Developing a Next Generation Concept Inventory (NGCI)
This project developed a tool for assessing environmental students' foundational knowledge and their ability to grasp complex systems-level concepts, particularly as it relates to Food-Energy-Water (FEW) Nexus systems. Specifically, they applied an established machine learning method to create a Next Generation Concept Inventory(NGCI) to Help Environmental Programs Evaluate Student Knowledge of Complex FEW Systems. SERC served as the external evaluator, using interviews and artifact analysis to conduct a process and summative evaluation.

ARIS: Advancing Research Impact in Society
The Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS) was launched in September 2018 with funding from the National Science Foundation to "advance the rigor, relevance, and practice of broader impacts (BI)." ARIS works to elevate research impact by providing high-quality resources and professional development opportunities and by creating connections among researchers, community partners, and engagement practitioners. The external evaluation team at SERC provides an independent, formative assessment of whether Center activities are being implemented as proposed (implementation evaluation) and desired outcomes are being achieved (outcome evaluation). Consistent with a Development Evaluation (DE) approach, the goal of this work is to provide project leaders with the information they need to continuously adapt and improve ARIS materials and programming throughout the grant period.

AI in Geoscience Education
This site explores emerging practices in the use of AI in geoscience education. SERC developed the initial website to reflect emerging discussions about AI use in higher education to encourage broader discussion within the geoscience education community.

AK UNiTE
By providing researchers and professionals with learning opportunities related to mentorship, AK UNiTE aims to expand the ability of Alaskan students, particularly historically marginalized groups, to participate in biological research in Alaska. Connecting students from diverse backgrounds to place-based research with culturally responsive mentors is one method to increase retention in the biological sciences. SERC provides web hosting for the project and also helps design and facilitate some of the professional development that project participants receive.

Improving Undergraduate Scientific Explanations: Exploring the Role of Data Literacy
The Improving Undergraduate Scientific Explanations: Exploring the Role of Data Literacy Skills in Scientific Reasoning project at Rider University is supported by an NSF IUSE grant (#2021347) awarded to Kathleen Browne in 2020. The PIs investigate whether students who participate in courses that use data sets from the NSF-funded Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) and provide instruction in the use of "DCER" (i.e., Data Description-Claim-Evidence-Reasoning) are able to provide better explanations of scientific observations than those in a comparison group and perform better on assessments of scientific reasoning and data literacy.The SERC evaluation team consulted on the statistical analysis and conducted a process evaluation using artifact review and interviews.

Polar STEAM
Polar STEAM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math, integrates and enhances two long-standing National Science Foundation (NSF) programs: the Polar Educators program and the Antarctic Artists and Writers program and facilitates virtual and deployment collaborations with scientists conducting research in the polar regions. The external evaluation of project activities are led by the SERC Evaluation Team, using a mixed-methods approach to conduct a developmental evaluation that provides rapid feedback to support data-driven innovation (Patton et al., 2016), and an outcomes evaluation to monitor progress towards the stated project outcomes.

C-ChanGe
The Cultural Change in Geoscience (C-ChanGe) project works toward a vision of the future where all people at each stage of their career experience academic geoscience as a safe and welcoming environment where they feel empowered to learn and contribute without stifling their identities, and the community recognizes contributions from everyone. SERC leads the professional development of 2 cohorts of faculty change agents empowered to work in their own context to make successive, incremental changes, leading to positive cultural shifts within their home departments with the support of a community of practice made up of local and national peers. The project also raises the visibility of the many other groups working towards an inclusive geoscience discipline through a web-based network to support awareness, recognition, and connectivity of national partner projects working on geoscience cultural change.

Mental Health in the Geosciences
The workshop on Positive Mental Health in the Geosciences focused on building community and gathering information from attendees and psychologists to help us assess how mental health is being addressed in formal and informal geoscience communities, and identify outstanding needs. SERC designed and facilitated the workshop with the Geological Society of America.

Math You Need - Majors
The Math You Need for Earth Science Majors provides online, student-centered, math modules with a geoscience context aimed at strenghthening quantitative skills of majors-level geoscience students. SERC co-leads this project through web hosting, development of teaching modules, and workshop design and facilitation.

IEDA2
Events and teaching resources for geoscience educators to support the use of the IEDA data infrastructure that includes three complementary data systems -- EarthChem, LEPR, SESAR -- for research in the geosciences. SERC is working with project leaders to design and facilitate events and web hosting teaching resources.