EXP: Developing Citizen Scientists Through Face-to-Face and Networked Learning Opportunities

EXP：通过面对面和网络学习机会培养公民科学家

• 批准号: 1124568
• 负责人: Brigid Barron
• 金额: $ 54.92万
• 依托单位: Stanford University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-09-01 至 2014-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1124568&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: EXP; Developing; Citizen; Scientists; Through

This research project is investigating how networked technologies can generate excitement and expertise development among middle school students learning to become citizen scientists. The investigators are partnering with "Vital Signs," a citizen science networked system located in the State of Maine, linked statewide to schools and accessible not only to the focal participants (teachers and students in seventh and eighth grade classrooms), but to anyone who wants to learn and contribute. Outcomes of this project include 1) a set of case studies of learners and teachers that that represent pathways of engagement that utilize cyberlearning enabled resources; 2) a set of recommendations about new learning resources and tools that can advance personalized learning for students, teachers, and other learners; and 3) a set of ideas about ways to automate the assessment of uploaded data from learners that can be linked to recommendations about resources that can advance learning."Vital Signs" has high potential to generate excitement, interest, and a desire to learn about the natural world by engaging learners directly in observing, documenting, and sharing information about real world phenomena, specifically participating in learning activities designed around scientific issues in their local communities using authentic tools and collaborating with scientists. The Vital Signs program engages teachers and students in seventh and eighth grade science classrooms in inquiry-based science education around activities designed to study and intervene in habitat invasion by non-native species. The STEM content they focus on includes understanding of ecologies, processes of species proliferation, and strategies for intervening in damaged ecosystems. The state of Maine serves a diverse group of learners. Across the state, though average indicators of socio-economic status (home income, poverty level, school lunch qualification, English as a second language, and level of adult education) are close to national averages, there are regional differences. The highest poverty rates in Maine are routinely found in the counties on the west, north, and east borders of the state, where in 2008 rates of child poverty ranged from 24-28%, while in more affluent counties, they were less than half of that. Because all middle school students are involved in the laptop program, this research is able to compare cyberlearning processes and outcomes in relation to economic profiles of communities. Further, the statewide laptop program is unique in the United States and it creates a powerful opportunity to understand how communities who vary in their economic profile, sources of livelihood and technological immersion choose to engage in cyberlearning and what barriers they face.

该研究项目正在研究网络技术如何在学习成为公民科学家的中学生中激发兴趣并促进专业知识的发展。 研究人员正在与“Vital Signs”合作，这是一个位于缅因州的公民科学网络系统，该系统与全州的学校相连，不仅可供重点参与者（七年级和八年级教室的教师和学生）使用，还可供任何想要学习和贡献的人使用。该项目的成果包括 1) 一组学习者和教师的案例研究，这些案例研究代表了利用网络学习支持资源的参与途径； 2) 一系列关于新学习资源和工具的建议，可以促进学生、教师和其他学习者的个性化学习； 3) 一系列关于自动评估学习者上传数据的方法的想法，这些想法可以链接到有关可促进学习的资源的建议。“生命体征”通过让学习者直接观察、记录和分享有关现实世界现象的信息，特别是使用真实的工具参与围绕当地社区的科学问题设计的学习活动，并与 科学家。生命体征计划让七年级和八年级科学课堂的师生参与基于探究的科学教育，围绕旨在研究和干预非本地物种栖息地入侵的活动。他们关注的 STEM 内容包括对生态的理解、物种增殖过程以及干预受损生态系统的策略。缅因州为多元化的学习者群体提供服务。在全州范围内，虽然社会经济地位的平均指标（家庭收入、贫困水平、学校午餐资格、英语作为第二语言和成人教育水平）接近全国平均水平，但存在地区差异。缅因州贫困率最高的地区通常是该州西部、北部和东部边境的县，2008 年这些县的儿童贫困率在 24% 至 28% 之间，而在较富裕的县，这一比例还不到一半。由于所有中学生都参与了笔记本电脑计划，因此这项研究能够比较网络学习过程和结果与社区经济状况的关系。此外，全州范围的笔记本电脑计划在美国是独一无二的，它创造了一个强大的机会来了解经济状况、生计来源和技术沉浸程度不同的社区如何选择参与网络学习以及他们面临哪些障碍。