students with diverse backgrounds, on the rationale that this increases
generalizability and transferability of the study's findings. Replications of the laboratory activities are being sought and
carried out at two- and four-year colleges across the U.S. Fully replicated laboratory activities are being shared on a free
website, along with a blog reporting current research efforts, list of research questions and feedback points.
Building Instrumental Competence to Support Student Independence in the Laboratory (1044223) 8/1/2011
Bur, Scott, sbur@gustavus.edu, Gustavus Adolphus College, Saint Peter, MN - Award Amount: $200000
Abstract: The chemistry department at Gustavus Adolphus College is engaged in a project to shift its pedagogical focus
to include a graduated approach to student instrument usage, particularly in the first two years of the undergraduate
curriculum. Project implementation in freshman and sophomore chemistry courses centers around hands-on use of GCMS and ICP-MS, IR, UV/Vis, fluorescence, and NMR spectrometers. A key element of implementing this graduated
approach is the acquisition of a 400 MHz spectrometer with autosampling capability to facilitate the incorporation of
NMR usage through the early undergraduate chemistry curriculum. Another key element is the development of an
assessment system to guide the implementation and to measure the impact of the intervention on students' readiness
for independent research. In order to study the impact on students, the project is making use of the Classroom
Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) survey as well as a separate questionnaire exploring confidence,
experimental design and problem-solving abilities in research, and the amount of undergraduate research in which the
students are engaged. In addition, students' understanding is being assessed via a lab practical and course-taking
patterns and enrollment will be examined. External evaluators are facilitating an internal development team to develop
the validity of these measures and the evaluators are examining institutional data as well as reviewing the other
assessment approaches. Dissemination includes the development and implementation of a workshop through the
Midstates Consortium of Science and Math for faculty of 13 higher education institutions, presentations at local and
national undergraduate science education forums, and papers published in chemical education venues.
Fostering an Induction into Authentic Research in the Freshman/Sophomore Sequence (1044419) 8/1/2011
Miller, Matthew, matt_miller@sdstate.edu, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD - Award Amount: $199907
Abstract: This project is developing four undergraduate chemistry courses into a blended curriculum structure that
revises the role of the teaching laboratory. The course sequence moves students from verification experiments to openended inquiry activities in order to provide students with a more genuine scientific research experience during their first
two years of college. The courses include frequent and sustained use of instrumentation ordinarily used in research
settings, including a graphite furnace atomic absorbance instrument, a high performance liquid chromatography
instrument, and a gas chromatography instrument. The model includes co-enrollment of students from the first and
third courses, as well as from the second and fourth courses, in order to build a community of practitioners who work
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NSF TUES Type 1 Funded Projects: Abstracts
together to solve related problems. The expectation is that these pedagogical approaches, when brought together,
bring students to a greater awareness of what it means to participate in science, to do research, and to think
independently and critically about the world around them. Intellectual Merit The project is transforming the design of
undergraduate laboratory experiences. The collection of data is designed to demonstrate whether this approach
achieves the expected efficacy and benefits of establishing the community of learners in laboratory, and to test whether
students who experience authentic experimentation earlier in their academic training persist in science career
trajectories. The model combines proven elements of best practices in STEM education in a novel way that has not been
previously tested. Broader Impacts The dissemination plan includes workshops designed to convey the model to
STEM departments at other institutions. The model is expected to be portable to mid-sized institutions with research
active faculty and to other STEM disciplines, thus potentially affecting all science majors. Students who experience the
model may possess stronger problem solving, critical thinking, and laboratory skills when entering graduate study or the
scientific workforce.
Testing the Benefits of Undergraduate Research-Based Learning at Various Curricular Levels Using Authentic Research
Questions in Hydrogeomorphology (1044623) 8/1/2011
Kinner, David, dkinner@email.wcu.edu, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC - Award Amount: $199099
Abstract: Although many benefits of authentic undergraduate research done by individuals have been described in the
STEM literature, few efforts have extended undergraduate research in classes throughout the curriculum (from
introductory to capstone classes) by using undergraduate research groups. This study is using hydrogeomorphic field
areas on and near the PIs' campus as a backdrop to implement experience-appropriate, authentic research throughout
the geology curriculum and is measuring the impacts of these research experiences on student learning. The
fundamental question that the study is testing through quantitative and qualitative methods is whether learning gains
associated with these group research experiences are similar to the research gains of individual undergraduate research
projects that are widely reported in the literature. The PIs are also examining the experiential learning of student
research fellows that serve as apprentices and help run the research station. Students enrolled in introductory classes
through a capstone senior research seminar are addressing experience-appropriate, authentic, science problems that
build on the research strength of faculty. These classes are fully integrating the PIs research and teaching functions.
