Developing scientific practices with flexible and inclusive course-based undergraduate research experiences utilizing paper microfluidics

Skidmore College was awarded a $298,169 National Science Foundation Project Grant under the STEM Education (47.076) program to develop flexible and inclusive course-based undergraduate research experiences utilizing paper microfluidics. Skidmore will lead efforts with Centre College of Kentucky, Virginia Wesleyan University, the College of New Jersey, and St. Mary's College of Maryland to design theory-driven multi-week course-based undergraduate research experiences employing inexpensive, safe paper microfluidic materials for analytical chemistry courses. The collaborators will develop curriculum and assessment materials to support student engagement in scientific practices and evaluate impacts on learning outcomes. Sub-awards will support partner institutions in curriculum development, data collection, and presentation of results to advance adoption of these inclusive research experiences in undergraduate STEM education nationally.

Abstract

This project seeks to serve the national interest by developing, implementing, and assessing flexible and inclusive course-based undergraduate research experiences (cures) to enhance students? Engagement with scientific practices in analytical chemistry courses at four diverse institutions. Cures have been shown to positively impact college students? Persistence, scientific identity, and learning of both course content and science skills. Analytical chemistry faculty members from centre college of kentucky, skidmore college, the college of new jersey, and virginia wesleyan university plan to develop the cures and associated instructor professional development resources to support their use at other institutions in the future. The cures to be developed will employ paper microfluidic laboratory materials that are inexpensive, safe, and flexible, which is expected to make them easier for chemistry courses at other institutions to adopt. Additionally, the project team plans to investigate how the cures support student learning and engagement in scientific practices. The collaborative project intends to support analytical chemistry faculty members in the use of backward design to develop the cure materials and assess student learning. The specific aims of the project are to: 1) develop a theory-driven process for the design of flexible multi-week cures; 2) develop paper microfluidic technology and support materials for cure implementation; and 3) assess the impact of the cure experiences on student learning. The analytical chemistry cures to be developed will translate traditional colorimetric assays into a paper microfluidic format with cell phone detection to measure color changes. The project team plans to design the cures to support students in engaging in the scientific practices of experimental design and execution, data analysis and interpretation, and scientific communication. Measures of student learning will be selected as part of the backward design process and are expected to include enhancing learning by improving process skills in stem (elipss) and valid assessment of learning in undergraduate education (value) rubrics. The project deliverables are expected to include not only course materials and results of assessments of student learning, but also scientific results from the research conducted within the cures. The NSF improving undergraduate stem education (iuse: EHR) program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of stem education for all students. Through the engaged student learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. 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.