Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The overall target audience is middle school science teachers throughout New Mexico. Although available to all middle school science teachers,Hispanic teachers are predominant among those targeted for this study. Additionally, teacher workshops were conducted that included high school educators. This learning tool also has expanded its audience outside the state and is currently available nationally. Changes/Problems:Drs. Shannon Norris and Don Edgar were added to the grant to replace Ralph Easterly, who left for another institution. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The completed interactive has been presented to numerous science educators in the state ranging from K-12. It also is currently being shared with educators in agricultural science programs in Arizona, Colorado, and California, and soon nationally. Below are some specific examples of training provided to educators within New Mexico. Asombro Institute: On October 2 and October 16, 2021, the Asombro Institute for Science Education hosted two virtual workshops for 17 kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers from Albuquerque, Grants, Las Cruces, Lovington, Santa Rosa, and Silver City, New Mexico. During both workshops, we introduced teachers to the "Pinning Down Ag Literacy: Expanding Access to Insect Science" project, including its goals, partners, funding source, and progress to date. Teachers then had time to explore the lab, starting with the introductory video. In small group discussions led by Asombro staff members, teachers provided feedback on three main questions: Could you use this lab? If so, how? If not, what are the barriers to its use for you and your students? Does the two-minute introductory video serve as a good overview of why people make insect collections and how to get started? What other supporting materials would make the Virtual Insect Collection even better for your use? For example, would it be helpful to have an introductory video specifically for teachers, a worksheet for students, a teachers' guide, etc.? We provided a summary report of the focus group sessions to the project team on October 20, 2021. Activity 2: Aligned the Virtual Insect Collection Lab to the Next Generation Science Standards - During the teacher focus groups, teachers recommended that the Virtual Insect Collection Lab be aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards, which are used in 20 states (including New Mexico) and the District of Columbia, representing more than 36% of all U.S. students. In February 2022, the Asombro team aligned the lab to the relevant Disciplinary Core Ideas from the Next Generation Science Standards and provided this list to the project team for incorporation into the lab. Activity 3: Created a document with suggestions for many ways classroom teachers could use the Virtual Insect Collection Lab - In February 2022, we created a list of specific ways teachers could use the Virtual Insect Collection Lab in their classrooms. Activity 4: Distributed information about the Lab to teachers throughout New Mexico - Asombro educators gave information about the Virtual Insect Collection Lab to 35 fifth through eighth-grade teachers who attended professional development sessions with Asombro on July 7, 2022, and July 18, 2022. We will continue to promote the Virtual Insect Collection Lab, including, for example, at the New Mexico Science Teachers Association Conference on September 24, 2022. New Mexico Agriculture in the Classroom:Initial pilot teacher workshop for teacher feedback and implementation information: August 24th- 6 (6-9th grade science educators) impacting approximately 900 students. Recruiting interest for the entomology field was provided at the Southern New Mexico State Fair educational programs on September 29-31. The first program was geared toward helping elementary students and their teachers get interested in entomology via educational presentations: "The Good, the Bad, the Ugly": 488 students and 22 teachers were impacted by the information to maintain interest and see the educational value in studying entomology topics. The STEM Ag Career Fair Day also provided middle and high school students with information about the entomology fields and online resources were sent out to teachers following the event. 407 students and 38 educators were impacted. Norris and Edgar (AXED):In 2021-2022, the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education (AXED) evaluation team shared the virtual insect pinning lab with 34 middle school teachers who teach agricultural science and biology in 30 different middle school programs in New Mexico. The materials were sent to both rural, suburban, and urban middle school programs.An evaluation and feedback survey sought to gauge teacher perceptions on the quality of content, usability, and effectiveness of the virtual learning lab. Overall, participants reported a high level of satisfaction with the Virtual Insect Collection Lab (see Table 1). Table 1. Evaluation of tools in the virtual insect pinning lab. Question M SD Quality of Content in the virtual pinning lab: --- --- The module had clear and concise directions on how to complete the module. 4.40 0.84 The module was detailed enough for a student to progress through the instruction without an instructor. 4.40 0.55 The module provided a complete demonstration of the concept. 4.80 0.45 The module can be shared across its own academic discipline and/or others. 4.80 0.45 The module instruction followed a logical hierarchy of skill and knowledge development. 4.80 0.45 The module content and text font were easy to read (appropriate size, color, and style). 4.60 0.55 The module content engaged the learner. 4.80 0.45 Usability of the virtual pinning lab: --- --- The module interface was easy to navigate. 4.60 0.55 The module layout was visually appealing (color, text, amount of information per screen, etc.). 4.80 0.45 The module menus, buttons, and icons were easily understood and consistent across multiple screens. 4.60 0.55 The module animations, audio, and video segments could be viewed on multiple browsers and on multiple platforms. 4.60 0.55 Effectiveness of the virtual pinning lab: --- --- The module had clear and concise learning objectives. 4.40 0.89 The module identified prerequisite knowledge. 3.25 1.50 The module had activities, practices, or quizzes that reinforce the content. 3.80 1.10 The module demonstrated relationships between concepts. 4.00 0.71 The module was very efficient (one can learn a lot in a short period of time). 4.20 0.45 The module overall, was very effective as a teaching tool. 4.60 0.55 Note. The evaluation form was based on 5-point Likert scale of 1-Strongly Disagree to 5-Strongly Agree. Participants liked that the module was very hands-on, visually appealing, interesting, and educational. The participants reported that the things liked the least was they had a difficulty knowing when the module stopped so they did not know when to stop teaching the materials. One participant reported they wished there was a "completion" signal when they made it to the end of the module and that the module was connected to science and/or state standards. Innovative Media Team: Presented the interactive to NM 4-H learners, agents, and parents as a pilot study (see accomplishments section above). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The Virtual Insect Collection Lab has been featured in the newsletter of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and on the Innovative Media, Research and Extension blog, including in a product spotlight and in research highlights. The digital tool also underwent peer review, via a critique and review process with experts in digital media, entomology, and educational outreach with youth. Reviewers noted that the tool was "Extremely appropriate for audience and likely to lead to desired outcomes," and called it "extremely unique" and "extremely high quality." Where feasible, the Innovative Media team implemented reviewer suggestions, including taking steps to make the tool more accessible on phones. Team members continue to promote the materials online, via educational portals, at professional conferences and meetings, and on social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. The virtual modules also are available to the public via thearthropods.nmsu.eduwebsite.The digital tool has been used 15,379 times since 2021. Adigital promotional flyer also was created that will be shared with all agricultural science programs in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and California. The resource will also reach agents in the Cooperative Extension Service to encourage them to share with their middle school science teachers and students. NM Ag in the classroom is currently working with the National Agriculture in the Classroom Curriculum Matrix staff to get the online pinning tool available in the companion resources and attached to pertinent middle and high school lessons. