The US National Science Foundation: The Undergraduate Curriculum and Undergraduate Research

1
The US National Science Foundation The
Undergraduate Curriculum and Undergraduate
Research

• Rosemary R. Haggett
• Acting Deputy Assistant Director
• Education and Human Resources November 24, 2006

2
Setting the Context

• The context of science funding, policy and
• higher education in the USA
• The need for ensuring high quality, cutting edge
  research, and
• The need to educate the next generation of
  scientists and engineers
• The need to improve the public understanding of
  science

3
Investing in Americas Future

• The National Science Foundation Strategic Plan
  for FY 2006-2011

10/06
4
NSF Strategic Plan Timeline
American Competitiveness Initiative (Feb 06)
September 2006
February 2007
Comments from Public, NSF Staff, NSB, Advisory
Committees, Others
NSB 2020 Vision (Dec 05)
Strategic Plan FY2006-2011
NSF Budget Request FY2008
www.nsf.gov/pubs/2006/nsf0648/nsf0648.jsp
5
NSF in a Changing Landscape

• The NSF Strategic Plan responds to the
• Globally increasing pace, scope, and impact of
  fundamental science and engineering
• Escalating need to improve math/science education
  and technical workforce development
• Emerging new modes of inquiry and new tools for
  investigation
• Need for continued excellence in NSF as a capable
  and responsive organization

6
Vision and Mission

• Vision (New)
• Advancing discovery, innovation and education
  beyond the frontiers of current knowledge, and
  empowering future generations in science and
  engineering.
• Mission (NSF Act of 1950)
• To promote the progress of science to advance
  the national health, prosperity, and welfare to
  secure the national defense.

7
Strategic Goals

• Discovery
• Learning
• Research Infrastructure
• Stewardship

8
Interrelated Strategic Outcome Goals
9
Investment Priorities -- Learning

• Build strong foundations and foster innovation to
  improve K-12 teaching, learning, and evaluation
  in science and mathematics
• Advance the fundamental knowledge base on
  learning, spanning a broad spectrum from animals
  and humans to machines
• Develop methods to effectively bridge critical
  junctures in STEM education pathways
• Prepare a diverse, globally-engaged STEM
  workforce
• Integrate research with education, and build
  capacity
• Engage and inform the public in science and
  engineering through informal education

10
Future Investment Considerations

• Integration of research with education
• strengthens connections between
• learning and inquiry
• Deciding factors include
• Whether investments present a rich environment
  for encouraging future scientists, engineers and
  educators.
• Whether they provide opportunities for teachers
  and students to participate in research
  activities at the K-12, undergraduate, graduate,
  and postdoctoral level

11
How NSF Describes its Expectations

• What is the intellectual merit of the proposed
  activity?
• What are the broader impacts of the proposed
  activity?

12
What is the intellectual merit of the proposed
activity?

• How important is the activity to advancing
  knowledge and understanding within its own field
  or across different fields?
• How well qualified is the proposer (individual or
  team) to conduct the project?
• To what extent does the activity suggest and
  explore creative and original concepts?
• How well conceived and organized is the activity?
• Is there sufficient access to resources?

13
What are the broader impacts of the proposed
activity?

• How well does the activity advance discovery and
  understanding while promoting teaching, training,
  and learning?
• How well does the activity broaden participation
  of underrepresented groups (gender, ethnicity,
  disability geography)?
• To what extent will it enhance the infrastructure
  for research and education such as facilities,
  instrumentation, networks and partnerships? How
  well conceived and organized is the activity?
• Will the results be disseminated broadly to
  enhance scientific and technological
  understanding?
• What may be the benefits of the activity to
  society?

14
Challenges

• Nation needs robust science engineering
  enterprise for prosperity.
• Strong undergraduate foundation in STEM is
  critical component of a robust science and
  engineering enterprise for a globally competitive
  workforce.
• The national undergraduate educational enterprise
  of the United States must transform to respond to
  a rapidly changing global environment.

