EarSketch: An Authentic, Studio-Based STEAM Approach to High School Computing Education

该项目将研究将计算音乐混音工具earsketch与计算机科学原理（计算机素养的一种观点，正在成为大学预修课程和其他高中计算机科学课程的新标准）相结合的干预措施对积极的学生成绩和参与（特别是在传统上在计算机科学领域代表性不足的人群中）的影响。该项目的前提是EarSketch，一个STEM + Art （STEAM）学习环境，体现了真实性（即，它在艺术和STEM领域的文化和行业相关性），以及促进学生之间沟通和协作的环境（即，通过基于工作室的学习方法）。这些因素对于在不同的学生群体中取得成功至关重要。使用基于代理的建模，研究小组将调查在不同的学校环境中，是什么因素增强或阻碍了真正的STEAM工具的实施。研究人员将参与一个多阶段的过程来开发：a)一个可实现的、基于网络的EarSketch学习环境，它集成了编程、数字音频工作站、课程、音频循环库和社交共享功能，以及基于工作室的学习功能，以支持学生的演示、评论、讨论和协作；b)为在计算机科学原理课程中使用EarSketch的教师提供在线专业学习课程。利用这些资源，该团队将在佐治亚州的计算机科学原理高中课程中对EarSketch进行准实验研究；衡量多个人口统计类别的学生学习和参与情况；并确定基于earsketch的CS原理课程在多大程度上促进了不同学生群体的学生成绩和参与度。该项目将包括衡量学生在编程任务中的表现、创造力、协作和沟通，以确定EarSketch基于工作室的学习在多大程度上促进了这些重要领域的成功。将在多个学校环境中开发一个基于代理的建模框架，以确定在常规实践条件下，哪些因素会增强或阻碍EarSketch的实施。

This project will study the influence on positive student achievement and engagement (particularly among populations traditionally under-represented in computer science) of an intervention that integrates a computational music remixing tool -EarSketch- with the Computer Science Principles, a view of computing literacy that is emerging as a new standard for Advanced Placement and other high school computer science courses. The project is grounded on the premise that EarSketch, a STEM + Art (STEAM) learning environment, embodies authenticity (i.e., its cultural and industry relevance in both arts and STEM domains), along with a context that facilitates communication and collaboration among students (i.e., through a studio-based learning approach). These elements are critical to achieving successful outcomes across diverse student populations. Using agent-based modeling, the research team will investigate what factors enhance or impede implementation of authentic STEAM tools in different school settings. The researchers will be engaged in a multi-stage process to develop: a) an implementation-ready, web-based EarSketch learning environment that integrates programming, digital audio workstation, curriculum, audio loop library, and social sharing features, along with studio-based learning functionality to support student presentation, critique, discussion, and collaboration; and b) an online professional learning course for teachers adopting EarSketch in Computer Science Principles courses. Using these resources, the team will conduct a quasi-experimental study of EarSketch in Computer Science Principles high school courses across the state of Georgia; measure student learning and engagement across multiple demographic categories; and determine to what extent an EarSketch-based CS Principles course promotes student achievement and engagement across different student populations. The project will include measures of student performance, creativity, collaboration, and communication in student programming tasks to determine the extent to which studio-based learning in EarSketch promotes success in these important areas. An agent-based modeling framework in multiple school settings will be developed to determine what factors enhance or impede implementation of EarSketch under conditions of routine practice.