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During 2021-2022, the Innovative Media team expanded the reach of the Virtual Insect Collection Lab through promotion and distribution and analyzed results of a pilot study on its use with 4-H learners, agents, parents and learners. The study explored youth and adult interest and engagement with insect science, and the lab's potential to encourage youth to try something they may not previously have had access to and to explore related concepts. Both the Asombro Institute and New Mexico Ag in the Classroom have shared the interactive with and received feedback from educators (ranging from K-12) at multiple events in the last year. In 2021-2022, Norris and Edgar created evaluation tools for and assessed the impact of the interactive through middle school educators in the state. Bundy presented the interactive to entomologists (researchers and educators) and made the interactive available on the NMSU Arthropod Collection Website.(see below for details) Accomplishments under project objective 1 (to develop a coordinated suite of online learning modules): The Virtual Insect Collection Lab is now complete. It includes detailed 3D images of beetles, true bugs, butterflies, and ants, as well as written content, audio/sound effects, and enhanced accessibility features to support section 508 compliance for federally funded projects. The Innovative Media group worked closely with Dr. Scott Bundy to fine tune details of insect appearance and interactive functionality of the pointing, spreading, and pinning apparatus. Accomplishments under project objective 2 (Introduce insect science content in classrooms): In the final year of the project, educators from the Asombro Institute for Science Education worked with other members of the project team to (1) host focus group sessions with K-12 teachers to get their feedback on the virtual lab, (2) create the supporting documents requested by teachers, and (3) distribute information about the Virtual Insect Collection lab to teachers. Activity 1: Host focus group sessions with teachers - On October 2 and October 16, 2021, the Asombro Institute for Science Education hosted two virtual workshops for 17 kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers from Albuquerque, Grants, Las Cruces, Lovington, Santa Rosa, and Silver City, New Mexico. During both workshops, we introduced teachers to the "Pinning Down Ag Literacy: Expanding Access to Insect Science" project, including its goals, partners, funding source, and progress to date. Teachers then had time to explore the lab, starting with the introductory video. In small group discussions led by Asombro staff members, and teachers provided feedback. Activity 2: Aligned the Virtual Insect Collection Lab to the Next Generation Science Standards - During the teacher focus groups, teachers recommended that the Virtual Insect Collection Lab be aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards, which are used in 20 states (including New Mexico) and the District of Columbia, representing more than 36% of all U.S. students. In February 2022, the Asombro team aligned the lab to the relevant Disciplinary Core Ideas from the Next Generation Science Standards and provided this list to the project team for incorporation into the lab. Activity 3: Created a document with suggestions for many ways classroom teachers could use the Virtual Insect Collection Lab - In February 2022, we created a list of specific ways teachers could use the Virtual Insect Collection Lab in their classrooms. Activity 4: Distributed information about the Lab to teachers throughout New Mexico - Asombro educators gave information about the Virtual Insect Collection Lab to 35 fifth through eighth-grade teachers who attended professional development sessions with Asombro on July 7, 2022, and July 18, 2022. We will continue to promote the Virtual Insect Collection Lab, including, for example, at the New Mexico Science Teachers Association Conference on September 24, 2022. New Mexico Agriculture in the Classroom, which had previously been unable to conduct planned teacher workshops in 2020 and 2022 due to COVID, was able to introduce the interactive content into multiple educational venues in 2022. These included the following: Initial pilot teacher workshop for teacher feedback and implementation information: August 24th- 6 (6-9th grade science educators) impacting approximately 900 students once the online tool became available Recruiting interest for the entomology field was provided at the Southern New Mexico State Fair educational programs on September 29-31. The first program was geared toward helping elementary students and their teachers get interested in entomology via educational presentations: "The Good, the Bad, the Ugly": 488 students and 22 teachers were impacted by the information to maintain interest and see the educational value in studying entomology topics. The STEM Ag Career Fair Day also provided middle and high school students with information about the entomology fields and online resources were sent out to teachers following the event -407 students and 38 educators were impacted. NM Ag in the Classroom currently is working with National Agriculture in the Classroom Curriculum Matrix staff to get the online pinning tool available in the companion resources and attached to pertinent middle and high school lessons. Last year the National Agriculture in the Classroom website had 268,729 page views and 38,169 new users with a total of 42,420 users. Upcoming work related to the project includes continued connections to entomology and agriculture teacher workshops and field experiences to connect the importance of research to benefit agricultural processes with real-world problem-solving examples: Accomplishments under project objective 3 (Evaluate the tools and assess the impact): Drs. Shannon Norris and Don Edgar joined the project this last year to replace Ralph Easterly, theCO-PI in charge of evaluating the impact of the interactive who left for a different institution. They were able to add another evaluation of the project this year, aided by greater access to teachers post COVID. In 2021-2022, the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education (AXED) evaluation team shared the virtual insect pinning lab with 34 middle school teachers who teach agricultural science and biology in 30 different middle school programs in New Mexico. The materials were sent to both rural, suburban, and urban middle school programs. An evaluation and feedback survey sought to gauge teacher perceptions on the quality of content, usability, and effectiveness of the virtual learning lab. Overall, participants reported a high level of satisfaction with the Virtual Insect Collection Lab (see Table 1 in opportunities section). Participants liked that the module was very hands-on, visually appealing, interesting, and educational. The participants reported that the things liked the least was they had a difficulty knowing when the module stopped so they did not know when to stop teaching the materials. One participant reported they wished there was a "completion" signal when they made it to the end of the module and that the module was connected to science and/or state standards. A digital promotional flyer also was designed that will be shared with all agricultural science programs in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and California. The resource will also reach agents in the Cooperative Extension Service to encourage them to share with their middle school science teachers and students. Fifteen physical pinning insect kits were mailed to five different middle schools, both to agricultural science and biology courses. Online resources will continue to be shared with teachers and individuals teaching scientific concepts related to entomology across the Southwest.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Martinez, P. N., Chamberlin, B. A., Smith Muise, A., Cezarotto, M., Bundy, S. North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Virtual Conference. "It's (Not) Alive! Student perceptions of Virtual Insect Collection Lab," Virtual Conference Covid 19. (June 16, 2021). Ft. Worth, TX (April 18, 2022).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
C. S. Bundy, B. Chamberlin, P. Martinez, M. Cezarotto, A. Smith Muise, D. Edgar, and S. Norris. Spreading Insect Science: a virtual pinning interactive targeting 7th grade science. Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Branch of the Entomological Society of America.
