The National Science Foundation has awarded the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth a grant to develop new strategies for teaching science, technology, engineering, and math in middle and high schools.

Associate professor of STEM education and teacher development Walter Stroup was awarded a $457,755 grant to develop strategies for exciting middle and high school students about STEM careers, said university officials.

Stroup and his colleagues envision classrooms where students engage in collaborative problem solving projects – untangling traffic jams or mapping the potential spread of the Zika virus – using math and science skills and knowledge.

The goal of the project is to demonstrate how network-supported, group-based learning grounded in the principles of Generative Design can improve learning outcomes for all learners, across racial and ethnic backgrounds, said officials.

The project will help pre-service teachers develop more fully participatory and socially supported approaches to classroom learning, using authentic STEM practices in group-centered learning environments, said officials.

The project, based at UMass Dartmouth’s Kaput Center for Research and Innovation in STEM Education, focuses on collaborative, interactive, cloud-based instruction and learning, said officials.

The full NSF award is in collaboration with scholars from Northwestern and Vanderbilt universities. Stroup’s main collaborator is University of Texas College of Education Associate Professor Anthony Petrosino. Stroup joined the UMass Dartmouth faculty in September after working with Dr. Petrosino for several years.