Hydrogeomorphic research topics are regionally and scientifically relevant problems related to water quality, landslides,
groundwater and surface-water interaction, erosion due to land development and landscape evolution. Students in
classes are addressing these issues in both natural and developed settings through experiments, monitoring, mapping
and measurements. The intellectual merit of the project is to understand and evaluate geology student learning gains
as a function of group research based learning throughout the geology curriculum, and the results are helping the STEM
community to better understand how learning gains vary at different geology class levels. The broader impact of this
study is determining whether group research and individual research have similar learning gains. Insights gained from
the current study of how to implement undergraduate group research is facilitating its extension to a larger population
of students.
COLLABORATIVE: Faculty Development to Support High Impact Activities That Transform Undergraduate Geoscience
Education (1134954) 8/1/2011
Singer, Jill, singerjk@buffalostate.edu, SUNY College at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY - Award Amount: $249446
Abstract: This project is supporting digital resource development and faculty workshops aimed at building capacity
within the geosciences community to increase both the quantity and quality of grant proposals submitted to the NSF
TUES program and other NSF education programs. This project is delivering a menu of proposal writing workshops (at
sectional and regional geoscience conferences, and stand-alone multi-day workshops) aimed at earth, oceans,
atmrspheric, environmental, and geospatial science faculty from research and comprehensive universities, and two- and
four-year colleges. The project is targeting faculty with limited or no previous NSF education funding. An important part
of this project involves collecting survey data aimed at identifying reasons contributing to low geoscience submission
rates to the TUES program in particular. A primary outcome of this project is to generate an increase in both the
quality and quantity of TUES proposals submitted by geoscience faculty to the TUES program. Increasing the number of
quality TUES proposals submitted may lead to greater numbers of TUES proposals funded, but more importantly
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NSF TUES Type 1 Funded Projects: Abstracts
indicates a greater number of geoscience faculty engaged at a highly creative level in improving the quality of
geosciences education for all students. This project is also increasing the awareness among geoscience faculty of NSF
education programs, and of the characteristics of competitive proposals. Faculty attending the workshops and using the
digital resources are joining a network of geoscientists who share a common concern for engaging students through
active learning. To help build expertise and leadership in the successful development of education-related grant
proposals within the geoscience community "facilitator-training" activities are being integrated into several of the
workshops. By targeting geoscience faculty at all institutional types across the country, this project is improving the
quality of geoscience education for large numbers of undergraduates, both STEM majors and non-majors. Project efforts
targeting faculty with no previous NSF education funding experience is broadening participation by faculty and
institutions that have had limited prior interaction within the geoscience education community. Closed-captioned digital
resources developed by this project are facilitating information sharing among faculty workshop participants and
among faculty who are accessing these information resources over the Internet.
Collaborative Research: Noticing Numeracy Now (N3) (1043656) 7/15/2011
Schack, Edna, e.schack@moreheadstate.edu, Morehead State University, Morehead, KY - Award Amount: $102907
Abstract: This collaborative project between Morehead State University, Northern Kentucky University, and the
University of Kentucky provides information about the extent to which an innovative learning experience focused on the
professional noticing of children's numeracy develops preservice teachers' (PSETs') capacity to attend to, interpret, and
respond appropriately to the mathematical thinking of children. The project uses a module, Noticing Numeracy Now
(N3), developed by the researchers and based on professional literature in the areas of professional noticing and the
Stages of Early Arithmetic Learning (SEAL). The research advances knowledge and understanding of how teacher
educators can facilitate PSETs' development of professional noticing, knowledge of children's conception of unit,
mathematical knowledge for teaching, and positive attitudes toward mathematics. The activities present a creative and
potentially transformative approach to the preparation of future elementary teachers through classroom and field
activities that explicitly promote the development of the component skills of professional noticing in the context of
SEAL. The Noticing Numeracy Now (N3) module, designed for replication, is being implemented at six universities, the
three lead institutions along with Eastern Kentucky University, Murray State University and the University of Louisville.