|
Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The overall target audience is middle school science teachers throughout New Mexico. Although available to all middle school science teachers,Hispanic teachers are predominant among those targeted for this study. Additionally, teacher workshops were conducted that included high school educators. This learning tool also has expanded its audience outside the state and is currently available nationally. Changes/Problems:Drs. Shannon Norris and Don Edgar were added to the grant to replace Ralph Easterly, who left for another institution. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The completed interactive has been presented to numerous science educators in the state ranging from K-12. It also is currently being shared with educators in agricultural science programs in Arizona, Colorado, and California, and soon nationally. Below are some specific examples of training provided to educators within New Mexico. Asombro Institute: On October 2 and October 16, 2021, the Asombro Institute for Science Education hosted two virtual workshops for 17 kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers from Albuquerque, Grants, Las Cruces, Lovington, Santa Rosa, and Silver City, New Mexico. During both workshops, we introduced teachers to the "Pinning Down Ag Literacy: Expanding Access to Insect Science" project, including its goals, partners, funding source, and progress to date. Teachers then had time to explore the lab, starting with the introductory video. In small group discussions led by Asombro staff members, teachers provided feedback on three main questions: 1. Could you use this lab? If so, how? If not, what are the barriers to its use for you and your students? 2. Does the two-minute introductory video serve as a good overview of why people make insect collections and how to get started? 3. What other supporting materials would make the Virtual Insect Collection even better for your use? For example, would it be helpful to have an introductory video specifically for teachers, a worksheet for students, a teachers' guide, etc.? We provided a summary report of the focus group sessions to the project team on October 20, 2021. Activity 2: Aligned the Virtual Insect Collection Lab to the Next Generation Science Standards - During the teacher focus groups, teachers recommended that the Virtual Insect Collection Lab be aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards, which are used in 20 states (including New Mexico) and the District of Columbia, representing more than 36% of all U.S. students. In February 2022, the Asombro team aligned the lab to the relevant Disciplinary Core Ideas from the Next Generation Science Standards and provided this list to the project team for incorporation into the lab. Activity 3: Created a document with suggestions for many ways classroom teachers could use the Virtual Insect Collection Lab - In February 2022, we created a list of specific ways teachers could use the Virtual Insect Collection Lab in their classrooms. Activity 4: Distributed information about the Lab to teachers throughout New Mexico - Asombro educators gave information about the Virtual Insect Collection Lab to 35 fifth through eighth-grade teachers who attended professional development sessions with Asombro on July 7, 2022, and July 18, 2022. We will continue to promote the Virtual Insect Collection Lab, including, for example, at the New Mexico Science Teachers Association Conference on September 24, 2022. New Mexico Agriculture in the Classroom: Initial pilot teacher workshop for teacher feedback and implementation information: August 24th- 6 (6-9th grade science educators) impacting approximately 900 students. Recruiting interest for the entomology field was provided at the Southern New Mexico State Fair educational programs on September 29-31. The first program was geared toward helping elementary students and their teachers get interested in entomology via educational presentations: "The Good, the Bad, the Ugly": 488 students and 22 teachers were impacted by the information to maintain interest and see the educational value in studying entomology topics. The STEM Ag Career Fair Day also provided middle and high school students with information about the entomology fields and online resources were sent out to teachers following the event. 407 students and 38 educators were impacted. Norris and Edgar (AXED): In 2021-2022, the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education (AXED) evaluation team shared the virtual insect pinning lab with 34 middle school teachers who teach agricultural science and biology in 30 different middle school programs in New Mexico. The materials were sent to both rural, suburban, and urban middle school programs. An evaluation and feedback survey sought to gauge teacher perceptions on the quality of content, usability, and effectiveness of the virtual learning lab. Overall, participants reported a high level of satisfaction with the Virtual Insect Collection Lab (see Table 1). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The Virtual Insect Collection Lab has been featured in the newsletter of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and on the Innovative Media, Research and Extension blog, including in a product spotlight and in research highlights. The digital tool also underwent peer review, via a critique and review process with experts in digital media, entomology, and educational outreach with youth. Reviewers noted that the tool was "Extremely appropriate for audience and likely to lead to desired outcomes," and called it "extremely unique" and "extremely high quality." Where feasible, the Innovative Media team implemented reviewer suggestions, including taking steps to make the tool more accessible on phones. Team members continue to promote the materials online, via educational portals, at professional conferences and meetings, and on social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. The virtual modules also are available to the public via the arthropods.nmsu.edu website.The digital tool has been used 15,379 times since 2021. A digital promotional flyer also was created that will be shared with all agricultural science programs in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and California. The resource will also reach agents in the Cooperative Extension Service to encourage them to share with their middle school science teachers and students. NM Ag in the classroom is currently working with the National Agriculture in the Classroom Curriculum Matrix staff to get the online pinning tool available in the companion resources and attached to pertinent middle and high school lessons. