| NSF Org: |
EES Div. of Equity for Excellence in STEM |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | August 7, 2018 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | August 7, 2018 |
| Award Number: | 1832545 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Michael Davis
EES Div. of Equity for Excellence in STEM EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
| Start Date: | October 1, 2018 |
| End Date: | September 30, 2022 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $249,978.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $249,978.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
9388 LIGHTWAVE AVE SAN DIEGO CA US 92123-1426 (858)642-8342 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
3390 Harbor Blvd Costa Mesa CA US 92626-1502 |
| 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): | HSI-Hispanic Serving Instituti |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| 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 Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program (HSI Program) aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education and build capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also generate new knowledge on how to achieve these aims. This project at National University will advance the aims of the HSI Program by adding research experiences to undergraduate biology courses. Through a collaboration with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, this project will incorporate course-based undergraduate research (CURE) biology courses for biology majors and for non-majors. The research topics will focus on plastic pollution in the ocean. Students taking these CURE courses will gain experiences in the scientific process, which can positively affect their persistence and graduation in biology, as well as their career goals. The project will also develop the pathway from the non-major biology course into the biology major. Thus, National University will build its ability in the biology program, increasing the number of students enrolling in and completing the biology degree program. In addition, dissemination of this CURE model could enable other institutions to achieve similar gains in biology programs, thus broadening the project's impact.
This project will 1) develop and implement CURE modules in undergraduate courses, 2) evaluate the effect of the modules on student perception, engagement, and persistence in biology, and 3) expand CURE modules to other institutions, particularly those with nontraditional students. Through the CURE modules, the project aims to enhance student engagement and increase student retention and completion of the Bachelor of Science in Biology. The CURE modules will use microbiology and molecular biology techniques to study microbial communities colonizing plastic waste in the ocean. Changes in bacterial composition of coastal waters due to plastic pollution could affect local ecosystems and human health in ways that have not yet been determined. Linking topics in the biology courses to a current research problem in a local environment may increase students' interest in pursuing science careers. This project will expand undergraduate biology education to informal settings with a focus on serving nontraditional students in accelerated course settings. The impact of this experience on students' career goals, as well as persistence and graduation in STEM disciplines, will be evaluated through quantitative and qualitative data. Students' personal circumstances and insights will be examined to gain insight on effective institutional policies and support mechanisms. This project will develop a model that may be implemented at other institutions seeking to enhance their biology program via regionally relevant CUREs.
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.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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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.
The "Using Ocean Plastic Research to Increase Student Engagement and Persistence in Biology" NSF-HSI award developed and incorporated research modules on ocean plastic pollution into various undergraduate courses, including non-STEM majors as well as lower and upper-division biology majors. This project was a collaboration between a primarily teaching institution (National University) and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO, a world-class research institute at UC San Diego), both in San Diego, California.
The student population targeted was non-traditional, including older students, many active military and veterans, as well as students from minority groups.
Participation in research activities had a positive impact on students, as evidenced by surveys and focus groups, where they reported increased knowledge of scientific research, plastic pollution, and a greater appreciation for science. Many students also expressed interest in adopting sustainable practices, such as recycling, participating in beach-cleanups, and other ways to mitigate plastic pollution. The positive effect was strongest for non-STEM majors, and remained significant even when the research modules were adapted for an online format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings are being used to inform future education projects, such as incorporating hands-on research projects into other early science courses and exposing students to science issues that are relevant to their lives in early college classes.
As part of the grant, four National University undergraduate students worked as research assistants, resulting in one undergraduate publication, and multiple conference presentations, one of which won a local award.
The project provided opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers at SIO to engage with undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds and gain experience with teaching. These researchers participated in NU class visits to SIO and conducted scientific diving in support of the plastic incubation experiments. During COVID they participated in virtual panels with NU students.
The resulting curriculum has been shared via a NSF-funded website (CURE-Net) and presented at multiple conferences. A website and associated social media accounts document news and events related to the project, and several videos have been developed and posted in a dedicated Youtube channel.
Last Modified: 01/23/2023
Modified by: Ana Maria Barral
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