The student populations at these institutions represent cultural and socio-economic diversity, including
underrepresented groups. Collectively, the six universities draw their student populations from culturally diverse, urban
populations and predominately Appalachian rural populations. Many of the students are the first in their families to
study at a university.
Connected Chemistry Curriculum: An Integrated Inorganic, Organic and Biological Chemistry Approach (1043566)
7/1/2011
Schaller, Chris, cschaller@csbsju.edu, College of Saint Benedict, Saint Joseph, MN - Award Amount: $199632
Abstract: This project is developing a novel series of courses on structure and reactivity in organic, biological and
inorganic chemistry. Aspects of these three sub-disciplines of chemistry are being merged in order to develop three new
lecture and three new laboratory courses. The first lecture course is an examination of Lewis acid-base principles in key
reaction types in biochemistry, including carbonyl additions, carbonyl substitutions and alkene additions. The second
course extends this approach to build a mechanistic view of associative and dissociative substitutions in metal
complexes and organic compounds. The third course addresses metal- and organic-based redox and radical reactions in
chemistry and biology, and offers an overview of biochemical pathways. Three separate laboratory courses allow
students to develop an array of technical skills needed to tackle advanced problems. These three laboratory courses
build skills in basic purification techniques, chromatographic separations, and synthetic methods, respectively. These six
new courses are taken following a recently introduced entry-level course, Structure and Properties in Chemistry.
Intellectual Merit This integrated approach to organic, biological and inorganic chemistry is founded in theories of
"connected knowledge," in which information is efficiently organized around core concepts linked together via multiple
paths. As a result, thinking of one concept makes it possible to retrieve other related concepts, facilitating new
applications of the material. In contrast, the traditional curriculum relies on division of material into clearly separate
topics. Furthermore, the courses build connections to the students' experiences by highlighting applications of chemistry
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NSF TUES Type 1 Funded Projects: Abstracts
in biology, materials science, pharmaceutics and other areas. By offering relevant context for the material, the
expectation is that students will continue to make chemistry-related connections with their own disciplines in later
years. Broader Impact The expectation is that this revised curriculum may make these introductory chemistry courses
more appealing and effective with a broader range of students. In addition, the project is expected to change the
traditional process by which faculty introduce new curricula. Course development is being accomplished primarily
through interdisciplinary teaching cohorts, historically used in the field of education for training new teachers.
Instructors work in teams of three, with members representing inorganic, organic and biological chemistry. The cohorts
become support groups that guide and develop each other's work in complementary areas. Summer workshops provide
orientation for faculty working on each course and laboratory. In addition, a faculty guide, student workbooks,
laboratory manuals, and online homework are being developed to support the new curriculum. Production of these
supporting materials facilitates incorporation of the new curriculum at this institution and assists in exporting the
curriculum to other institutions. Materials are being disseminated through the NSF National Science Digital Library,
through presentations at regional and national professional meetings attended by chemists, and through journal
articles.
Engaging Non-Science Majors in Inquiry through Backwards Faded Scaffolding Approach to Learning (1044482)
7/1/2011
Slater, Stephanie, sslaterwyo@gmail.com, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY - Award Amount: $197063
Abstract: National reform movements are calling for undergraduate science survey course faculty to design and deliver
science instruction using the principles of inquiry. This astronomy education project is iteratively developing, fieldtesting, and disseminating an inquiry-oriented teaching approach framed by the notions of "backwards fadedscaffolding" as an overarching theme for instruction. In this approach, students are guided through a number of
scientific projects, with reduced guidance in each successive project. The reduction starts from the end of the process
and works backwards, and thus the term 'backwards-faded scaffolding.' This project is transformative in that faculty
need instructional materials that focus on teaching science as inquiry while at the same time are practical to implement.