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During the course of this grant all of the project objectives were met. The team designed and created a virtual, hands-on learning module that promotes insect science and FANH disciplines to underrepresented middle school science students. This learning module has also been utilitized by educators and students at other levels of education and in other related areas (including FFA and 4H). The module has been received quite positively by these audience and has won awards in the educational community. Accomplishments under project objective 1 (to develop a coordinated suite of online learning modules): The Virtual Insect Collection Lab was created through a cooperative effort of the team and interactions with educators. It includes detailed 3D images of beetles, true bugs, butterflies, and ants, as well as written content, audio/sound effects, and enhanced accessibility features to support section 508 compliance for federally funded projects. The Innovative Media group worked closely with Dr. Scott Bundy to fine tune details of insect appearance and interactive functionality of the pointing, spreading, and pinning apparatus. As mentioned above this lab has been very well received by students, teachers, and educational gaming groups. Accomplishments under project objective 2 (Introduce insect science content in classrooms): Due to the challenges of working in classrooms during 2020-2021, the team focused on how learners used the tool in the context of an online experience.In the final year of the project, educators from the Asombro Institute for Science Education worked with other members of the project team to (1) host focus group sessions with K-12 teachers to get their feedback on the virtual lab, (2) create the supporting documents requested by teachers, and (3) distribute information about the Virtual Insect Collection lab to teachers. Activity 1: Host focus group sessions with teachers - The Asombro Institute for Science Education hosted two virtual workshops for 17 kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers from Albuquerque, Grants, Las Cruces, Lovington, Santa Rosa, and Silver City, New Mexico. During both workshops, we introduced teachers to the "Pinning Down Ag Literacy: Expanding Access to Insect Science" project. Teachers then had time to explore the lab, starting with the introductory video. In small group discussions led by Asombro staff members, and teachers provided feedback. Activity 2: Aligned the Virtual Insect Collection Lab to the Next Generation Science Standards - During the teacher focus groups, teachers recommended that the Virtual Insect Collection Lab be aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards, which are used in 20 states (including New Mexico) and the District of Columbia, representing more than 36% of all U.S. students. In February 2022, the Asombro team aligned the lab to the relevant Disciplinary Core Ideas from the Next Generation Science Standards and provided this list to the project team for incorporation into the lab. Activity 3: Created a document with suggestions for many ways classroom teachers could use the Virtual Insect Collection Lab - In February 2022, we created a list of specific ways teachers could use the Virtual Insect Collection Lab in their classrooms. Activity 4: Distributed information about the Lab to teachers throughout New Mexico - Asombro educators gave information about the Virtual Insect Collection Lab to 35 fifth through eighth-grade teachers who attended professional development sessions with Asombro on July 7, 2022, and July 18, 2022. We will continue to promote the Virtual Insect Collection Lab, including, for example, at the New Mexico Science Teachers Association Conference on September 24, 2022. New Mexico Agriculture in the Classroom, which had previously been unable to conduct planned teacher workshops in 2020 and 2022 due to COVID, was able to introduce the interactive content into multiple educational venues in 2022. These included the following: Initial pilot teacher workshop for teacher feedback and implementation information: August 24th- 6 (6-9th grade science educators) impacting approximately 900 students once the online tool became available.Recruiting interest for the entomology field was provided at the Southern New Mexico State Fair educational programs on September 29-31 2022. The first program was geared toward helping elementary students and their teachers get interested in entomology via educational presentations: "The Good, the Bad, the Ugly": 488 students and 22 teachers were impacted bythe information to maintain interest and see the educational value in studying entomology topics. The STEM Ag Career Fair Day also provided middle and high school students with information about the entomology fields and online resources were sent out to teachers following the event -407 students and 38 educators were impacted. NM Ag in the Classroom currently is working with National Agriculture in the Classroom Curriculum Matrix staff to get the online pinning tool available in the companion resources and attached to pertinent middle and high school lessons. Last year the National Agriculture in the Classroom website had 268,729 page views and 38,169 new users with a total of 42,420 users. Upcoming work related to the project includes continued connections to entomology and agriculture teacher workshops and field experiences to connect the importance of research to benefit agricultural processes with real-world problem-solving examples. Accomplishments under project objective 3 (Evaluate the tools and assess the impact): Drs. Shannon Norris and Don Edgar joined the project in 2022 to replace Ralph Easterly, the CO-PI in charge of evaluating the impact of the interactive who left for a different institution. They were able to add another evaluation of the project in its final year, aided by greater access to teachers post COVID. The Department of Agricultural and Extension Education (AXED) evaluation team shared the virtual insect pinning lab with 34 middle school teachers who teach agricultural science and biology in 30 different middle school programs in New Mexico. The materials were sent to both rural, suburban, and urban middle school programs. An evaluation and feedback survey sought to gauge teacher perceptions on the quality of content, usability, and effectiveness of the virtual learning lab. Overall, participants reported a high level of satisfaction with the Virtual Insect Collection Lab (see Table 1 in opportunities section). Participants liked that the module was very hands-on, visually appealing, interesting, and educational. The participants reported that the things liked the least was they had a difficulty knowing when the module stopped so they did not know when to stop teaching the materials. One participant reported they wished there was a "completion" signal when they made it to the end of the module and that the module was connected to science and/or state standards. A digital promotional flyer also was designed that will be shared with all agricultural science programs in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and California. The resource will also reach agents in the Cooperative Extension Service to encourage them to share with their middle school science teachers and students. Fifteen physical pinning insect kits were mailed to five different middle schools, both to agricultural science and biology courses. Online resources will continue to be shared with teachers and individuals teaching scientific concepts related to entomology across the Southwest. Accomplishments under project objective 4 (Disseminate developed materials nationally): As mentioned above and as is evident from the numerous talks given (see list of products in this report), this virtual lab has been widely disseminated nationally via a wide array of educational and scientific disciplinary outlets.