Catalyst Project: Development and Implementation of Intelligent Adaptive Cyberlearning System for Minority Freshmen Students

Catalyst Projects provide support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to work towards establishing research capacity of faculty to strengthen science, technology, engineering and mathematics undergraduate education and research. It is expected that the award will further the faculty member's research capability, improve research and teaching at the institution, and involve undergraduate students in research experiences.

Alabama A & M University intends to develop and implement an adaptive cyberlearning system to support student education and learning in freshmen-level mathematics courses. This cyberlearning approach seeks to lay the foundation for enhancing student engagement in mathematics, leading to long-term persistence in STEM and serving as a model for other institutional contexts.

The primary goal of this project is to develop and utilize an innovative, transformative, and focused approach to improve students’ learning and performance of Pre-Calculus Algebra skills at Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (AAMU). Central to the approach is an adaptive cyberlearning system referred to as MATH-CyLE. Students and instructors will utilize MATH-CyLE’s digital learning content and embedded learning and engagement strategies to support pedagogy and provide students with an intelligent interactive adaptive system to support their individualized learning.

The impact of the cyberlearning system will be investigated to determine whether there are improvements to the indirect learning of students who use MATH-CyLE, as compared to students who receive traditional instruction.

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.