Lazar Group

Research Projects

Building Interdisciplinary STEM Education Research through Equity and Problem-Based Learning

Funding Agency: UTFORSK (Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills)

Summary: This project will establish an institutional partnership between the University of Agder (UiA; Norway) and Clemson University (United States) based on collaborative research-based activities that promote the development of new knowledge in STEM education and didactics. Our goal is to foster our partnership through the development of technology-enhanced problem-based learning with a focus on promoting inclusive and equitable STEM education and elevating students as partners in the development of mathematical support. This project's main goal is to improve the quality of our respective programs and teaching methods through enhanced mobility and cutting-edge collaborative research on STEM education. The project fosters student and academic staff mobility and networking possibilities through student exchanges and research stays by leveraging the extensive math support expertise at UiA with the implementation of disciplined-based and equity-minded STEM education research experience at Clemson. The project activities include (1) the exchange of Bachelor/Master students; (2) research stays of academic staff; (3) the further development of two education-focused courses; and (4) cooperation on a research project examining the design and implementation of a place-based, community-minded, and math-infused STEM curriculum.

Collaborators: Matthew Voigt (Clemson University), Thomas Gjesteland (University of Agder), Halvard Øysæd (University of Agder)

Additional Info: Study Abroad (Norway Exchange)

Assessing Virtual Reality Field Experiences for Enhanced Learning (IUSE: VR)

Funding Agency: Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE), National Science Foundation

Summary: Virtual reality (VR) presents a new opportunity for engaging students in geoscience field experiences, which are known to support student learning. However, it is not clear how to design VR experiences that have comparable results to real-world field experiences. This pilot project aims to develop best practices for integrating VR into geoscience education and to support the adoption of those practices in college classrooms. The project includes (1) a community of practice; (2) a VR activity library; (3) in-class trials to compare the effectiveness of different types of VR experiences; and (4) workshops to engage the geoscience community in determining and disseminating best practices for VR use in classrooms. The project aims to affect at least thirteen faculty participants from different institutions and more than three hundred undergraduate students. In addition to this direct impact, the work has the potential to improve learning outcomes for most students in a geoscience or other STEM classroom as the role of VR in education expands. Integration of industry partners in the community of practice will support faculty development in the use of VR as a teaching technology and help developers of VR technology to consider educational needs as they build new VR innovations.

Collaborators: Stephen Moysey (East Carolina University), Sabarish Babu (Clemson University), D. Matthew Boyer (Clemson University), Catherine Mobley (Clemson University), Rui Wu (East Carolina University)

Additional Info: Teaching with Augmented and Virtual Reality 

Collaborative Research: Practices and Research on Student Pathways in Education from Community College and Transfer Students in STEM (PROSPECT S-STEM)

Funding Agency: S-STEM Hub, National Science Foundation

Summary: Across the past decade, 40%-50% of college students in the United States each year started their postsecondary education at a two-year college. Students enrolled at two-year colleges are more likely to be low- income and from historically underrepresented groups, compared to students who start postsecondary education enrolled in four-year colleges. This S-STEM Research Hub supports the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need. Led by a collaborative team of universities and community colleges representing 9 current NSF S-STEM projects, the PROSPECT S-STEM research hub will explore how equitable partnerships between two-year colleges and four-year institutions can empower low-income STEM transfer students. Researchers at Clemson University, East Carolina University, Southeast Community College, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Augsburg University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of Texas at Arlington, along with 14 two-year college partners, are united by their goal to support domestic, low-income undergraduates as they navigate the transfer process. The hub's research will support the development of strategies and resources to build institutional partnerships designed to increase positive outcomes for low-income transfer students.

PROMISE: Postdoctoral Research Opportunities and Mentoring for Inclusive STEM Education

Funding Agency: National Science Foundation

Summary: The PROMISE program will support three postdoctoral fellows across all aspects of STEM education research, practice, and policy to engage in work focused on equity and social justice. Scholars will have the opportunity to explore their STEM education research interests, engage in mentored teaching experiences, and engage in workshops and symposia on research methods, social justice, STEM education policy, and STEM communication.

Collaborators: Lisa Benson, D. Matthew Boyer, Eliza Gallagher, Karen High, Katreena Thomas, Matthew Voigt (all Clemson University)

Additional Info: PROMISE

RII-BEC: Bridging Collaboration Across South Carolina Academic Institutions to Support Underserved and Underrepresented Community Needs

Funding Agency: EPSCoR Research Infrastructure, National Science Foundation

Summary: This project aims to serve the national interest by addressing acute needs in academia and industry resulting from the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In both academic preparation and workforce development, individuals from underserved or underrepresented communities who are pursuing STEM-related education have had to alter or end their professional pursuits for a variety of reasons. The project focuses on the recruitment, mentoring, retention, and graduation of students from underserved and underrepresented communities whom the pandemic has most impacted. Given the growth of automotive and advanced materials manufacturing in South Carolina, especially in the region where Trident and Citadel are located, the investigators will be able to address workforce development needs by better connecting students, institutions, and industries with professional learning, workforce development, and employment opportunities across the state. The project scope involves increasing and improving access to education through online certificate courses that provide facilitated entry points to industry and graduate study.

Collaborators: Gang Li (Clemson University), Huijuan Zhou (Clemson University), James Sternberg (Clemson University), D. Matthew Boyer (Clemson University), Tim Fulford (Trident Technical College), Kevin Skenes (The Citadel), James Righter (The Citadel)