Collaborative Research: Design and Development of Transmedia Narrative-Based Curricula to Engage Children in Scientific Thinking and Engineering Design

探索研究K-12计划(DRK-12)旨在通过研究和开发创新资源、模型和工具(RMT)，显著提高K-12学龄前学生和教师在科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)方面的学习和教学。DRK-12计划中的项目建立在STEM教育的基础研究和先前的研究和开发努力的基础上，这些研究和开发工作为拟议的项目提供了理论和经验证明。工程学是下一代科学标准(NGSS)的重要组成部分。然而，用于支持教师实施这些标准的资源稀缺。该项目将通过应用一种名为想象教育(IE)的创新教育法来创建中学工程课程，以满足对资源的需求。在IE中，适合发展的叙事被用来设计学习环境，帮助学习者参与内容并有效地组织他们的知识。为了充分挖掘这种教学法的潜力，这个项目将把IE与跨媒体讲故事结合起来。在跨媒体讲故事中，叙事的不同元素以一种为用户创造协调体验的方式跨各种格式(如书籍、网站、新文章、视频和其他媒体)传播。课程一旦创建，将在课堂上实施，以研究其在以下方面的影响：(1)提高学习者参与创新和直接应用工程概念的能力，以及(2)提高学习者对科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)的认同感。这项研究将由史密斯学院和斯普林菲尔德技术社区学院与斯普林菲尔德(MA)公立学校(SPS)合作领导。评估调查结果的其他专门知识将由教育服务合作组织和一个由STEM教育和跨媒体讲故事方面的领导人组成的外部咨询委员会提供。该项目将形成一个跨媒体的学习环境，其中包括两个与NGSS相一致的跨学科工程学单位和七堂科学与工程学相结合的课程。研究性学习将在八所SPS中学分四个阶段实施。每年大约有900名学生参加。在第一阶段，项目团队将与SPS教师合作创建工程单元、课程和基于标准的成就衡量标准。在第二阶段，治疗组的教师将参加专业发展(PD)工作坊，内容包括IE、跨媒体学习环境、课程结构以及与NGSS的连接。在第三阶段，课程将在治疗教室中实施，并对治疗组和对照组的学生进行评估。在第四阶段，将继续在SPS学校进行测试和评估，并将扩展到农村和郊区教室。这些教室的教师将使用在线多媒体PD，这将确保可伸缩性，并反映面对面PD的结构和内容。数据分析将提供证据，证明这种富有想象力和跨媒体的教育方法是否提高了学生使用工程概念的能力，并增强了他们对STEM的认同感。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Discovery Research K-12 program (DRK-12) seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students and teachers, through research and development of innovative resources, models and tools (RMTs). Projects in the DRK-12 program build on fundamental research in STEM education and prior research and development efforts that provide theoretical and empirical justification for proposed projects. Engineering is an important component of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). However, resources for supporting teachers in implementing these standards are scarce. This project will address the need for resources by applying an innovative pedagogy called Imaginative Education (IE) to create middle school engineering curricula. In IE, developmentally appropriate narratives are used to design learning environments that help learners engage with content and organize their knowledge productively. To fully exploit the potential of this pedagogy, this project will combine IE with transmedia storytelling. In transmedia storytelling, different elements of a narrative are spread across a variety of formats (such as books, websites, new articles, videos and other media) in a way that creates a coordinated experience for the user. Once created, the curricula will be implemented in classrooms to research its impact on (1) increasing learners' capacities to engage in both innovative and direct application of engineering concepts, and (2) improving learners' science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) identity. This research will be led by Smith College and Springfield Technical Community College in collaboration with Springfield (MA) Public Schools (SPS). Additional expertise in evaluating the findings will be provided by the Collaborative for Educational Services and an external advisory board of leaders in STEM education and transmedia storytelling. The project will result in the development of a transmedia learning environment that includes two NGSS-aligned, interdisciplinary engineering units and seven lessons that integrate science and engineering. The research study will be implemented in four phases in eight SPS middle schools. Approximately 900 students will participate each year. In Phase 1, the project team will collaborate with SPS teachers to create engineering units, lessons, and standards-based achievement measures. In Phase 2, teachers in the treatment group will participate in professional development (PD) workshops covering IE, transmedia learning environments, structure of the curriculum, and connections to NGSS. In Phase 3 the curricula will be implemented in treatment classrooms and both treatment and control group students will be assessed. In Phase 4, testing and assessment will continue in SPS schools and will be expanded to rural and suburban classrooms. Teachers in these classrooms will use online multimedia PD that will ensure scalability and mirrors the structure and content of in-person PD. Data analysis will provide evidence of whether this imaginative and transmedia educational approach improves students' capacities for using engineering concepts and enhances their STEM identity.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.