Using Advanced Technology to Enhance Learning and Teaching in Science Labs at Two-Year Colleges

This project will serve the national interest by enhancing the introductory STEM laboratory experience for students at eight two-year colleges across the country. Laboratory experiences are an indispensable part of science education and provide hands-on opportunities for students to understand the natural world and develop skills needed for scientific and technical careers.

The project will design, implement, and assess a package of innovations based on using advanced thermal imaging technology to visualize chemical and physical phenomena. It will leverage low-cost, easy-to-use thermal cameras to ensure the materials developed are accessible and affordable. The scientific knowledge and analytical skills related to thermal imaging will be applicable to students' future work as the adoption of thermal imaging continues to accelerate in industry.

The project will be led by the Institute for Future Intelligence (IFI), in partnership with Harold Washington College, Arizona Western College, and Cape Fear Community College. Five additional two-year colleges from around the country (Johnson County Community College, San Diego City College, Scottsdale Community College, Truckee Meadows College, and Wake Technical Community College) will provide additional field test sites for the study.

Ultimately, this project aims to engage a large number of students and faculty from institutions that serve highly diverse student populations in high-tech laboratory activities that also leverage pedagogical strategies aimed at equity and inclusion.

The project goals are to: 1) Design and implement scientific and pedagogical innovations empowered by advanced technology in the laboratory setting; 2) Build a community of practice to support continuous faculty professional development with technology; and 3) Conduct a multipronged research study to improve the products and generate knowledge significant to the STEM education community. Iterative improvement of the envisioned innovations over the duration of the project will be accomplished using a designed-based method.

Additionally, this study will explore how thermal imaging techniques impact students' understanding and interest in STEM, how the technology developed supports improvement of laboratory instruction, and how to engage two-year faculty in a successful community of practice. These questions will be probed using a combination of qualitative and quantitative instruments based on a mixed-methods approach.

A five-member advisory board will oversee project activities and an external evaluator will partner with the project team to provide both formative and summative feedback at regular intervals. The results will be disseminated broadly via publications, presentations, open-source platforms, and professional networks. The NSF program description on Advancing Innovation and Impact in Undergraduate STEM Education at Two-year Institutions of Higher Education supports projects that advance STEM education initiatives at two-year colleges.

The program description promotes innovative and evidence-based practices in undergraduate STEM education at two-year colleges. This project is also supported by the NSF IUSE:HSI program, which has the goals of enhancing the quality of undergraduate STEM education, and increasing the recruitment, retention, and graduation rates of students pursuing associate’s or baccalaureate degrees in STEM.

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.