EAGER: MAKER: Enhanced learning through making by way of personalized content for animation and fabrication

该项目旨在通过调查一种方法来影响学习的过程，该方法允许5至10岁的未来制造者为开发吸引其他K-8学生群体的创造性和独特的物理或数字产品的教育工作者提供投入。 通过这项研究，有可能提供更好的教育玩具和文物，吸引K到8学生，而不是通过大规模生产的传统教育产品。Making可以支持根据孩子的个人偏好设计的个性化教育产品的想法是令人兴奋和新颖的。 本研究调查了源自儿童的个性化内容作为促进游戏作为一种学习形式的一种手段的影响。 本研究探讨创新的互动设计工具作为一种学习的方式，通过制作。 此外，该项目还评估了博物馆创客空间和与教育工作者和年轻学习者合作的课后计划的有效性。这个项目评估了使用手绘作为一个起点，一个复杂的设计系统的影响。 定性分析使用的输入在匹兹堡儿童博物馆举行的游戏测试会议和课外活动将用于比较的学生群体。使用交互式软件的设计和创新将使新颖的创客活动成为可能，并赋予更广泛的受众权力。 对于年轻的学习者来说，参与数学模型和计算软件工具，自动化繁琐和具有挑战性的设计任务的额外经验是令人兴奋和新颖的。 该项目以非正式的方式将创客活动巧妙地整合到广泛的工程学习环境中，以暴露和鼓励未来的STEM劳动力。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project seeks to impact the process of learning through Making by investigating an approach that allows future Makers aged 5 to 10 years old to provide input to educators who develop creative and unique physical or digital products that appeal to other K-8 student populations. Through this research there is potential to provide better educational toys and artifacts that appeal to K through 8 students instead of the traditional educational products created through mass production. The idea that Making can support individualized educational products that are designed to the individual preferences of a child is exciting and novel. This research investigates the impact of personalized content originating from children as a means to promote play as a form of learning. This research investigates innovative interactive design tools as a way of learning-through-making. Also, this project assesses the efficacy of a museum Maker space and an afterschool program for working with educators and young learners. This project evaluates the impact of using hand drawings as a starting point to a complexly designed systems. Qualitative analysis using inputs from play-testing sessions held at the Pittsburgh Children's Museum and afterschool programs will be used for comparison of the student populations. Designs and innovations using interactive software will enable novel Maker activities and empower broader audiences. The additional experiences for young learners to become involved with mathematical models and computational software tools that automate tedious and challenging design tasks is exciting and novel. The project expertly integrates Maker activities into an extensive engineering based learning environment in an informal way to expose and encourage the future STEM workforce.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.