Track 2 EBP: Toward Using Virtual Identities in Computer Science Learning for Broadening Participation

本研究探讨了虚拟身份在学生学习核心计算原理中的作用。在美国，女性和许多少数族裔群体在科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）专业中的代表性不足。 越来越多的计算技能需要进入任何STEM领域。 确定有效和创新的教学计算技能的手段是对这一国家挑战的关键贡献。 这项研究所依据的证据表明，陈规定型观念的威胁可能会破坏妇女和少数民族的学习过程。 本研究利用麻省理工学院在NSF资助下开发的计算机科学学习软件，研究虚拟身份在提高学生计算机科学学习能力和扩大学生参与领域方面的作用。本研究采用计算和定性方法，研究虚拟身份（化身）在学生计算机科学学习中的作用。 它集中在三个核心操作支柱：1）为不同的初中和高中学生部署计算机科学学习干预，利用学生的社会文化身份和生成主题，以提高对核心概念，问题解决和思考的认识，包括探索计算机科学的关键部分;（二）描述学生的虚拟身份与其实际社会文化身份之间的关系，以制定虚拟身份类型的分类法和描述学生如何使用和与其相关的规则。虚拟身份;以及3）识别不同化身类型对学生表现的影响。

This research examines the role of virtual identities in students' learning core computational principles. Women and many ethnic minority groups are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions in the United States. Increasingly, computational skills are required for entry into any of the STEM fields. Identifying effective and innovative means of teaching computational skills is a critical contribution to this national challenge. This research builds on the evidence that stereotype threats can undermine the learning process for women and ethnic minorities. Using computer science learning software developed at MIT with previous NSF funding, this work examines the role that virtual identities can play in improving student learning in computer science specifically and broadening participation in the field generally.This project uses computational and qualitative methods to study the roles that virtual identities, avatars, can play in students' learning computer science. It centers on three core operational pillars: 1) deployment of a computer science learning intervention for diverse middle and high school students that draws on students' sociocultural identities and generative themes to agitate awareness of core concepts, problem solving and thinking in topics including critical sections of Exploring Computer Science; 2) characterization of the relationship between students' virtual identities and their actual sociocultural identities to develop a taxonomy of virtual identity types and a rubric for describing how students use and relate to their virtual identities; and 3) identification of the impacts of different avatar types on students' performance.