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Martinez, P. N., Muise, A. S., Cezarotto, M. A., Chamberlin, B. A., ACE Virtual Conference - elevating voices, "Serving Users with Virtual Labs in a Time of Distance Learning," Association for Communication Excellence (ACE), online. (June 22, 2021).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Blake, C., Roberson, M., Chamberlin, B. A., Badour, J., 2021 Agricultural Outlook Forum, "Ensuring Food Safety Through Science, Data and Behavior Change," United States Department of Agriculture, Online (Washington, DC). (February 19, 2021).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Cezarotto, M., Chamberlin, B. A., 10th Information International Design Conference, "Towards accessibility in educational games: a framework for the design team," Online. (October 2021).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Cezarotto, M. A., Martinez, P. N., Muise, A. S., Chamberlin, B. A., ACE Virtual Conference - elevating voices, "Accessibility framework: understanding and integrating accessibility concerns into your design process.," Association for Communication Excellence (ACE), online. (June 23, 2021).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., Developer's Meeting, "Constructivist Learning in Game Design," Let's Talk Science, London, ON, Canada. (December 4, 2020).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., International Food Information Council Annual Meeting, "Designing to Change: Reaching Learners in New Ways with New Media," International Food Information Council (IFIC), Online. (November 18, 2020).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., Semana D: Design Transforma (D Week: Design Transformations), "Guiding Principles for User Testing: How People Think and Communicate their Ideas," Centro Brasil Design and ProDesign, Paran� Association of Design Companies and Professionals, Curtiba, Brazil (online). (November 9, 2020).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., International Association for Food Protection International Conference, "Reaching Youth Audiences through Digital Media and Games: Challenges and Personal Experience," IAFP, Online (Virtual). (October 28, 2020).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., Martinez, P. N., National Association of Extension 4-H Agents Annual Conference, "Designing for Change: A Simple Model for Creating Effective Learning Tools," NAE4-HA, Boise, Idaho (Online). (October 20, 2020).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., Professional Development Meeting, "Online All The Time: Finding Purpose in Screentime," NM Workforce Development Department, Online. (October 15, 2020).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., Virtual Public Meeting Food Safety: Consumer Outreach and Education Today and for the Future, "Educational Food Safety Materials for Consumers," USDA FSIS, Online. (October 6, 2020).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., Women in Technology Virtual Happy Hour, "Online All The Time: Finding Purpose in Screentime," New Mexico Technology Council. (September 24, 2020).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Martinez, P. N. (Presenter), Chamberlin, B. A., Dream Keepers Online presentation, "Educational Ag Media and Resources an Introduction to Careers in Technology," Indian Resources Development - NMSU, Virtual - Zoom. (June 26, 2020).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Martinez, P. N. (Presenter), Chamberlin, B. A. (Presenter), Gleason, J. B. (Other), NACTA - 2020 Virtual Conference, "Showcase by Learning Games Lab: Educational Ag Media to Enhance your Instruction," North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture, Virtual Conference - Covid 19. (June 16, 2020).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., Global Food Safety Initiative Forum, "Food Safety and Media: Where do we go from here?," the Consumer Goods Forum, Seattle, WA. (February 28, 2020).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., NMSU All Extension Conference, "Making Educational Materials that Matter," NMSU ACES Extension, Las Cruces, NM. (January 2020).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., Dust or Magic Design Institute, "Using an App to Change Behavior while Off the App," Children's Technology Review, Lambertville, NJ. (November 5, 2019).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Martinez, P. N., Chamberlin, B. A. (Presenter), Gleason, J. B. (Presenter), Innovative Media Research and Extension Webinar, "Webinar Outreach: Innovative Media Research and Extension Showcase and Listening Session," Innovative Media Research and Extension Department, Zoom Online, hosted from Las Cruces, New Mexico. (October 7, 2019).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Martinez, P. N., Chamberlin, B. A., Smith Muise, A., Cezarotto, M., Bundy, S. North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Virtual Conference. "It's (Not) Alive! Student perceptions of Virtual Insect Collection Lab," Virtual Conference Covid 19. (June 16, 2021). Ft. Worth, TX (April 18, 2022).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
C. S. Bundy, B. Chamberlin, P. Martinez, M. Cezarotto, A. Smith Muise, D. Edgar, and S. Norris. Spreading Insect Science: a virtual pinning interactive targeting 7th grade science. Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Branch of the Entomological Society of America.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Muise, A. S. (Presenter), Chamberlin, B. A. (Other), Ed Games Expo, "Supporting Accessibility for Educational Media Developers," US Department of Education, Washington, DC. (January 9, 2020).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., NMSU Research and Creativity Week, "Learning is Fun: Let's not Mess that Up," NMSU Vice President of Research, Las Cruces, NM. (November 14, 2019).
