The National Science Foundation's Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers Program Looking Back, Moving Forward (2007) / Chapter Skim
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4 Assessment of the Impact of MRSEC Education and Outreach
4 Assessment of the Impact of MRSEC Education and Outreach
Pages 118-142
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proposals are required to address the "Broader Impacts" of the proposed research, an EO component is specifically required by the Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers program (MRSEC program) announcement (see Box 4.1)
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The committee collected data from a range of sources. Written sources included MRSEC annual reports, program descriptions, MRSEC Web sites, grant proposals, journal papers, and program evaluations.
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for EO projects and provides the pri mary leadership; and • MRSEC-associated activities, in which MRSEC researchers participate in programs run by other entities. The MRSEC may provide a small portion or none of the funding for the program, but it may contribute significant volunteer time.
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The preparation of the future scientific and technical leadership in materials research often is not reported formally as an EO component; however, it is a very important function of MRSECs. Specific activities falling under the general goal of preparing the future scientific and technical workforce include the REU and RET programs, described below.
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REU, Research Experiences for Undergraduates; RET, Research Experiences for Teachers. SOURCE: Data in this table are as reported in annual reports of the MRSECs, Appendixes B and C
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REU programs may be funded directly from the MRSEC budget or through a separate grant proposal to the REU program. Some MRSECs provide other research opportunities for undergraduates.
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The RET program is further described by program solicitations originated in the NSF Directorate for Engineering and Directorate for Biological Sciences. Through these partnerships, the RET program aims to build long-term collaborative rela tionships between both in-service and pre-service K-12 teachers, community college faculty, and the engineering research community; support the active participation of these teachers and future teachers in research and education projects funded by NSF/ENG; facilitate profes sional development of K-12 teachers and community college faculty through strengthened partnerships between institutions of higher education and local school districts; and encourage researchers to build mutually rewarding partnerships with teachers.
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. See Appendix D, "Further Information on Education and Outreach Activities." A broad range of activities at the K-12 level includes curriculum development, classroom visits from MRSEC researchers, professional development activities for teachers, summer enrichment programs for teachers and/or students, and laboratory visits.
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MRSEC–MRSEC Interactions One of NSF's goals for the MRSEC program is for it to be a network of centers focused on advancing research and education in materials science and engineering (MSE)
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Funding for the RET program comes entirely from the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities in the NSF Directorate for Mathematics and Physical Sciences, regardless of whether the RET program is included in the original MRSEC budget, is a separate grant, or is a supplement to the MRSEC budget. The analysis of the detailed budget breakdowns shows: • The majority (more than 75 percent for most MRSECs)
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Some of these evaluations were of separately funded programs. Of the remainder, the major ity of the evaluations was of REU and RET programs.
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The annual reports that NSF requires from the MRSECs include information on EO activities, and these internally generated documents provided additional information about whether MRSECs are meeting their self-determined goals. Individual MRSEC goals are consistent with the NSF goals described in the MRSEC program solicitation.
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Evaluations investigating impact and outcomes focus primarily on the following: • The participants' perception toward science and research, • The participants' confidence in science and in doing research, • Knowledge and skills gained from the program, and • Career plans. For RET programs, surveys also asked about the following: • Participants' attitudes toward teaching science, and • Plans to integrate what they have learned into their teaching.
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The REU program is one of the areas in which MRSECs have succeeded in attracting diverse students. There appear to be some discrepancies between the goals that individual MRSECs have for their RET programs and those expressed by NSF for the program.
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The ability to ad dress local needs is a positive outcome of the flexibility allowed by the MRSEC program. Broadening Participation Although the MRSEC program as a whole is making strides in increasing the involvement of women at all levels, there is considerable variation among MRSECs.
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.3-5 This research concludes: • Undergraduate research experiences help students clarify their career goals, including whether they want to continue STEM study, the specific type of subdiscipline in which they choose to continue, and what graduate school they will attend; • Undergraduate research experiences provide an apprenticeship in which students learn to "think and work like scientists" alongside working scien tists. In particular, students appreciate how science is done, gaining a per spective often ignored in textbooks, and they learn to work independently and to rely on their own judgment; • Students learn specific technical skills; and • Most students experience personal gains, including increased confidence in their ability to be successful in STEM fields.
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RET The RET program is newer than the REU program, so there is commensurately less information about its impact.6 Some preliminary conclusions can be drawn from the published literature (which comes from MRSEC and non-MRSEC RET programs) ,7-9 with the caveat that the studies are limited in number and scope.
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The literature indicates that the most-transferred elements of the teacher research experience are the process skills derived from actually doing research. A number of MRSEC programs focus entirely or primarily on curriculum development, without a significant research component.
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While it would be interesting to investigate how the MRSEC research atmosphere influences students at these levels, data from NSF were somewhat limited.
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Research-related education and outreach activities leverage MRSEC strengths and expertise. MRSECs can provide unique opportunities for interdisciplinary research experiences that are different from those that an individual would expe
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Conclusion: Although the committee's impression is that most MRSECs are doing good to excellent jobs with their EO programs and that many of these programs have a significant impact on their audiences, the lack of data to support these assertions poses a serious problem for NSF as it seeks to make the most efficient use of its resources. NSF manages the MRSEC program from a scientific and engineering research perspective.
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The committee believes that EO is an important part of the MRSEC program but that steps can be taken to increase its effectiveness. In particular: • MRSECs should focus on a limited number of activities that are aligned with MRSEC research goals, are consistent with the MRSEC size, leverage participant expertise and interest, and address local needs.
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However, validating the program is beyond the scope of what should be expected as part of a MRSEC EO component. Further, MRSEC RETs that do not focus primarily on providing research experiences for teachers are not addressing the intention of the RET program.
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Recommendation: NSF should provide appropriate guidance to MRSEC ap plicants and reviewers in order to refocus education and oureach activities and ensure the program's effectiveness. It is evident to the committee that there is a multiplicity of EO activities in the MRSEC program and that the lack of guidance from NSF to the MRSECs and reviewers has contributed to what appears to have become a suboptimal enterprise.
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t h e n at i o na l s c i e n c e f o u n dat i o n ' s m r s e c P ro g r a m of EO in the MRSEC: the impact of a MRSEC's EO program should be of cardinal importance. Further, MRSEC EO programs have different objectives and therefore should not be evaluated using the same standards as those for research.
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