The objectives of the project are to: create effective and easy-to-implement curriculum materials based on
contemporary teaching methods designed to increase non-science majoring undergraduates' and pre-service teachers'
abilities to participate in scientific inquiry; determine the extent to which learners' participation in inquiry using
"backwards faded scaffolding" impacts their conceptual understanding of astronomy and of scientific inquiry; and widely
disseminate the results and resources developed in this project to the astronomy teaching community through
professional conference presentations, refereed publications, an interactive web site, and through a collaborative
partnership with a publishing house. The evaluation plan is to use a single-group, multiple-measures, quasi-experimental
design to explore students' enhanced content knowledge of science and inquiry. The INTELLECTUAL MERIT of the
project is to iteratively create and systematically evaluate an innovative approach to inquiry-oriented teaching in order
to contribute to the research literature on undergraduate STEM education. The BROADER IMPACTS are to provide
professors with new, adaptable, and well-evaluated tools for working with undergraduate non-science majors and
future teachers where large numbers of diverse students are successfully conducting meaningful and fully supported
scientific investigations.
Teaching Teachers: Developing Faculty Expertise in Supporting Preservice Elementary Teachers' Development of
Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching (1044143) 6/15/2011
Castro Superfine, Alison, amcastro@uic.edu, University of Illinois at Chicago, CHICAGO, IL - Award Amount: $179791
Abstract: This project aims to: develop a collection of videocases and other teaching and learning materials to be used in
professional development workshops for mathematics faculty who are responsible for teaching preservice elementary
teachers (PSTs); evaluate the impact of these materials on both faculty participants and their students; enable
mathematics faculty, who teach content courses for PSTs, to develop expertise in supporting PSTs' development of
mathematics knowledge needed for teaching; and articulate the nature of specialized content knowledge mathematics
teacher educators need to support PSTs' development of mathematics knowledge required for teaching. Preservice
mathematics coursework often fails to adequately prepare PSTs for the work of teaching. The coursework frequently
focuses on the learning of content giving limited attention to how such knowledge is used in teaching practice, while
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NSF TUES Type 1 Funded Projects: Abstracts
providing relatively few experiences in applying PSTs' knowledge to analyze solution strategies or appraise mathematical
explanations. In addition, mathematics faculty who teach content need to understand how to create opportunities for
PSTs to learn mathematics in ways needed for teaching, a view of teaching and learning with which they are often
unfamiliar.
Collaborative Research: Evaluation and Assessment of Teaching and Learning About Statistics (e-ATLAS) (1043141)
6/1/2011
Garfield, Joan, jbg@tc.umn.edu, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Award Amount: $91970
Abstract: The e-ATLAS (Evaluation and Assessment of Teaching and Learning About Statistics) project is establishing a
much needed evidence-based research culture in the statistics education community to better allow it to judge the
effectiveness of its past and on-going efforts. Inspired by the internet's vastly expanded reach, resources, and
accelerated development of the statistics education community, the project's innovative design seeks to provide
customizable instruments that assess how teachers teach and what students learn. These instruments are administered
on-line as part of a globally shared digital library of resources and linked to databases supporting assessment of course
innovations, project evaluation, and research informing materials. Using these instruments, the e-ATLAS project is
conducting a randomized nationally representative sampling of college statistics instructors and their classrooms. This
provides a baseline of information on college teaching and student learning enabling investigators to triangulate the
global position of their work. Through webinars and well-indexed exemplars the e-ATLAS project then supports new
investigators in their drive for effective evaluation of their work.
Playing Games with a Purpose: A New Approach to Teaching and Learning Statistics (1043814) 6/1/2011
Kuiper, Shonda, kuipers@grinnell.edu, Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA - Award Amount: $199975
Abstract: The investigators on this project are developing, implementing, and evaluating interactive Web-based games
and corresponding investigative laboratory modules (labs) to effectively teach statistical thinking and the process of
scientific inquiry to undergraduate students. Each game-based lab presents a research question in the context of a case
study and encourages students to follow a complete process of statistical analysis. These materials consist of one- or
two-day activities designed for introductory college courses as well as more complex projects geared toward upper level
undergraduate courses. The game-based labs provide early opportunities for students to experience the role of a
research scientist and to understand how the field of statistics helps advance scientific knowledge. The intellectual merit
of this project lies in its contribution to the scholarship of statistics education by combining cutting-edge game-based
technology with realistic research problems to foster statistical thinking at multiple stages of a student's academic
career. The approach embraces recommendations from the Mathematical Association of America and the American
Statistical Association that encourage students to collect data, determine an appropriate technique for analysis, use
technology, perform the analysis, make inferences, interpret and then present the results. The broader impacts of the
project are felt through its creation of a new educational model that holds strong potential to influence the direction of
statistics education. In particular the game-based labs enable the exploration of individualized research questions and
just-in-time feedback that students recognize as directly related to the goals within their game. Providing students with
intriguing real-world problems that demonstrate the intellectual content and broad applicability of statistics as a
discipline encourages students to consider a career in statistics or to incorporate statistical thinking into any career.