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The overall target audience is middle school science teachers. Although available to all middle school science teachers, Hispanic teachers are predominant among those targeted for this study. Feedback from these teachers made during our August 2019 teacher training workshop was used to modify the Insect Pinning Lab. Then the team conducted user testing of the Insect Pinning Lab with middle school aged children during 2021 and 2021. Changes/Problems:COVID-19 continues to be an issue for testing directly in the public schools. However, you can see by our progress that we have found other ways to evaluate the efficacy of the module. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Team members continue to promote the materials online, at professional conferences and meetings, and on social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. The virtual modules are being placed on educational media technology distribution sites and platforms such as the National Registry of Cooperative Extension Assets and Programs, Cal State's MERLOT, the National Science Digital Library, and the OER Commons.The virtual modules also are available to the public via thearthropods.nmsu.edu website . What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we will continue to promote the module and will increase testing. Data already taken and new data will be analyzed and the results published. If approriate, adjustments to the website housing the module will be made if to make the process more user friendly for students.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During 2020-2021, the Innovative Media team made final updates to the Insect Pinning and Insect Collection virtual modules, including incorporating an introductory video to orient users. The team also created a launch page (https://insectcollectionlab.nmsu.edu/) including extensive supplementary materials on insect science for youth learners. The virtual modules also shared at arthropods.nmsu.edu website alongside live-action videos demonstrating relaxing, pinning, pointing, spreading, and preserving insects. Team members continue to promote the materials online, at professional conferences and meetings, and on social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. The virtual modules are being placed on educational media technology distribution sites and platforms such as the National Registry of Cooperative Extension Assets and Programs, Cal State's MERLOT, the National Science Digital Library, and the OER Commons.During 2020-2021, the Innovative Media team made final updates to the Insect Pinning and Insect Collection virtual modules, including incorporating an introductory video to orient users. The team also created a launch page (https://insectcollectionlab.nmsu.edu/) including extensive supplementary materials on insect science for youth learners. The virtual modules also shared at arthropods.nmsu.edu website alongside live-action videos demonstrating relaxing, pinning, pointing, spreading, and preserving insects. Team members continue to promote the materials online, at professional conferences and meetings, and on social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. The virtual modules are being placed on educational media technology distribution sites and platforms such as the National Registry of Cooperative Extension Assets and Programs, Cal State's MERLOT, the National Science Digital Library, and the OER Commons. Accomplishments under project objective 1 (To develop a coordinated suite of online learning modules): The Virtual Insect Collection Lab is now complete. It includes detailed 3D images of beetles, true bugs, butterflies, and ants, as well as written content, audio/sound effects, and enhanced accessibility features to support section 508 compliance for federally funded projects. The Innovative Media group worked closely with Dr. Scott Bundy to fine tune details of insect appearance and interactive functionality of the pointing, spreading, and pinning apparatus. Accomplishments under project objective 2(Introduce insect science content in classrooms): Because of COVID, nopublic schools in New Mexico offered opportunities to introduce our content into the classroom throughout the past year via tradtional means.Therefore, the team focused on how learners used the tool in the context of an online experience. See objective 3 below for details. Accomplishments under project objective 3(Evaluate the tools and assess the impact): The final version of the Virtual Insect Collection Lab incorporates feedback from the August 2019 teacher workshop and from user-testing with youth during 2020 and 2021. Overall, formative testing and user testing with students in the target age group indicated a high degree of satisfaction with the tool and high engagement. This testing informed creation of an introductory video to address questions students may have before they begin working with the virtual insects, such as whether the insects are alive and why collecting insects is an important scientific step in addition to observation of live insects. Perhaps the greatest influence of COVID 19 on this project was how it affected the planned integration of the digital modules into classrooms and ways in which we are testing the impact of the final tool on students. Due to the challenges of working in classrooms during 2020-2021, the team focused on how learners used the tool in the context of an online experience. In 2021, we conducted an IRB-approved pilot study that introduced the Virtual Insect Collection Lab to 59 participants (28 youth and 31 adults) and explored their responses. Results are being analyzed to inform further investigations about how this product influences learners' interest in insect science and STEM. The Virtual Insect Collection Lab won awards in 2021 from the professional organization ACE (Association for Communications Excellence in Natural Resources, Life, and Human Sciences): a gold award for "Interactive multimedia/web graphics" and a gold award specifically for its illustrations of insects.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Cezarotto, M., Chamberlin, B. A., 10th Information International Design Conference, "Towards accessibility in educational games: a framework for the design team," Online. (October 2021).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Cezarotto, M. A., Martinez, P. N., Muise, A. S., Chamberlin, B. A., ACE Virtual Conference - elevating voices, "Accessibility framework: understanding and integrating accessibility concerns into your design process.," Association for Communication Excellence (ACE), online. (June 23, 2021).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Martinez, P. N., Muise, A. S., Cezarotto, M. A., Chamberlin, B. A., ACE Virtual Conference - elevating voices, "Serving Users with Virtual Labs in a Time of Distance Learning," Association for Communication Excellence (ACE), online. (June 22, 2021).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Blake, C., Roberson, M., Chamberlin, B. A., Badour, J., 2021 Agricultural Outlook Forum, "Ensuring Food Safety Through Science, Data and Behavior Change," United States Department of Agriculture, Online (Washington, DC). (February 19, 2021).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., Developer's Meeting, "Constructivist Learning in Game Design," Let's Talk Science, London, ON, Canada. (December 4, 2020).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., International Association for Food Protection International Conference, "Reaching Youth Audiences through Digital Media and Games: Challenges and Personal Experience," IAFP, Online (Virtual). (October 28, 2020).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., Martinez, P. N., National Association of Extension 4-H Agents Annual Conference, "Designing for Change: A Simple Model for Creating Effective Learning Tools," NAE4-HA, Boise, Idaho (Online). (October 20, 2020).