This $100,000 two-year Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Engineering Education and Centers division will fund research at Tufts University examining how virtual and physical laboratory modes differentially influence the development of engineering students' epistemic practices. The NSF Directorate for Engineering seeks to improve quality of life and economic strength through engineering innovation and excellence in research and education programs like the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041).
Specifically, the grant will support a microgenetic analysis of four student teams conducting the same water treatment process in both virtual and physical laboratory environments. Researchers will use video recordings, student interviews and work products to understand how each laboratory mode influences students' engineering practices around proposing, justifying and assessing knowledge. Insights aim to inform effective virtual and physical laboratory design across engineering disciplines relying on hands-on learning. Mentoring of faculty and graduate students will also build education research capacity. Results could expand equitable access to STEM fields by enabling online course and degree offerings.
Generated 1/6/24, 4:10 PM