TUES Type I: Eye Trackers for Behavioral Science at Macalester and Augsburg Colleges (1044006) 6/1/2011
Lea, R. Brooke, lea@macalester.edu, Macalester College, Saint Paul, MN - Award Amount: $125554
Abstract: The addition of eye trackers into laboratories at two institutions introduces this type of instrumentation into a
broad range of psychology courses, class-associated laboratory sections, and faculty research. The project exposes a
wide range of undergraduate students and faculty to state-of-the-art eye movement research techniques in five areas of
psychology, linguistics, biological neuroscience, and computer science. Recent developments in video-based eye
trackers are revolutionizing the ability of researchers to precisely determine where a participant is looking as a means to
investigate aspects of human cognitive processing. As eye tracking technology continues to become more powerful,
portable, and affordable, it has become a standard instrument for psychological science. The collaboration between
Macalester College and Augsburg College reaches a diverse student population and provides another tool in the
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NSF TUES Type 1 Funded Projects: Abstracts
methodological arsenals available to faculty to integrate eye movement research techniques into on-going courses and
laboratories. Through faculty enhancement activities, the project encourages interdisciplinary research among
colleagues at other neighboring institutions along with introducing the public to eye movement science through
museum-based outreach activities. As eye tracking research becomes more common in behavioral science, students
and faculty mastering the methodology become more informed consumers and producers of eye movement research
and educational activities.
Infusing Emerging Nano and Green Technologies into Community College STEM Curriculum (1044441) 6/1/2011
Porcello, Darrell, porcello@berkeley.edu, University of California-Berkeley, BERKELEY, CA - Award Amount: $249954
Abstract: This project is developing, implementing, and evaluating an integrated approach to STEM teaching and
learning for the expanding population of community college undergraduates in two emerging areas: nanotechnology
and green technology. At its core the approach embeds a set of short nanotechnology and green technology modules
within the introductory STEM courses of Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Engineering. In addition day-long career
workshops bring together all students from across the different courses using the modules. The student hands-on
activities and faculty professional development sessions for each module connect discipline-specific concepts to
practical applications from the two emerging technologies. The career workshops feature: 1) participation from industry
speakers, 2) additional hands-on activities and interactive demonstrations exploring nanotechnology and green
technology, 3) an in-depth discussion of STEM career options at all levels, and 4) a forum on the societal and ethical
implications of emerging technologies. The intellectual merit of the project lies in the choice of content, the modular
design of the materials, and the provision of follow-on opportunities to engage in deeper exploration, synthesis, and
reflection on nanotechnology and green technology topics. Broader impacts are exerted through the strong partnership
of a two-year institution with a leading public research university and its nationally recognized curriculum design and
professional development center. Such collaboration offers not only a model for other flagship research universities, but
also enables the project to reach important student audiences since the community college population has a greater
percentage of students from underserved groups, and a faster overall growth rate, than the population of 4-year
colleges. Furthermore, targeting introductory courses creates the greatest chance to reach a broad audience of both
college students undecided about STEM careers and young faculty teaching STEM courses. In so doing the project is
helping build the community college infrastructure needed for training the next generation STEM workforce in emerging
technologies.
Water Distribution System Analysis Lab Modules and Kits for Undergraduate Education (1044823) 6/1/2011
Seo, Youngwoo, youngwoo.seo@utoledo.edu, University of Toledo, TOLEDO, OH - Award Amount: $200000
Abstract: Water distribution systems are complex engineered systems in which biological and chemical reactions occur
within a physical network of pipes, pumps, and tanks. Because safe drinking water is critical to maintaining public health
and national security, engineering students need to understand the dynamics of water distribution systems. This project
is developing and testing modules and kits for a Water Distribution System Analysis Lab. These kits and modules are
being developed to increase students' understanding by providing systematic information and interdisciplinary concepts
associated with the biological, chemical, and hydraulic dynamics in water distribution systems. This lab introduces
students to real world problems by adapting and implementing problem-based learning modules with real-life context
and by applying computational techniques to hydraulics and water quality simulations. These kits and modules are being
designed for use from pre-college through graduate programs, as well as by organizations such as Engineers without
Borders.
