Integrate to Innovate: A Research-Practice Partnership to Integrate Computer Science into Maine Schools

该项目将在缅因州共同设计一个研究员从业者伙伴关系(RPP)，由学术和非营利性教育研究人员、三个农村学区和商业合作伙伴组成。RPP将侧重于制定专业发展类型的愿景，使农村K-8课堂的计算机科学教育能够有效整合。通过建立在农村社区的需求和独特特征的基础上，RPP将成为一项改革倡议的基础，该倡议将使K-8学生接触到计算机科学的相关经验和现实世界应用。研究人员希望让学生了解计算是如何在他们的社区中使用的，并为他们提供机会，让他们认识到美国农村为他们提供的潜在职业机会。主要的研究问题是如何支持计算机科学与农村K-8数学和科学教学的整合。为了回答这一问题，RPP将努力做以下工作：1)确定计算机科学何时何地可以与现有的数学和科学标准相结合；2)确定可扩展的计算机科学学习的专业发展结构；3)为农村各州建立RPP模式，为计算机科学教学创造专业发展；以及4)利用以前的工作，建立一个框架，为农村学生提供公平的计算机科学学习机会。将使用一种迭代的、基于设计的研究方法来研究这些问题以及区域合作伙伴关系的发展和壮大。特别是，访谈和调查将被用来了解随着RPP的发展，利益相关者的想法和行动的进展。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。

This project will co-design a researcher practitioner partnership (RPP) in the state of Maine consisting of academic and non-profit educational researchers, three rural school districts, and business partners. The RPP will focus on developing a vision for the types of professional development that will enable the effective integration of computer science education in rural, K-8 classrooms. By building on the needs and unique characteristics of rural communities, the RPP will form the foundation for a reform initiative that exposes K-8 students to relevant experiential and real-world applications of computer science. The researchers hope to empower students to see how computing is used in their communities and provide opportunities for them to recognize potential career opportunities available to them in rural America.The primary research question asks how to support the integration of computer science into rural K-8 math and science instruction. To answer this, the RPP will work to do the following: 1) identify when and where computer science can be integrated with existing math and science standards; 2) identify professional development structures for scalable computer science learning; 3) develop models for rural states to establish RPPs that create professional development for computer science teaching, and; 4) leverage prior work to build a framework that provides equitable learning opportunities in computer science for rural students. An iterative, design-based research methodology will be used to study these questions and the development and growth of the RPP. In particular, interviews and surveys will be used to understand the progression of stakeholder's thinking and actions as the RPP develops.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.