DCL: EAGER: MAKER: Determining the Efficacy of Maker Activities by Navigating Discourse (DEMAND)

由于MakerFaire等运动和其他基层努力，Makerspaces在美国各地的学校越来越受欢迎。 然而，为创客空间寻找空间和工作人员对学校来说可能是令人望而生畏的。DEMAND项目将通过包含Maker材料、详细课程计划和评估规则的基于标准的工具包来解决这些障碍。 这些工具包将提供给伙伴地区内的所有小学教师，并将在每所学校确定一名带头教师。DEMAND项目的目标是建立一个致力于整合“制作”的教师和学生社区，在整个学区使用统一的教学法。研究人员计划调查1）基于工具包的制作方法的有效性（与专门的Makerspace相比），2）与其他活动相比，使用Maker活动学习的好处，以及3）Maker活动在学习者代理中的作用和扩大STEM的参与。 其目的是产生一个良好的研究教师专业发展（PD）模式的制造商活动。这项计划将鼓励学校的同龄人参加PD课程。调查人员将进行个案研究，比较学校的个别教师和整个地区的背景。该计划将探索一个新的模式，让更多教师参与学习制作活动，从而作为一个起点，让更多学生在不同的背景下接触制作。此外，为了了解学习者机构在制造商的过程中，并为学生的解决问题的技能和自我效能的启示，调查人员将分析学生和教师的话语，因为他们从事的活动。

Makerspaces have become increasingly popular in schools throughout the United States thanks to movements like MakerFaire and other grassroots efforts.  However, finding space and staff for a Makerspace can be daunting for schools. The DEMAND project will address these barriers with standards-based kits containing Maker materials, detailed lesson plans, and assessment rubrics.  The kits will be available to all elementary school teachers within the partner district and a lead teacher will be identified at each school. The goal of the DEMAND project is to build a community of teachers and students committed to integrating "Making", using a uniform pedagogy across the school district. The investigators plan to investigate 1)the efficacy of the kit-based approach to Making (vs. a dedicated Makerspace), 2) the benefits of learning with Maker activities compared to other activities, and 3) the role of Maker activities in learner agency and broadening participation in STEM.  The objective is to produce a well-researched teacher professional development (PD) model for Maker activities. This project will encourage school-based cohorts to attend the PD sessions. The investigators will conduct case studies, comparing individual teachers in schools, and contexts, across the district. The project will explore a new model for engaging more teachers in learning about Making activities, thereby serving as a launching point to expose a wider range of students to Making in various contexts. Additionally, in order to understand learner agency within the Maker process and the affordances for students' problem-solving skills and self-efficacy, the investigators will analyze student and teacher discourse as they engage in Making activities.