Revitalizing Achievement by Using Instrumentation in Science Education (RAISE), a GK-12 Fellows Project

Abstract

Revitalizing Achievement by using Instrumentation in Science Education (RAISE) was a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project in which undergraduate and graduate engineering students (fellows) assisted high school science teachers with sensor-based experiments as lab exercises to expand on concepts taught in the classroom. By using sensors and computerized data acquisition, the RAISE project sought to enhance students’ academic achievement; excite them about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM); and inspire them to pursue STEM careers. Fellows assisted the teachers in presenting the lab experiments and helped students to understand the lab assignments. Despite difficulties in establishing appropriate baseline grades and comparison groups, analysis of available test scores of students involved in the RAISE versus non-RAISE classes indicates that (1) a slightly larger percentage of RAISE project students took standardized exams; (2) a larger percentage of RAISE project students passed t...