Science Learning+: Understanding the Role of Embodied Interaction in Pre-K Children's Learning about Science in Informal Settings

科学学习：理解具身互动在学前儿童非正式环境中学习科学中的作用

• 批准号: 1646940
• 负责人: Judy Brown
• 金额: $ 138.24万
• 依托单位: Museum of Science, Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-03-15 至 2020-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1646940&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Science; Learning+; Understanding; Role; Embodied

Science researchers and practitioners are often challenged by how best to assess the effectiveness of science activities on young children whose language skills are still emerging. Yet, research has demonstrated the critical importance of early learning on individual potential. Building on evidence that movement is tightly intertwined with thinking, this project will investigate how thought and movement link as embodied learning to accelerate science understanding. Research will be conducted in the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) with the aim to gather evidence for embodied interactions during science learning and articulate design principles about how museum exhibits can most effectively encourage cognitive and physical engagement with science. Such guidelines are largely absent in the field of informal STEM learning, and so this project seeks transformational change in how learning is understood and recognizes that changes in knowledge can be developed and revealed through body-based movements as well as verbally. Such a view is critically important given that many early learners communicate understanding through nonverbal channels before verbal. Research will be conducted with a diverse population of children and will explore the application of embodied learning to communities that are underrepresented in STEM. This project is funded through Science Learning+, which is an international partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Wellcome Trust with the UK Economic and Social Research Council. The goal of this joint funding effort is to make transformational steps toward improving the knowledge base and practices of informal STEM experiences. Within NSF, Science Learning+ is part of the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program that seeks to enhance learning in informal environments and to broaden access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences.During a 3-year period, researcher-practitioner teams across six museum sites will collaboratively investigate the links between movement and learning outcomes at selected science exhibits designed for young learners. Research activities will involve iteration and refinement of new instruments and protocols, through analysis of observed and automated capture of interaction data, and synthesis and interpretation of data. A design-based research methodology will be applied to address three key questions: 1) What elements of sensory and action experiences are key to informing the design of exhibits that aim to exploit embodied interactions for learning; 2) What is the role of bodily enactment /gestures in assessing children's understanding of science concepts; and 3) What cultural differences in kinds of embodied engagement emerge across diverse museum settings? Video and audio data of 400 children's exhibit interactions will be collected. Pre/post semi-structured interviews will be conducted with a subset of these participants and will focus on children's understanding of relevant science concepts as well as personal reflections on their physical and emotional experience engaging with the exhibit. This project would raise awareness of embodied approaches to learning as well as build stronger collaborations between informal STEM educators and cognitive researchers. Utilization of informal and formal dissemination networks will support wide diffusion of project outcomes. This is critically important given strong evidence pointing to the impact of preschool education in underserved populations, and ongoing national efforts by the US and UK to improve the quality of STEM learning in preschool contexts.

科学研究人员和实践者经常面临的挑战是如何最好地评估科学活动对语言技能仍在形成的幼儿的有效性。 然而，研究表明，早期学习对个人潜力至关重要。基于运动与思维紧密交织的证据，该项目将研究思维和运动如何联系起来，作为具体的学习来加速科学理解。研究将在美国（US）和英国（UK）进行，目的是收集科学学习过程中体现互动的证据，并阐明博物馆展品如何最有效地鼓励认知和身体参与科学的设计原则。这种指导方针在非正式STEM学习领域基本上是不存在的，因此该项目寻求如何理解学习的转型变革，并认识到知识的变化可以通过基于身体的运动以及口头来发展和揭示。这种观点是至关重要的，因为许多早期学习者在语言之前通过非语言渠道进行沟通。研究将与不同的儿童群体进行，并将探索具体学习的应用，在干代表性不足的社区。该项目由科学学习+资助，这是国家科学基金会（NSF）和惠康信托基金与英国经济和社会研究理事会之间的国际伙伴关系。这项联合资助工作的目标是朝着改善非正式STEM经验的知识基础和实践迈出转型步伐。在NSF内部，科学学习+是推进非正式STEM学习（AISL）计划的一部分，该计划旨在加强非正式环境中的学习，并扩大STEM学习体验的获取和参与。在为期3年的时间里，六个博物馆的研究人员-实践者团队将在为年轻学习者设计的选定科学展览中合作调查运动和学习成果之间的联系。研究活动将涉及通过分析观察到的和自动捕获的相互作用数据，以及综合和解释数据，迭代和改进新的仪器和协议。本研究将以设计为基础，探讨三个主要问题：1）感官和行动经验的哪些元素是设计旨在利用具身互动进行学习的展品的关键; 2）身体行为/手势在评估儿童对科学概念的理解方面的作用; 3）在不同的博物馆环境中，体现参与的文化差异是什么？将收集400个儿童展览互动的视频和音频数据。将对这些参与者的一部分进行前/后半结构化访谈，重点关注儿童对相关科学概念的理解以及对他们参与展览的身体和情感体验的个人反思。该项目将提高人们对具体学习方法的认识，并在非正式STEM教育工作者和认知研究人员之间建立更强有力的合作。利用非正式和正式的传播网络将有助于广泛传播项目成果。这一点至关重要，因为有强有力的证据表明学前教育对服务不足人群的影响，以及美国和英国正在努力提高学前环境中STEM学习的质量。