Developing the Next Generation of Problem Solvers: Investigating the Integration of Computational Thinking into Preschool Mathematics and Science

STEM+Computing Partnership（STEM+C）计划旨在通过跨一个或多个领域的应用研究和开发，推动STEM教学和学习中的多学科计算整合。不久前，在学前教育中教授计算思维（CT）的目标似乎是无法实现的，但最近我们对CT的构建模块和幼儿学习者能力的理解取得了进展，使这一领域成熟，可以进一步探索。该项目将调查CT与数学和科学的整合，目的是为开发新资源提供信息，为学龄前儿童提供丰富的学习经验，促进批判性思维和解决问题的技能，这对以后的学校成功至关重要。项目活动将包括：1）研究性学习蓝图的发展，描绘了将CT与数学和科学相结合的学习目标; 2）补充实践和数字活动的设计和迭代测试，以解决这些学习目标，捕捉幼儿的兴趣，并产生学习;以及3）确定指导活动形式设计的设计原则，这些活动形式可供教育工作者和照顾者在学校和家中使用。多学科项目小组将制定学习蓝图，作为锚文件，指导活动和研究工具的设计。此外，该团队将参与基于设计的研究，并使用共同设计的方法，其中包括幼儿教师，家长，儿童和顾问在内的多个利益相关者直接积极参与数字和实践活动的开发和迭代试点测试。这将确保设计决策将家庭和学校学习联系起来，考虑到幼儿的利益，并解决学前教育方案和文化多样性家庭的需求和优势。研究人员将进行观察和访谈，并使用作为本研究一部分开发的以证据为中心的设计学习任务对儿童的学习进行评估，并进行混合方法分析。这项调查的结果可以为未来的研究和实践提供信息，以寻求将CT与幼儿科学和数学相结合。同样，这里使用的共同设计过程可以为其他努力提供信息，这些努力旨在将不同的利益相关者纳入基于设计的研究。

The STEM+Computing Partnership (STEM+C) program seeks to advance multidisciplinary integration of computing in STEM teaching and learning through applied research and development across one or more domains. Not too long ago, the goal of teaching computational thinking (CT) in preschool would have seemed unachievable, but recent advances in our understanding of the building blocks of CT and of the capabilities of young learners makes this an area ripe for further exploration. This project will investigate the integration of CT with mathematics and science with the goal of informing the development of new resources that provide preschool children with rich learning experiences that promote critical thinking and problem solving skills crucial for later school success. Project activities will include: 1) the development of research-based learning blueprints that delineate learning goals that integrate CT with mathematics and science; 2) the design and iterative testing of complementary hands-on and digital activities that address these learning goals, capture young children's interest, and also yield learning; and 3) the identification of design principles that guide the design of activity formats that can be used by educators and caregivers at school and at home. The multidisciplinary project team will develop learning blueprints to serve as anchor documents, guiding the design of activities and research instrumentation. Furthermore, the team will engage in Design-Based Research and use a co-design approach in which multiple stakeholder, including preschool teachers, parents, children, and advisors, are directly and actively involved in the development and iterative pilot testing of digital and hands-on activities. This will ensure that design decisions link home and school learning, take into account the interests of young children, and address the needs and strengths of preschool programs and culturally diverse families. Researchers will conduct observations and interviews and make assessments of children's learning using evidence centered design learning tasks developed as part of this study and conduct mixed method analyses. The results of this investigation could inform future research and practice seeking to integrate CT with early childhood science and mathematics. Likewise, the co-design process used here could inform other efforts that seek to include diverse stakeholders in design based research.