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., Professional Development Meeting, "Online All The Time: Finding Purpose in Screentime," NM Workforce Development Department, Online. (October 15, 2020).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., Virtual Public Meeting Food Safety: Consumer Outreach and Education Today and for the Future, "Educational Food Safety Materials for Consumers," USDA FSIS, Online. (October 6, 2020).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., Women in Technology Virtual Happy Hour, "Online All The Time: Finding Purpose in Screentime," New Mexico Technology Council. (September 24, 2020).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Martinez, P. N. (Presenter), Chamberlin, B. A., Dream Keepers Online presentation, "Educational Ag Media and Resources an Introduction to Careers in Technology," Indian Resources Development - NMSU, Virtual - Zoom. (June 26, 2020).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., International Food Information Council Annual Meeting, "Designing to Change: Reaching Learners in New Ways with New Media," International Food Information Council (IFIC), Online. (November 18, 2020).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., Semana D: Design Transforma (D Week: Design Transformations), "Guiding Principles for User Testing: How People Think and Communicate their Ideas," Centro Brasil Design and ProDesign, Paran� Association of Design Companies and Professionals, Curtiba, Brazil (online). (November 9, 2020).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Martinez, P. N. (Presenter), Chamberlin, B. A. (Presenter), Gleason, J. B. (Other), NACTA - 2020 Virtual Conference, "Showcase by Learning Games Lab: Educational Ag Media to Enhance your Instruction," North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture, Virtual Conference - Covid 19. (June 16, 2020).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., Global Food Safety Initiative Forum, "Food Safety and Media: Where do we go from here?," the Consumer Goods Forum, Seattle, WA. (February 28, 2020).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., NMSU All Extension Conference, "Making Educational Materials that Matter," NMSU ACES Extension, Las Cruces, NM. (January 2020).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Muise, A. S. (Presenter), Chamberlin, B. A. (Other), Ed Games Expo, "Supporting Accessibility for Educational Media Developers," US Department of Education, Washington, DC. (January 9, 2020).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., NMSU Research and Creativity Week, "Learning is Fun: Let's not Mess that Up," NMSU Vice President of Research, Las Cruces, NM. (November 14, 2019).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Chamberlin, B. A., Dust or Magic Design Institute, "Using an App to Change Behavior while Off the App," Children's Technology Review, Lambertville, NJ. (November 5, 2019).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Martinez, P. N., Chamberlin, B. A. (Presenter), Gleason, J. B. (Presenter), Innovative Media Research and Extension Webinar, "Webinar Outreach: Innovative Media Research and Extension Showcase and Listening Session," Innovative Media Research and Extension Department, Zoom Online, hosted from Las Cruces, New Mexico. (October 7, 2019).
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Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The overall target audience is middle school science teachers. Although available to all middle school science teachers, Hispanic teachers are predominant among those targeted forthis study. Feedback from these teachers made during our August 2019 teacher training workshop was used to modify the Insect Pinning Lab. Thenthe team conducted user testing of the Insect Pinning Lab with middle school aged children in 2020. Changes/Problems:COVID-19 caused significant delays in the evaluation of our Insect Pinning Module by teachers and students. We requested and received a no-cost extension to the project, which will allow us to gain better feedback on the module and proceed with the testing component of the project. Co-PI Tre Easterly took a position at another institution in 2019. He continued to provide feedback until this spring but will no longer be part of the project. His replacement should be in place later this Fall and will take over his role to evaluate teacher survey data, etc. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting team, we will make final updates to the Insect Pinning and Insect Collection virtual modules, including incorporating an introductory video to orient users. Once the virtual modules are completed, they will be shared on arthropods.nmsu.edu website for public distribution and dissemination. Education partners Asombro and NM Ag in the Classroom will continue supporting teachers in using the module with their classes and in afterschool programs. Team members will promote the materials online, at professional conferences and meetings, and on social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. The virtual modules will also be placed on educational media technology distribution sites and platforms such as Edmodo, Cal State's MERLOT, the National Science Digital Library, and the OER Commons.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Accomplishments under project objective 1 (To develop a coordinated suite of online learning modules): The Insect Pinning virtual interactive is now complete (in its beta version) and includes detailed 3D images of beetles, true bugs, butterflies, and ants, as well as written content, audio/sound effects, and enhanced accessibility features to support section 508 compliance for federally funded projects. The Innovative Media group has continued to work closely with Dr. Scott Bundy to fine tune details of insect appearance and interactive functionality of the pointing, spreading, and pinning apparatus. In addition, the Innovative Media group has been working with Bundy and his team at the Arthropod Museum to create a Virtual Insect Collection Lab, which will incorporate interactive, high resolution image of insects with notes and "nodes" where the user can explore each picture in detail, see labels of parts, and be shown interesting features of each individual specimen. These resources will be incorporated into the arthropods.nmsu.edu website along with existing live-action videos demonstrating relaxing, pinning, pointing, spreading, and preserving insects. In the previous reporting period, the team gathered stakeholder input at several stages of the prototype and alpha version, including a teacher training workshop held August 2019 where teachers worked with an early version of the Insect Pinning lab. During this reporting period, the team made adjustments to the digital resources in response to this feedback. The team also conducted user testing with youth, including in January, June and July 2020. Findings from these testing sessions have meaningfully informed the design process. Overall, user testing with students in the target age group indicated a high degree of satisfaction with the tool and high engagement. In response to findings from user testing, the team is crafting an introductory video to be viewed before students enter the interactive. This is intended to resolve questions that students have before they begin working with the virtual insects. One notable confusion was about whether or not the insects are dead when they are pinned. Although existing content in the module explains the process of killing insects and softening dead insects, some students still fixated on the question of whether the insects were alive and whether they would be moving about while being pinned. In addition, some students struggled to explain why pinning insects enables scientific work beyond that which can be conducted via observation of live insects. The team is creating a short introductory animation which directly addresses both these questions (scheduled for completion fall 2020). Accomplishments under project objective 2 (Introduce insect science content in classrooms): The completed version of the Insect Pinning virtual interactive will be introduced into classes in conjunction with lesson plans provided by Asombro during Fall 2020. Accomplishments under project objective 3 (Evaluate the tools and assess the impact): Perhaps the greatest influence of COVID 19 on this project was how it affected the planned integration of the digital modules into classrooms and plans for testing the impact of the final tool on students. With the no-cost extension, the team is re-evaluating what is possible regarding summative research; such as the capacity of teachers to integrate it with their current teaching load, the best measures to conduct testing in online or hybrid environments, and the sample size for evaluation. We expect the situation in the schools to stabilize over the next few months. This work is anticipated in the coming year.