This project aims to serve the national interest by developing a scalable data-science Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) in genomics for increasing quantitative literacy and persistence in undergraduate students. The project will employ a CURE to engage students in genuine scientific research as part of the course curriculum. Data science projects will be developed to create a scalable CURE that can be offered at both community colleges and four-year teaching institutions to impact diverse student populations. As such, this project will increase access to research opportunities for primarily teaching colleges and their students to increase participation in data science. By exploring the efficacy of a data science CURE as an intervention, this project will provide insights on how to increase quantitative literacy and persistence in STEM.
This project seeks to investigate how CUREs can increase student persistence and improve analytical skills. In particular, the project aims to generate knowledge on how a data science intensive CURE impacts the student learning outcomes. The outcomes will be evaluated for student populations at a research university (Johns Hopkins University) and a community college (Clovis Community College, a teaching institution with a student population that is 40% Hispanic and 20% first-generation). A validated tool assessing factors linked to persistence in STEM (PITS) will be used to investigate whether a data science CURE can produce increases in these factors similar to those seen in previously established CUREs. Similarly, the recently validated BioSQuaRE tool will be used to assess improvements in quantitative skills. Evaluating these measures with two very different student populations and institutional settings will expand knowledge of CURE impacts and lay the groundwork for comparisons across a wide range of student populations. The project will also investigate student attitudes towards data science and evaluate whether incorporating data science lab modules in a lower-division undergraduate course is an effective strategy to attract and prepare students to participate in scientific research opportunities. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the 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.
