AISL Pathways: The Role of Story in Games to Teach Computer Science Concepts to Middle School Girls

AISL 途径：故事在向中学生教授计算机科学概念的游戏中的作用

• 批准号: 1421806
• 负责人: Elisabeth Gee
• 金额: $ 21.92万
• 依托单位: Arizona State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-09-01 至 2017-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1421806&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: AISL; Pathways; Role; Story; Games

As part of its overall strategy to enhance learning in informal environments, the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program funds innovative resources for use in a variety of settings. Nationally, the US has a shortage of computer scientists; a big part of this problem is that girls are discouraged from learning computer science at a very young age. This project tries to address this problem by creating a videogame specifically oriented towards getting middle school girls interested in learning computer science concepts outside traditional programming classes. Based on evidence that stories provide a compelling way to present complicated technical subjects and that girls in particular respond to technology careers as a way to help others, the project is building a videogame called "Gram's House" in which social workers intend to move a fictional grandmother to a retirement home unless the player can outfit her home with sufficient technology for her to remain independent. Solving puzzles in the game requires learning core computer science concepts. Research studies will be conducted to determine whether the videogame is effective at getting girls interested in computer science, at teaching computer science concepts, and whether using stories makes videogames more effective for learning.This project based on an earlier successful prototype uses an iterative research-based design process including paper prototyping, playtesting, and focus groups (N=20) to create age appropriate activities, based on the CS Unplugged series, that support learning concepts from the Data, Internet, Algorithms, and Abstraction sections of the high-school level CS Principles curriculum. A quantitative, quasi-experimental design will be used to determine the overall effectiveness of teaching CS concepts under three types of game conditions: (a) games alone, (b) games with fictional settings, and (c) games with stories. A novel assessment instrument will be developed to assess content learning and qualitative observation using a standard observation protocol will be used to gauge interest and engagement. 70-80 middle school girls will be recruited for afterschool participation in the study in two states. As part of the dissemination efforts, a facilitator's guide, rule book, and materials such as maps and storyboards will be created and shared with the game. In addition, a workshop for computer science and other teachers who are interested in using games to teach CS concepts will be conducted.

作为加强非正式环境中学习的总体战略的一部分，推进非正式 STEM 学习 (AISL) 计划资助在各种环境中使用的创新资源。从全国来看，美国计算机科学家短缺；这个问题的一个重要原因是女孩在很小的时候就不愿意学习计算机科学。该项目试图通过创建一款专门针对让中学生对传统编程课程之外学习计算机科学概念感兴趣的视频游戏来解决这个问题。有证据表明，故事提供了一种令人信服的方式来呈现复杂的技术主题，而且女孩尤其将技术职业视为帮助他人的一种方式，该项目正在开发一款名为“Gram's House”的视频游戏，在游戏中，社会工作者打算将一位虚构的祖母搬到养老院，除非玩家能为她的家配备足够的技术，让她保持独立。解决游戏中的谜题需要学习核心计算机科学概念。我们将进行研究，以确定视频游戏是否能有效地让女孩对计算机科学产生兴趣，教授计算机科学概念，以及使用故事是否可以使视频游戏更有效地学习。该项目基于早期成功的原型，使用基于迭代研究的设计流程，包括纸质原型、游戏测试和焦点小组（N = 20），以创建适合年龄的活动，基于 CS Unplugged 系列，支持来自数据、互联网、算法和数据的学习概念。 高中级计算机科学原理课程的抽象部分。将使用定量、准实验设计来确定在三种类型的游戏条件下教授计算机科学概念的总体有效性：(a) 单独的游戏，(b) 具有虚构背景的游戏，以及 (c) 有故事的游戏。将开发一种新颖的评估工具来评估内容学习，并使用标准观察协议进行定性观察来衡量兴趣和参与度。两个州将招募 70-80 名中学生课后参加这项研究。作为传播工作的一部分，将创建辅导员指南、规则手册以及地图和故事板等材料并与游戏共享。此外，还将为计算机科学和其他有兴趣使用游戏教授计算机科学概念的教师举办研讨会。