Science Learning: Integrating Design, Engineering and Robotics (SLIDER)

科学学习：集成设计，工程和机器人（SLIDER）项目是一项合作努力，涉及教育中心集成科学，数学和计算（CEISMC），教学和学习的增强中心（CETL），心理学学院，生物医学工程学院和计算学院在格鲁吉亚技术;教育部的格鲁吉亚州;和三个格鲁吉亚学校系统：一个城市一个农村一个郊区该项目正在开发和实施一个严格的八年级物理科学计划，利用工程设计，乐高机器人和力学，以及基于问题的学习方法来教授力学，波浪和能量。该项目寻求这些研究问题的答案：可以研究为基础的物理科学教学材料，使用基于问题的探究学习的背景下，工程设计方案授权广泛的中学学习者学习物理科学的内容和推理技能？这些教育材料能否提高学生在STEM领域的参与度、积极性、能力、创造力和兴趣;如果是这样，这种效果是否会随着学生进入高中而持续下去？ 学生参与材料不同，这取决于他们的性别，种族，社会经济地位，以前的学术成就水平，或位置（城市，郊区，或农村）？在回答这些主要问题的过程中，正在解决的其他问题包括：应该如何在课堂上评估学习，以及这种评估如何影响学生的表现？什么样的教学材料和专业发展是必要的，以准备教师在课堂上有效地提供这种类型的教学？三所地理位置不同的学校，拥有强大的学校领导和现有的机器人使用记录，正在参与该项目。在每所学校，两名教师利用乐高套件和存储单元，以充分支持他们的物理科学课的教学。SLIDER的教学材料包括情境化的、以问题为基础的挑战，要求学生设计、编程、调查、反思和修改他们的产品或解决方案。智力优势：SLIDER有助于在K-12教育中使用工程设计和机器人技术的有效性的知识基础。更广泛的影响：SLIDER通过提供一套以研究为基础并经过全面测试的教学材料供教师使用来影响K-12物理科学教育。这些材料旨在吸引更多的学生，特别是那些以前在STEM中代表性不足的学生，进入技术领域和职业。该项目还通过培训研究生，本科生和博士后研究人员在教育研究和评估的理论和方法的教育研究队伍的影响。

The Science Learning: Integrating Design, Engineering and Robotics (SLIDER) project is a collaborative effort involving the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC), the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL), the School of Psychology, the School of Biomedical Engineering, and the College of Computing at Georgia Tech; the State of Georgia Department of Education; and three Georgia school systems: one urban, one rural, and one suburban. The project is developing and implementing a rigorous eighth grade physical science program that utilizes engineering design, LEGO robotics and mechanics, and a problem-based learning approach to teach mechanics, waves, and energy. The project seeks answers to these research questions: Can research-based physical science instructional materials that use problem-based inquiry learning in the context of engineering design scenarios empower a broad range of middle school learners to learn physical science content and reasoning skills? Can these educational materials lead to increased engagement, motivation, aptitudes, creativity, and interest in STEM fields; if so, does this effect persist as students move into high school? Do students engage with the materials differently depending upon their gender, race, socioeconomic status, prior academic achievement level, or location (urban, suburban, or rural)? In the process of answering these primary questions, additional questions being addressed include: How should the learning be assessed in the classroom and how does this assessment impact student performance? What instructional materials and professional development are necessary to prepare teachers to deliver this type of instruction effectively in their classrooms? Three geographically disparate schools with strong school leadership and an existing track record of robotics use are participating in the project. In each school, two teachers utilize LEGO kits and storage units to fully support instruction in their physical science classes. The SLIDER instructional materials consist of contextualized, problem-based challenges that require students to design, program, investigate, reflect, and revise their products or solutions.Intellectual Merit: SLIDER contributes to the knowledge base on the effectiveness of using engineering design and robotics in K-12 education. Broader Impacts: SLIDER impacts K-12 physical science education by providing a research-based and thoroughly tested set of instructional materials for use by teachers. These materials are designed to attract more students, particularly those previously underrepresented in STEM, into technical fields and careers. The project also impacts the educational research workforce by training graduate students, undergraduate students, and postdoctoral researchers in the theory and methods of educational research and evaluation.