Conference: Scientific Innovations in Political Science Courses at Two-Year Colleges

This project aims to serve the national interest by strengthening curricula in political science education with scientific approaches and artificial intelligence tools through the professional development of political science faculty at two-year colleges. Political scientists at two-year colleges have a critical opportunity to consider how to bring innovations in science into political science courses, which is of importance to student retention and interest in STEM fields. Specifically, this project will support the convening of political science educators from two-year institutions to collaboratively develop, refine, and share course materials that integrate the scientific aspects of political science such as the scientific method into introductory political science curricula as well as explore innovative approaches like the use of artificial intelligence applications to generate student learning experiments and simulations. Moreover, this project plans to significantly increase the availability of evidence-based curriculum that reinforces the scientific reasoning skills students need across STEM disciplines. In particular, this project intends to disseminate all curricular resources generated from the conference in an online open education resource repository, which allows political science faculty nationwide access at no cost. This project aims to organize a one-day conference preceding the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association with conference participants coming from a range of two-year colleges teaching political science around the United States. Project goals are: (1) to develop curricular strategies and materials that emphasize scientific thinking and skills and help prepare students for STEM courses and careers, (2) to create a publicly available collection of open education resources on integrating scientific approaches in introductory political science, and (3) help initiate a community of practice among 2YC political science faculty focused on scientific approaches and curricular innovations that will implement and make recommendations for curricular changes that focus on the science in political science. The project assessment and evaluation plans center on completion of curricular materials, engagement with the posted open education resources, community of practice development, and further dissemination activity, such as later presentations, workshop, and publications arising from the conference. The NSF IUSE: Innovation in Two-Year College STEM Education (ITYC) Program seeks to accelerate and advance knowledge about the impact of emerging and evidence-based practices in undergraduate STEM education at two-year colleges. 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.