Computational Literacy: A Study of the Efficacy of Computational Science in High School Biology, Earth and Space Science, and Physics Classrooms

这个IERI项目的目的是调查计算素养的建设，这既是理解领域知识的一种手段，也是追求科学和工程职业的必要技能。该项目建立在先前资助的NSF和能源部项目的基础上，这些项目在教育和计算科学的交叉点上工作了十多年，将计算科学和计算建模策略引入数学和科学的课堂教学。该项目将建立在HS生物、地球科学和物理领域已经开发的课程要素的基础上。这些课程元素包括大量的计算科学和计算模型，并提供软件支持，使这些模型可用于高中课程。这些模型与教育学和国家标准保持一致。硕士教师将参与教学支持和课程设计，使用模块作为“虚拟”实验室。在该计划的实验阶段，将在马里兰州、爱荷华州和田纳西州的各种教室进行随机实验，将新课程与标准课程进行比较，从AP课程到普通科学课程，涉及不同的学生群体。学生的成绩将通过旨在展示学生理解和解决问题能力的工具以及NAEP等标准测试来衡量。该项目的广泛影响反映在其学生的范围和改善所有美国人科学教育的可能性上。

The purpose of this IERI project is to investigate the building of computational literacy both as a means of understanding domain knowledge and as a necessary skill for pursuing careers in science and engineering. The project builds upon previously funded NSF and Department of Energy projects that have worked at the intersections of education and computational science for over a decade to bring computational science and computational modeling strategies into the classroom teaching of mathematics and science. The project will build upon curriculum elements already developed in the areas of HS Biology, Earth Sciences, and Physics. These curriculum elements include a substantial number of computational science and computational models with the software supports that make the models usable in HS curriculum. The models are aligned with pedagogy and state standards. Master teachers will be involved in both the pedagogy support and the design of the curriculum using the modules as a "virtual" laboratory. In the experimental phase of the program, a randomized experiment comparing the new curriculum to the standard curriculum will be conducted in a variety of classrooms ranging from AP classes to general science classes and involving diverse student populations in Maryland, Iowa, and Tennessee. Student outcomes will be measured using instruments designed to show student problem understanding and solving capabilities and with standard tests such as NAEP. The broader impact of the project is reflected in its range of students and the possibility of improving science education for all Americans.