Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education and Human Resources (IUSE: EHR) – Engaged Student Learning Track

This track focuses on design, development, and research studies that involve the creation, exploration, or implementation of tools, resources, and models that show particular promise for increasing the engagement of undergraduate students in their STEM learning and lead to measurable and lasting learning gains. Projects are encouraged to form collaborations among STEM disciplinary researchers, education researchers, and cognitive scientists so that their projects can best leverage what is known about how people learn and contribute to the growth of that body of knowledge. In other words, projects are expected to be both evidence-based and knowledge-generating. The undergraduate audience for IUSE projects includes students at two- and four-year schools, both declared and undeclared STEM majors, students whose courses of study require solid skills and knowledge of STEM principles, and students seeking to fulfill a general education requirement in STEM. Recognizing disciplinary differences and priorities, NSF’s investment in research and development in undergraduate STEM education encompasses a range of approaches. These approaches include: assessment/metrics of learning and practice; education research; faculty learning through professional development; learning environments; and the use of co-curricular activities that increase student motivation and persistence in STEM. Both individually and integrated in a range of combinations, these approaches can lead to outcomes including: developing the STEM and STEM-related workforce; advancing the disciplinary field; broadening participation in STEM; educating a STEM-literate populace; improving K-12 STEM education through undergraduate pre-service STEM teacher preparation courses and curricula; encouraging life-long learning; and building capacity in higher education. Proposals should demonstrate a solid grounding in relevant literature on STEM teaching and learning and should include an evaluation plan that provides formative and summative assessment of the effectiveness of the project in achieving its goals.