WASHINGTON, D.C. (WV News) — U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, on Friday announced $307,040 for the West Virginia University Research Corporation through the National Science Foundation.
According to a release, the funding will support a research project that seeks to identify and implement effective, evidenced-based online tutoring practices for undergraduate STEM learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic created major challenges for all of our educational institutions, forcing students to adapt to new methods of learning," Capito said in a release. "It is welcome news to see that that NSF and WVU are working together to bridge gaps in our tutoring procedures by forming effective solutions that help our students in STEM majors."
Capito added that she has long been an advocate for STEM programs in West Virginia.
"I will continue to use my role on the Senate Appropriations Committee to ensure funding is secured to support important efforts like this one," Capito said in a release.
Manchin reiterated that the COVID-19 pandemic affected class learning.
"Many schools and universities have transitioned to virtual classrooms, drastically changing how our students learn," Manchin said in a release. "West Virginia University’s research will address the challenges of online tutoring for college mathematics and will aim to identify best practices to help other universities better educate their students."
Manchin said that the National Science Foundation continues to be a great partner for West Virginia and its universities.
"I look forward to seeing the benefits of this research for students in West Virginia and across the nation,” Manchin said in a release.