Research on the Development of An Assessment to Measure Kindergarten Children's Abilities to Reason Computationally With Mathematical Problem-Solving Skills

学生们在很小的时候就开始接触编程玩具。有人声称，使用这样的玩具可以提高解决问题的技能，发展早期的计算思维，并提供一个将数学理解付诸实施的环境。这产生了一些据称帮助儿童实现这些好处的商业产品。虽然这些早期儿童编码玩具中的许多都很有趣和好玩，但需要研究它们真正支持早期计算机科学学习的能力。要使这项工作成为可能，教育工作者需要对幼儿学习者的综合计算思维进行评估，以量化通过编码玩具进行的学习。然而，这样的评估还不存在。更糟糕的是，幼儿课堂缺乏课程单元和学习模块，这些课程单元和学习模块整合了计算和数学，并建立在这些玩具的基础上。该项目由STEM+C计划资助，该计划寻求通过将计算思维和计算活动应用于从高中到幼儿教育的学科STEM教与学中，来应对计算STEM领域新出现的挑战。在这个STEM+C项目中，数学和计算思维将融合到幼儿教育中。利用循证设计，该项目将开发一种以理论为基础、经过经验测试的评估，以衡量幼儿园儿童在教师课堂上用数学问题解决技能(即帮助他们理解和使用数学知识的策略和思维方式)进行计算推理的能力。该项目还将开发幼儿园教学模块，鼓励将计算思维与数学问题解决相结合。认识到这些都是循环约束，该项目将涉及以下四个顺序的步骤：(1)通过确定CT能力在幼稚园数学课堂中实施早期CT；(2)围绕这些能力制定涉及当前幼儿玩具的子集的课程；(3)制定一项评估，以衡量学生的CT和数学能力；以及(4)对幼稚园课堂的课程和评估进行评估研究。项目成果包括：综合计算思维的能力模型；衡量能力模型的评估；以及围绕能力模型为教师提供的课程资源，该能力模型利用儿童早期环境中的玩具和技术。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。

Students are coming into contact with programming toys at a young age. There are claims that use of such toys can enhance problem solving skills, develop early computational thinking, and provide a context for putting mathematics understandings to work. This has yielded a number of commercial products that purportedly help children to realize those benefits. While many of these early childhood coding toys are fun and playful, research on their ability to truly support early computer science learning is needed. For such work to be possible, educators need assessments that measure integrated computational thinking for early childhood learners that can quantify learning that takes place with coding toys. However, such assessments do not yet exist. This is compounded by a lack of curricular units and learning modules for early childhood classrooms that integrate computation and mathematics and build upon what these toys are supposed to offer. The project is funded by the STEM+C Program, which seeks to address emerging challenges in computational STEM areas through the applied integration of computational thinking and computing activities within disciplinary STEM teaching and learning in early childhood education through high school. In this STEM+C project, mathematics and computational thinking will be integrated in early childhood education. Using Evidence-Centered Design, the project will develop a theoretically-based, empirically-tested assessment to measure kindergarten children's abilities to reason computationally with mathematical problem solving skills (i.e., strategies and ways of thinking that aid their understanding and use of mathematical knowledge) in teachers' classrooms. The project will also develop modules for kindergarten instruction that encourage integrated computational thinking with mathematical problem solving. Recognizing that these are circular constraints, the project will involve the following four sequential steps: (1) operationalize early CT in kindergarten mathematics classrooms by identifying CT competencies; (2) develop curriculum involving a subset of current early childhood toys around the competencies; (3) develop an assessment to measure students' CT and mathematics competencies; and (4) conduct evaluation studies of the curriculum and assessment in kindergarten classrooms. Project deliverables include: a competency model of integrated computational thinking; an assessment that measures the competency model; and curriculum resources for teachers around the competency model that leverages toys and technologies intended for early childhood settings.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.