CPATH-2: Collaborative Research: From Middle School to Industry: Vertical Integration to Inspire Interest in Computational Thinking

这个名为InspireCT的项目采用垂直整合的项目团队，让学生们感受到计算思维在行动中的兴奋。这种纵向整合的结果是，当学生还在决定作为本科生学习什么时，就可以进行实际的、积极的学习体验。InspireCT将通过让学生更早地参与到计算的团队项目应用中来振兴本科计算机教育。该项目包括四个计算机知识水平的参与者：6-12年级的大学预科学生、经验不足的本科生、高级本科生和实践专业人员。项目的中心是高级本科生和团队项目，典型的计算机学位顶点经历。经验不足的学生通过适合他们经验水平的活动融入到顶点项目的兴奋感中。专业人员提供项目和指导，以确保与专业实践和计算思维的实际应用良好的联系。InspireCT还利用了辅导——该项目探索了辅导对学生学习的影响，并考察了较年轻的学生看到较高级学生的成功所产生的积极影响。这有望在经验不足的学生中产生对计算机学习的积极态度。智力价值-这个项目创造并传播了一种新的方法来引入和吸引学生参与计算思维活动。这种主动学习的方法有望提高学生的学习，并通过“做”而不是“听”计算思维来创造更直接的与计算的接触。该项目侧重于计算思维概念，如解决问题、抽象、设计和算法思维。但该项目也表明，计算思维的定义需要包括团队层面的协作努力，因为这是大多数专业人士从事计算思维的方式。研究表明，理解计算思维的协作和社会方面可能是吸引更多女学生的核心。该项目解决了重大的挑战，包括教学角色的转变，垂直整合的适当活动的定义，以及教学角色的变化。同时，该项目建立在积极学习、顶点项目和计算机教育中的性别平等等领域的理论和先前成果的坚实基础之上。理论和相关工作都表明，如果该项目成功地解决了挑战并实现了目标，那么收益将是非常可观的。更广泛的影响- InspireCT对大学预科和本科阶段的学生都有影响。在更早的年龄激发学生的兴趣，并通过主动学习提高学习效果，对计算机教育产生了潜在的变革性影响。研究表明，这种方法的社会和应用方面也提供了一些关键特征，可以有效地吸引女性进入计算机行业。项目的社区建设方面包括大学预科和本科教师。InspireCT活动的组织是为了帮助确定和建立大学预科教师和本科教师之间的一系列合作。

This project, InspireCT, employs vertically integrated project teams to expose students to the excitement of computational thinking in action. This vertical integration results in a hands-on, active learning experience that can occur while students are still deciding what to study as undergraduates. InspireCT will revitalize undergraduate computing education by engaging students in team project applications of computing much earlier than is done today. The project includes participants at four levels of computing knowledge: pre-college students in grades 6-12, less experienced undergraduates, advanced undergraduates, and practicing professionals. At the center of the project are advanced undergraduates and team projects typical of computing degree capstone experiences. The less experienced students are integrated into the excitement typical of capstone projects by activities appropriate to their experience level. The professionals provide projects and mentoring to ensure good connection with professional practice and actual applications of computational thinking.InspireCT also makes use of mentoring - the project explores the impact of mentoring on student learning, and also examines the positive impact of the younger students seeing the successes of the more advanced students. This is expected to engender a positive attitude among less experienced students toward the study of computing. Intellectual Merit - This project creates and disseminates a new approach to introducing and engaging students in computational thinking activities. This active learning approach is expected to improve student learning and to create a much more direct engagement with computing by "doing" rather than "hearing about" computational thinking. The project focuses upon computational thinking concepts such as problem solving, abstraction, design, and thinking algorithmically. But the project also suggests that definitions of computational thinking need to include team level, collaborative efforts since this is how most professionals engage in computational thinking. Research indicates that understanding the collaborative and social aspects of computational thinking may be central to attracting more women students. The project addresses significant challenges including shifts in instructional role, definition of appropriate activities for vertical integration, and changes in instructional role. At the same time, the project builds on a substantial base of theory and prior results in areas such as active learning, capstone projects, and gender equality in computing education. The theory and related work both indicate that the benefits could be very substantial if this project is successful in addressing the challenges and meeting the goals. Broader Impact - InspireCT impacts students at both the pre-college and undergraduate levels. Sparking student interest at that earlier age and improving learning outcomes via active learning constitutes a potentially transformative impact on computing education. The social and applied aspects of this approach also provide key characteristics that research shows are effective in attracting women to computing. The community building aspect of the project includes both pre-college and undergraduate instructors. The InspireCT activities are organized to help identify and establish a series of collaborations between pre-college instructors and undergraduate faculty.