Broadening Participation of Elementary School Teachers and Students in Computer Science through STEM Integration and Statewide Collaboration

计算已经成为现代科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)领域实践中不可或缺的一部分。因此，STEM计算伙伴关系(STEM C)计划寻求在K-12 STEM教学和学习中整合计算方法的使用，并了解这种整合如何提高STEM的学习、参与度和持久性。计算思维(CT)是一个相对较新的教育热点，显然需要学习者作为21世纪的技能。这项建议解决了这一对年轻学习者具有挑战性的新领域，这是一个非常需要研究和学习材料的领域。该项目将为1-6年级开发符合新的马萨诸塞州数字扫盲和计算机科学标准的综合STEM和CT模块。他们将与马萨诸塞州中小学教育局(ESE)合作制定和实施这项计划。在这个年级，几乎没有为CT开发和测试的课程材料和随附的评估。仅这项开发工作就有可能使该提案产生更广泛的影响。然而，一套教材和与之配套的专业发展(PD)对于将使用作者建议的质量的教材的教师来说，具有巨大的潜力产生更广泛的影响。与马萨诸塞州初等和中等教育部门在制定和实施方面建立了强有力的伙伴关系，并与马萨诸塞州新制定的数字扫盲和计算机科学标准保持一致，这一点得到了改善。100名教师将参加PD。这套模块将立即在马萨诸塞州的1154所小学使用，他们计划进一步传播。该团队将开发和分享的评估将使许多研究人员能够迅速改进他们在CT学习方面的研究，因为目前还没有强有力的评估可用。该研究计划不仅将通过研究学生和教师对CT的学习和态度的变化来检验课程的有效性，还将调查这些模块是如何实施的，并加深该领域对什么是有效的STEM C集成实践以及教师如何最好地应对出现的挑战的理解。该项目将根据新的马萨诸塞州数字素养和计算机科学标准开发、实施和测试1-6年级的18个STEM和CT集成模块。他们将与马萨诸塞州初等和中等教育部门合作开发和实施。他们的第一个研究问题是调查教师如何使用材料进行教学，以及如何帮助教师克服这一领域的障碍。他们将使用基于调查和设计的研究方法的组合来解决这个问题，方法是为每个模块的教师提供活动反馈和总结日志、教师专业学习社区会议的笔记、选定的课堂实地笔记，以及通过制定和采用忠实的实施措施。第二个研究问题调查了这些模块对学生和教师的学习以及对计算机辅助教学的态度的影响。他们将制定和/或调整教师调查和学生CT评估。他们将在与大约200个教室的对比研究中使用这些方法，其中一半处于控制条件下，另一半处于治疗条件下，结果是每种条件下大约有2500名学生。除了期刊和会议出版物和演示文稿的传统传播方法外，这些单元和相关评估将立即成为马萨诸塞州小学课程的一部分，并将从马萨诸塞州中小学教育部网站免费提供。

Computing has become an integral part of the practice of in modern science, technology engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. As a result, the STEM+Computing Partnership (STEM+C) program seeks to integrate the use of computational approaches in K-12 STEM teaching and learning and understand how this integration can improve STEM learning, engagement, and persistence. Computational Thinking (CT) is a relatively new educational focus and a clear need for learners as a 21st century skill. This proposal tackles this challenging new area for young learners, an area greatly in need of research and learning materials. This project will develop integrated STEM and CT modules for grades 1-6 that follow new Massachusetts standards for Digital Literacy and Computer Science. They will partner with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) for the development and implementation. There are almost no curriculum materials and accompanying assessments developed and tested for CT in this grade band. This development work alone would give the proposal potential for broader impact. However, a set of materials and accompanying Professional Development (PD) for teachers who will employ the materials of the quality that the authors propose has a tremendous potential for broader impact. This is improved by the strong partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for both development and implementation and the alignment with newly developed standards for Digital Literacy and Computer Science in Massachusetts. 100 teachers will participate in the PD. The set of modules will be used in the 1,154 elementary schools in Massachusetts immediately and they plan to disseminate further. The assessments the team will develop and share will enable many researchers to quickly improve their research in CT learning, as currently, there are no strong assessments available. The research plan will not only examine the effectiveness of the curriculum by examining both changes in student and teacher learning and attitudes towards CT, it will also investigate how the modules are implemented and deepen the field's understanding of what is effective STEM+C integration practices and of how teachers can best address the challenges that arise.This project will develop, implement and test 18 integrated STEM and CT modules for grades 1-6 based on the new Massachusetts standards for Digital Literacy and Computer Science. They will partner with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for the development and implementation. Their first research question investigates how teachers teach with the materials and how to help teachers overcome obstacles in this area. They will use a combination of survey and Design Based research methodologies to address this question through activity feedback and summary logs for teachers for each module, notes from teacher professional learning community meetings, selected classroom field notes, and through developing and employing a fidelity of implementation measure. The second research question investigates the effects of the modules on student and teacher learning and attitudes of CT. The will develop and/or adapt a teacher survey and student CT assessments. The will use these in a comparison study with approximately 200 classrooms, half in a control condition and half in the treatment condition, resulting in approximately 2500 students per condition. In addition to the traditional dissemination methods of journal and conference publications and presentations, these modules and the associated assessments will immediately become part of Massachusetts elementary school curriculum, and will be available at no cost from the State of Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website.