Author(s):
Need: This project aims to serve the national interest by transforming and broadly disseminating technology to support research methods education through StudyCrafter, an innovative platform that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help students prepare for research involving human subjects. Its intent is to improve current undergraduate research methods education by providing an active learning environment where students can easily create scenario-based research studies and then deploy them online to collect data from participants. StudyCrafter will support students in acquiring and applying research methods skills as they build their own original research studies. Authentic human subjects research opportunities in the classroom are elusive, despite their importance for future practitioners. The project team will augment the StudyCrafter platform with AI to improve students’ computational thinking and data science skills from the initial framework of a study to the analysis of results. The project will use an iterative design approach to improve the platform while expanding its use from two to eleven universities through a coordinated network of pilot testers and early adopters.Guiding Questions: We have one guiding questions: How can we create a scalable and flexible gamified active learning environment that, with the help of AI, engages diverse students in learning to conduct research studies with human subjects?Outcomes: We worked closely with several pilot testers to integrate StudyCrafter into their curricula. In addition, we deployed an LLM-based StudyHelper that can be easily configured for different lesson plans. Throughout, we have been updating the StudyCrafter platform, which is freely available online. Broader Impacts: In addition to acquiring research methods skills, conducting research studies through StudyCrafter develops students’ abilities that are beyond the scope of this proposed research, including (1) computational/mathematical/statistical thinking and data science skills, (2) working with and studying AI, (3) thinking through the implications and possibilities of harnessing virtual or online environments for research, and (4) critically reflecting on their work—all of which are important for the future of work. As research methods are taught across many disciplines, from psychology and sociology to computer science and engineering, our work can have far-reaching impacts for improving the educational experience of countless students in the USA and across the world.
Coauthors
Steven Sutherland, University of Houston-Clear Lake, Houston, TX; Camillia Matuk, NYU, NYC, NY; Magy Seif-El Nasr, UCSC, San Jose, CA; Edward Melcer, UCSC, San Jose, CA; Elin Carstensdottir, UCSC, San Jose, CA