Increasing Adoption of Active Learning in STEM Disciplines by Integrating a Faculty Development Program and a
Technology-facilitated Learning Environment (1043984) 5/1/2011
Leonard, Jill, jileonar@nmu.edu, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI - Award Amount: $159888
Abstract: This project is implementing a program for increasing the adoption of technology-enhanced active learning in
classes taught by science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty. Student-centered active learning
techniques and incorporation of technology into teaching are identified as having positive effects on learning in STEM
disciplines. However, barriers to these approaches - including lack of time, institutional support, and training, as well as
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NSF TUES Type 1 Funded Projects: Abstracts
the prevalence of traditional classrooms designed for passive lectures prevent their broad adoption. This project
addresses those barriers by: 1) Facilitating the implementation of technologically-enhanced active learning by
developing a cohort of six STEM focal point faculty (Catalysts) who immerse themselves in active learning pedagogy,
redesign their own courses, and serve as models for their peers, 2) Establishing a student-centered technology-rich
studio classroom designed to support active learning pedagogy, and 3) Assessing the effectiveness of technologies used
in active learning pedagogy in order to provide best practice recommendations. These efforts increase the incorporation
of active learning into all STEM disciplines at the university. Information and lessons learned are shared with other
institutions through publications, an online teaching commons, and conference presentations. The Catalyst program for
facilitating adoption of active learning techniques is replicable, enhancing the likelihood of transformational change in
STEM education and broadening participation in the sciences. The studio classroom design is based on existing active
classroom methodology and, by sharing the assessment of its technological innovations, will further the development of
this area of education.
Transforming Advanced Chemistry Laboratories to Prepare Students for Challenges in Nanotechnology, Energy and
the Environment (1044181) 4/1/2011
Falvey, Daniel, falvey@umd.edu, University of Maryland College Park, COLLEGE PARK, MD - Award Amount: $199815
Abstract: Chemistry (12) "Transforming Advanced Chemistry Laboratories to Prepare Students for Challenges in
Nanotechnology, Energy and the Environment" at the University of Maryland is testing the hypothesis that extended and
repeated exposure to modern instrumentation is effective for teaching upper-level chemistry laboratories. Current
scientific problems are increasingly complex and solving them requires the use of increasingly sophisticated
instrumentation. As the number and complexity of modern tools for chemical measurements increases, it is increasingly
impractical to train undergraduates on every possible technique they might encounter in the workplace or in
postgraduate studies. The intellectual merit is to develop methods to (a) enable students to become sophisticated at
accomplishing open-ended, problem-based exercises and (b) provide transferable skills that allow students to quickly
master new instrumentation in later laboratory courses. The project outcomes include (a) improving students'
understanding of the concepts of physical and analytical chemistry, (b) providing aspiring chemists and biochemists with
problem solving skills that will enable them to answer modern experimental problems, (c) fostering an appreciation of
the experimental basis of chemical and biochemical knowledge and (d) introducing students to modern interdisciplinary
problems in relevant areas. The innovations that prove most effective will serve as the basis for designing an advanced
laboratory curriculum in chemistry. The project results will have broad impact by serving as a model for enhancing
student learning that can be adapted to other university-level chemistry programs. The results will be disseminated
throughout the chemical education community and are likely to be of use to the broader STEM community.
Computing in the Arts: A Model Curriculum (1044861) 2/1/2011
Manaris, Bill, manarisb@cofc.edu, College of Charleston, CHARLESTON, SC - Award Amount: $124999
Abstract: This project addresses a recognized need of the 21st century technological society: broadening participation
and excellence in computing education. Computing in the Arts (CITA) is an innovative, interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts
degree program, which integrates computer science and information technology with traditional art theory and practice.
The curriculum introduces computing around a theme of creative expression, which has been found to increase
participation by women and minorities. CITA is based on sound pedagogy, involving tested curricula and structured
synthesis experiences. It has the potential to enrich computing education for undergraduate students across disciplines.
Learning materials, teaching strategies and faculty expertise are being developed to promote computational thinking in
the arts disciplines. Student learning objectives and the efficacy of CITA to increase participation in computing will be
assessed. The project will promote implementation of the curriculum and effective strategies through widespread
dissemination.
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