15
NSF Transformational Initiatives for
Undergraduate Education
Research Experiences for Undergraduates
(REU) seeks to expand student participation
in all kinds of research whether
disciplinary, interdisciplinary, or
educational in focus. The REU program is a
major contributor to the NSF goal of
developing a diverse, internationally
competitive, and globally-engaged science and
engineering workforce.
16
R.I.S.E. - Research Internships in Science of the
Environment at Arkansas State U.
The Program for Environmental Science at Arkansas
State University (ASU) provides a 10-week summer
research experience for 10 highly motivated
traditionally under-represented minority
undergraduate students interested in
environmental research. The principal
objectives are to promote the professional
development of undergraduate researchers and
instill a better appreciation for
interdisciplinary approaches to problem solving.
Robyn Hannigan, Founder of Arkansas State
University's RISE program.
17
NSF Transformational Initiatives for
Undergraduate Education
The Undergraduate Research Center (URC)
Program goals are (1) to expand the reach of
undergraduate research to include first- and
second-year college students and (2) to enhance
the research capacity, infrastructure, and
culture of participating institutions, thereby
strengthening the nations research enterprise.
18
URC The Center for Authentic Science Practice in
Education (CASPiE)PI Gabriela Weaver, Purdue
University

• Project Goals
• To create laboratory modules for students in
  first- and second-year chemistry courses
  across all of the nine CASPiE institutions.
  (Approximately 500 students each semester.)
• Teach fundamental chemistry skills and concepts
  through the use of authentic
  interdisciplinary research projects.
• Incorporate Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL).
• Provide students in the CASPiE institutions with
  online access to automated, research-quality
  instrumentation, and help faculty members in
  those institutions develop research projects
  that exploit this capability.

19
Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE)
Transformational Initiatives

• Course, Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement
  Program (CCLI)
• Create new learning materials and teaching
  strategies
• Develop faculty expertise
• Implement educational innovations
• Assess learning and evaluate innovations
• Conduct research on STEM teaching and learning

20
SCALE-UP (Student-Centered Activities for Large
Enrollment Undergraduate Programs) Collaborative
Learning in Physics Robert J. Beichner, North
Carolina State UniversityJeffrey Saul,
University of Central Florida

• Studio-Style classes (round tables) where
  students work in teams observing and studying
  physical phenomena in an inquiry-based format.
• Lecture and Lab are integrated and taught as one.
• Effective up to 100 studentsavoids the lecture
  hall problem.
• Promotes teamwork, problem-solving, communication
  skills, synthesis and evaluation of one anothers
  ideas.
• Faculty utilize a semi-Socratic dialogue method,
  engaging students at every table.
• SCALE-UP students out-performed passive lecture
  students on the FCI test (project evaluation
  results are available).

21
SCALE-UP (Student-Centered Activities for Large
Enrollment Undergraduate Programs) Collaborative
Learning in Physics
Source Beichner, R. J., Saul, J. M. (2004).
Introduction to the SCALE-UP (Student-Centered
Activities for Large Enrollment Undergraduate
Programs) Project. Invention and
impact Building excellence in undergraduate
science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM) education. (NSF
Grant No. 034373, pp. 61-65). Washington, DC
AAAS.
22
Division of Human Resource Development (HRD)
Transformational Initiatives
The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority
Participation (LSAMP) program supports sustained
and comprehensive approaches to broadening
participation at the baccalaureate level. These
approaches facilitate the production of students
who are well prepared in STEM and motivated to
pursue graduate education.
23
California Alliance for Minority Participation in
Science, Engineering Mathematics (CAMP)

• CAMP Project supported by 8 campuses in the
  University of California System. Undergraduates
  supported through....
• Faculty and Peer Mentoring
• Laboratory Research Experiences
• Peer-facilitated Course Workshops
• Community-college Transfer Support
• K-12 Teaching Opportunities
• Graduate School Preparation

24
Sample LSAMP Outcomes

• 65 of LSAMP participants pursued STEM graduate
  degrees compared to 45 among the comparison
  groups (Caucasian and Asian students)
• 45 of LSAMP participants completed a graduate
  degree in a STEM field compared to 20 among
  national comparison groups.
• Project Staff members believe that using the
  Alliance approach had an impact on participating
  institutions by changing the culture, policies,
  and practices to encourage recruitment,
  retention, and graduation.

25
Partnerships for International Research and
Education (PIRE)

• Innovative Models for International Collaborative
  Research and Education
• New Knowledge and Discoveries
• Involvement of Partners from Different Nations
  and Cultural backgrounds to Promote Global
  Engagement
• 5-year awards of up to 2.5M each

26
PIRE AfricaArray

• A multi-faceted educational and outreach effort
  that strives to catalyze cultural change
• Collaborative and sustainable international
  education and research projects
• A diverse SE workforce
• e-Education and field courses
• Foreign language requirement
• Development of tutorials for undergraduates
• Faculty collaborations
• Web seminars
• Joint funding

27
Contact InformationDr. Rosemary HaggettActing
Deputy Assistant DirectorDirectorate for
Education and Human ResourcesNational Science
Foundation4201 Wilson Boulevard, Suite
805Arlington, Virginia 22230Phone
703-292-8601Fax [phone]www.nsf.gov