NSF Award
2406112
Catalyst Projects provide support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to work towards establishing research capacity of faculty to strengthen science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate education and research. It is expected that the award will further the faculty member's research capability, improve research and teaching at the institution, and involve undergraduate students in research experiences. This award to the University of the District of Columbia aims to broaden participation of underrepresented minority women (URM) toward science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and pathways, and advance STEM related knowledge and skills through educational robotics.<br/><br/>Employing neo-constructivism educational theories (e.g., Co-Constructed Developmental Teaching Theory (CDTT) and Self-Determination Theory (SDT)) and educational robotics, where learning is embodied, enculturated, contextual, conscious as well as nonconscious, developmentally dependent, and dynamic, the research team seeks to implement a mixed methods research design that examines qualitative and quantitative data over time and assess educational robotics to advance STEM pathways. Specifically, the research objectives are to: (1) examine the effectiveness and impact of educational robotics’ interventions by evaluating UMW for STEM attitudes and motivation; (2) analyze longitudinal data for UMW undergraduate students for assessing factors that influence STEM transitions and pathways; and (3) develop strategy recommendations based on evidence supporting the use of educational robotics’ intervention approaches for UMW populations. Robotic interventions’ case study based scenarios or human-robot interaction (HRI) field experiments (e.g., comfort-zone situations, conflict resolution skills, college / job application / job interviews’ scenarios delivered through humanoid robots) will be developed in association with Social Robotics for Education Lab in the UDC School of Business and Public Administration, and Machine Learning and Robotics Lab in the UDC School of Engineering and Applied Sciences to evaluate the neo-constructivism transitions for a successful HRI experience for UMW. There is a potential for this project to increase the representation of women in the STEM workforce, strengthen the research capacity at UDC for students and faculty in interdisciplinary STEM disciplines through educational robotics, and enhance the knowledge and skills of educators, students, roboticists, and industry professionals in the areas of educational-social-cognitive sciences to achieve robustness beyond AI, robotics, and HRI research domains.<br/><br/>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.
