Nano-satellites and East Bay Rocket Scientists (NEARS)

科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)领域的职业预计将以高于非STEM职业的速度增长；然而，达到进入STEM劳动力所需基准的学生较少。目前对计算机科学家的需求远远超过目前攻读计算机科学(CS)学位的学生数量，这些学生包括极少数妇女和女孩、种族和少数民族以及来自低收入家庭的个人。这项研究的调查人员假设，使STEM中代表性不足的群体的青年有机会在支持性和协作性环境中为他们自己的设计收集调查数据，是对科学和计算机编程职业学习和兴趣的强大动力。纳米卫星和东湾火箭科学家(NEAR)项目将开发和研究一种模式，其中包括：1)让青年参与设计和进行与当地有关的科学调查，在地球和近地轨道的纳米卫星上使用可编程的传感器；2)支持青年的领导技能，促进他们所在社区对与地方有关的问题的认识；以及3)为青年人及其家人提供机会了解STEM职业并接触STEM专业人员。研究活动将在三个城市环境中进行--一所替代职业学院学校、一个课外项目和劳伦斯科学馆的夏令营--服务于高中年龄的年轻人和来自东旧金山湾区服务不足社区的年轻人。由劳伦斯科学馆的学习科学家、ArduSat的STEM专业人员和当地社区的辅导员组成的协作团队将共同努力，设计、开发、测试和完善活动和教学材料，以便在不同的教育背景下有效使用。如果前景看好，通过这个项目开发的活动、教学材料和辅导员指南将用于大会堂正在进行的几个项目，并可能被其他寻求为社区青年提供类似体验的人所采用。该项目将推动学生和教师创新技术体验(ITEST)计划的努力，以更好地了解和促进提高学生在科学、技术、工程或数学(STEM)领域追求职业生涯的动机和能力的实践，方法是探索服务不足社区的青年开展以纳米卫星编程为特色的科学调查的独特机会。纳米卫星和东湾火箭科学家(NEARS)将开发、实施和研究一种模式，以吸引9-12年级的城市青年学习科学和计算机编程。该项目将制定一系列以探究为基础的学生调查，这些调查与下一代科学标准和支持性教学相一致，共同促进青年参与STEM，并改善他们对STEM的看法和能力。团队将在这三个环境中的每一个环境中反复开发、试验和改进活动和材料。90名学生将参加为期三年的研究活动。研究的数据来源包括学生工作成果、录像观察、事后调查、事后计算思维评估和案例研究访谈。结果衡量标准包括参与者的科学调查和讨论实践；STEM的迷恋、价值和能力信念；计算机科学能力；职业意识；自我描述，特别是与STEM有关的自我描述；以及对项目活动的参与度。这项研究试图了解参与NEAR如何影响学生的结果；学生、他们的经历和他们的结果在不同的学习环境和法规中是如何变化的；以及在每种环境中需要什么来支持项目的可持续性。主要成果将包括1)支持在教育中有效利用Arduino控制的纳米卫星的教育资源和研究；2)了解这种Arduino方案编制的具体内容是否以及如何引起人们对科学和技术教育的兴趣；3)提供信息，支持其他人为城市青年制定可持续的方案编制；4)丰富的案例研究，说明个人通向STEM的途径。研究和开发产品将与研究、教育和行业社区广泛共享，包括通过社交媒体、合作伙伴网络、会议演示和研究出版物在当地和全国范围内传播。

Careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are predicted to grow at a pace higher than that of non-STEM careers; however, fewer students are meeting the required benchmarks to enter the STEM workforce. The current demand for computer scientists far outweighs the current number of students pursuing computer science (CS) degrees, and those students include very few women and girls, racial and ethnic minorities, and individuals from low-income families. The investigators of this study hypothesize that enabling youth from groups who are underrepresented in STEM with the opportunity to program satellites to collect data for investigations of their own design, in a supportive and collaborative environment, is a powerful motivator of learning and interest in science and computer programming careers. The Nanosatellites and East Bay Rocket Scientists (NEARS) project will develop and study a model that includes 1) engaging youth in designing and conducting locally-relevant scientific investigations that use programmable sensors on earth and on nanosatellites in low-earth orbit; 2) supporting youth leadership skills and contributions to their communities' awareness about locally-relevant issues; and 3) providing youth and their families with opportunities to learn about STEM careers and engage with STEM professionals. Research activities will be carried out in three urban settings-- an alternative career academy school, an after-school program, and summer camps at Lawrence Hall of Science-- that serve high school-aged youth and young adults from underserved communities of the East San Francisco Bay area. A collaborative team of learning scientists at the Lawrence Hall of Science, STEM professionals from ArduSat, and facilitators from the local communities served will work together to design, develop, test, and refine the activities and instructional materials for effective use in different educational contexts. If promising, the activities, instructional materials, and facilitator guides developed through this project would be used in several ongoing programs at the Hall and could be adopted by others seeking to provide similar experiences for youth in their communities. This project will advance efforts of the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program to better understand and promote practices that increase students' motivations and capacities to pursue careers in fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) by exploring unique opportunities for youth in underserved communities to conduct scientific investigations that feature programming nanosatellites. The Nanosatellites and East Bay Rocket Scientists (NEARS) will develop, implement, and study a model to engage urban youth in grades 9-12 in science and computer programming. The project will develop a progression of inquiry-based student investigations that align with the Next Generation Science Standards and supportive pedagogies that, together, will facilitate youth in participating in STEM and improving their perceptions of and competencies in STEM. The team will iteratively develop, pilot, and refine the activities and materials in each of the three contexts. Ninety students will participate in the research activities over three years. Data sources for research include student work products, video-recorded observations, pre-post surveys, pre-post computational thinking assessments, and case study interviews. Outcome measures include participants' science investigation and discourse practices; STEM fascination, value, and competency beliefs; computer science competencies; career awareness; descriptions of self, particularly with regarding to STEM; and engagement in the project activities. The research seeks to understand how participation in NEARS affects student outcomes; how students, their experiences, and their outcomes vary across the different learning settings and enactments; and what is needed to support project sustainability in each setting. Major outcomes will include 1) educational resources and research that support the effective use of Arduino-controlled nanosatellites in education; 2) understandings of whether and how elements of this contextualized Arduino programming lead to interest in CS; 3) information that will support others in the development of sustainable programming for urban youth; and 4) rich case study descriptions of individuals' pathways to STEM. Research and development products will be shared widely with research, education, and industry communities and include local and national dissemination through social media, partner networks, conference presentations, and research publications.