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this initial stage of the project is middle school teachers. Although available to all middle school science teachers, Hispanic teachers are predominant among those targeted for feedback in this study. There are two levels of inclusion for this first year: 1) teachers surveys sent out to 7th grade science teachers in New Mexico to gauge their currect background and perceptions of using insects or insect concepts (biology, etc.) in the classroom, and 2) Teacher feedback on our online interactive on insects.Our efforts for inclusion in feedback for the initial version of the interactive for this first year are directed to those teachers who have used insects in the classroom or who are open to using insects in the classroom. This feedback and exposure to the interactive was presented in the form of a day-long Teacher Workshop held in Las Cruces, NM on August 24th 2019. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Insect Teacher Workshop. This workshop was held on August 24, 2019 and middle school teachers were invited. A presentation were given by Bundy on the importance of using insects in the classroom. Chamberlin did a walk through of the Insect Pinning interactive. And Bestelmeyer gave a presentation on the beetle data jam. Feedback from the middle school teachers was collected to enhance the interactive. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective 1: During the next reporting period we will take the feedback from teachers and refine the Insect Pinning interactive. We will also generate more images of insects and begin to add information to the images to allow more interactive exploration by students. Curriculum resources will continue to be generated to enhance the learning experience. Objective 2: After further fine tuning objective 1, this material will be ready for introduction into the classroom. Objective 3: Additional pre use data will be taken to increase our data for pedagogical content knowledge, intent to teach entomology concepts, and amount of entomology being taught. Once Objective 2 has been initiated then post data will be taken.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Project Overview and Impact Middle school science classrooms face a particular challenge: students arrive with minimal or uneven science background from elementary school, and teachers must find resources for hands-on, engaging projects to spark their enthusiasm. There is a lack of science comprehension in New Mexico schools, particularly at the middle school level. The statewide science assessment (NMSBA) given to 7th graders shows that 55% of the students fail to achieve even basic science proficiency (New Mexico Public Education Department 2017). This is partially due to an absence of pedagogical content knowledge related to FANH disciplines, including insect science. Insects offer a huge range of potential study areas in science because of their importance as pests and beneficials in agriculture, relevance to natural resources and biodiversity, and impact on human health. This project targets middle school (7th grade) students and teachers to provide a suite of online learning modules that highlight the importance of insects to the world around us and tie in to commonly used insect pinning activities. At this target age, students are old enough to understand science concepts and still have time to start developing a career path in high school. Accomplishments under project objective 1 (To develop a coordinated suite of online learning modules): The entire team met multiple times during the fall of 2018 and winter of 2019 to mesh the insect science concepts deemed most appropriate for middle school science teacher needs and requirements in the format most suitable for online interactives. Plans were adjusted to best address current educational requirements in the state. Interactive Insect Pinning Learning Module The Innovative Media Research and Extension (PIs Chamberlin and Martinez) team held a design summit and nine design meetings for the full project team during 2018-2019. In addition, internal design meeting within the Innovative Media team informed design and development of a website, wireframes and prototypes of insect pinning modules, iterative design and review processes, and planning and preparation for user-testing with teachers. At key intervals, members of the larger project grant team participated in these sessions to inform the Innovative Media group on subject matter, audience, evaluation strategies, teacher input and next steps. In particular, the Innovative Media group has worked closely with Dr. Scott Bundy on a prototype of the first interactive module, Insect Pinning, which was user-tested with teachers August 24, 2019. Bundy and the Innovative Media team also collaborated to design a website that will compliment Dr. Bundy's current education site, arthropods.nmsu.edu. The team has also conducted research and testing into using 3D art for a more realistic approach to insects and processes shown in the digital interactives. The team has created 3D models and animated a test sequence in the Unity programming environment. Insect Imaging Bundy generated a beginning series of high resolution images to be used in conjunction with the pinning interactive. These images allow for close-up exploration of insects that would be unavailable without a microscope. Curriculum Resources The Asombro Institute (Bestelmeyer) and New Mexico Ag in the Classroom (Curry) have begun work on educational lessons that may be used in conjunction with the insect pinning interactive. In particular, Bestelmeyer has begun a Data Jam lesson that incorporates real world data sets including field collections of ground beetles. Insect Teacher workshop A teacher workshop was organized by New Mexico Ag in the Classroom (Curry) and Asombro Institute (Bestelmeyer) with the goal of user-testing the Insect Pinning Interactive. This workshop was held on August 24, 2019. Presentations were made by Bundy on the importance of using insects in the classroom, by Chamberlin walking through the interactive, and by Bestelmeyer on the beetle data jam. Feedback from the middle school teachers was collected to enhance the interactive. Accomplishments under project objective 2 (Introduce insect science content in classrooms): Once objective 1 has been refined it will be ready to begin objective 2. We are on schedule with this objective. Accomplishments under project objective 3 (Evaluate the tools and assess the impact): Teacher Pre-data Survey A pre survey was generated by Tre Easterly to collect data from middle school science teachers on pedagogical content knowledge and intent to teach entomology concepts. This survey was sent out at the end of the school year. Because of the timing of the instrument, there was a low response rate and 13 usable responses were collected. The data are still being analyzed and more teachers will be evaluated.
Publications
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