| NSF Org: |
DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | June 7, 2017 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | April 16, 2020 |
| Award Number: | 1700559 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Virginia Carter
vccarter@nsf.gov (703)292-4651 DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
| Start Date: | July 1, 2017 |
| End Date: | June 30, 2022 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $784,218.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $941,495.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2020 = $157,277.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
101 W 3RD ST DAVENPORT IA US 52801-1419 (563)336-3300 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
306 W River Drive Davenport IA US 52801-1221 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | Advanced Tech Education Prog |
| Primary Program Source: |
04002021DB NSF Education & Human Resource |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
The Water INTENsE project will increase STEM-based learning and improve workforce training by developing virtual reality (VR) simulated technician curricula in the areas of water technologies and agriculture for students in two-year college associate degree programs around the country. The Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center (ATEEC), working with partners in industry and education, will develop and field test VR training modules that are focused on simulating learning situations in the fields of water/wastewater and agriculture/water conservation. The simulations will allow technology students to receive hands-on, applied training in a contextual environment, providing students with practice on virtual real-world equipment when actual field equipment is often cost-prohibitive for most educational institutions.
The project will leverage ATEEC's work in occupational analysis, curriculum development, and instructional material projects in water technology. Due to ATEEC's national environmental technology network with industry and education, the project is well positioned to supplement and enhance existing water and agriculture technology curricula, utilize a wide variety of content experts in the field, and determine and fulfill workforce needs. Through its online resource center, ATEEC interacts with two-year colleges across the nation and will disseminate all VR modules through its own well-established online resource center and through additional NSF and ATE channels in an effort to reach as many educators, students, and technicians as possible. Broader use of the simulated modules will result in 1) the ability to reach students that are underrepresented in the STEM fields and 2) an increased number of technicians in water/wastewater and conservation/ag jobs that meet the growing need for a skilled, diverse workforce. Project evaluation will focus on the progress of the development of the VR learning modules, measurement of student performance and their success in the workplace, and dissemination of the learning materials.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Notable outcomes include the development of twelve augmented reality modules that were pilot-tested to include over 160 students in five different institutions, across five different states. These efforts have proven successful at showing the capabilities of the implementation of advanced technologies in classrooms across the nation. This project has created a roadmap for success with regards to providing supplemental learning opportunities in the classroom as well as in online learning environments. In addition, we've also created resource guides for each module to ensure the transfer of pertinent foundational knowledge. The twelve modules are as follows: Pump Operations, Pump Maintenance, Pump Safety, Sludge Judge, pH Testing, Titration, Aseptic Sampling, Grab Sampling, Composite Samping, Bioreactor Overview, Bioreactor Testing and Bioreactor Results.
It is our opinion that technology will play a critical role in the training and development of a skilled workforce. For this to happen, we must ensure that technology doesn't outpace the ability to adopt and implement it into existing curriculum. In order for us to do so, we must consider platforms that offer accessibility, can be disseminated to the masses, and will engage and support educators, not overburden them.
Through the work on the Water INTENsE project, we've determined that a platform such as WebGL, coupled with an authoring tool such as Articulate 360, would offer the ideal experience. WebGL applications can be accessed via an internet browser, implemented into existing learning management systems (LMS), and can be paired with resource guides that are designed to provide the foundational knowledge that's critical for the successful completion of a module.
Last Modified: 11/29/2022
Modified by: Ellen J Bluth
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