Collaborative Research: BPC-DP: New Voices and New Visions for Engaging Native Americans in Computer Science

新墨西哥大学(UNM)和波士顿大学(BU)提出了一项试点计划，该计划将美洲原住民文化和艺术与高科技、计算机丰富的环境相结合，作为吸引美国原住民学生学习计算机和计算科学的工具。该项目采用了接入网格(AG)、虚拟现实技术和BU的深度视觉显示(DVD)墙，以创造具有文化和技术吸引力的教育体验。AG将被用作通信基础设施，在新墨西哥州大学、杰梅兹教育部和波士顿大学之间建立一个网络教室，并成为这三个州研究人员之间合作的主要机制。在DVD墙上展示的与文化相关的虚拟现实体验的开发将是课程的核心，作为该项目计算机科学目标的动力。该项目的目标是高中生和大学生，他们将参加为期两个学期的课程，交叉列出并由计算机科学和美洲原住民研究的教师共同教授。夏令营将向高中生介绍计算机，并为课程做好准备。学生们将通过学习小组、辅导和每月的社交活动得到支持。他们将可以接触到美洲原住民的教职员工，以及一名协助该项目的美国原住民艺术家。拟议的项目还在布宜诺斯艾利斯大学、马尼拉大学和杰梅兹普韦布洛举办了外联活动。这些学生作品的活动和展示旨在影响更大的社区，以与文化相关的方式改变计算的形象，并吸引美国原住民学生从事计算机科学和职业。该项目基于整体和多学科的方法创建了一个新模式，将美国原住民的教育学、文化和虚拟美学、计算应用(数字媒体、VR、3D动画、DVD墙和AG)和计算机科学概念结合在一起。该模式是作为计算机科学和美洲原住民研究之间的新课程伙伴关系而实施的。该课程将面向本科生和高中生，有望激励他们中的许多人攻读计算机学位。

The University of New Mexico (UNM) and Boston University (BU) propose a pilot program that develops curriculum combining Native American culture and art with a high-technology, computer-rich environment as a vehicle to engage Native American students in computer and computational science. The project employs the Access Grid (AG), virtual reality technologies, and BU's Deep Vision Display (DVD) Wall to create a culturally and technologically compelling educational experience. The AG will be used as the communication infrastructure to create a cyber-classroom between UNM, the Jemez Department of Education and BU, as well as the primary mechanism for collaboration between the researchers in the three states. The development of a culturally relevant, virtual reality experience displayed on the DVD wall will be a centerpiece of the curriculum, serving as a motivation for the computer science goals of the project. The project targets high school and college students who will take a two semester course, cross-listed and cotaught by faculty from Computer Science and Native American Studies. A summer camp will introduce the high school students to computing and prepare them for the course. The students will be supported with study groups, mentoring, and monthly socials. They will have access to Native American faculty, and a Native American artist assisting with the project. The proposed project also has outreach events and activities at BU, UMN, and Jemez Pueblo. These events and shows of the student work are intended to influence the larger community, change the image of computing in culturally relevant ways, and attract the Native American students to computer science and careers.The project creates a new model, based on a holistic and multidisciplinary approach, that incorporates Native American pedagogy, culture and virtual aesthetics, computational applications (digital media, VR, 3D animation, DVD wall, and AG), and computer science concepts. The model is implemented as a new curriculum partnership between Computer Science and Native American Studies. The curriculum will be delivered to both undergraduates and high school students, hopefully inspiring many of them to pursue a degree in computing.