Collaborative Research: Using Culturally Sustaining Learning Environments to Explore Computational Learning & Identity

计算和计算思维实践在年轻人的生活中无处不在。从视频游戏中编程的动画到用于从播放列表中确定下一首歌曲的算法，当今的年轻人被简单和复杂的计算模型、工具和实践淹没。在全国范围内，计算和计算思维实践正在改变STEM教育和青年劳动力准备。事实上，计算思维实践现在和数学一样，在下一代科学标准中被确认为基本的核心科学实践。因此，近些年来，人们非常重视通过计算和计算思维实践来增加青年参与STEM内容的机会。然而，在计算机领域获得这些学习机会是不公平的。有色人种青年特别容易受到这些不平等现象的影响，因为计算思维做法往往缺乏文化资本和社区参与，而研究表明，这些文化资本和社区参与在吸引和吸引STEM中代表性不足群体的青年方面特别有效。这项为期三年的研究和设计项目将审查计算思维实践、跨学科STEM学习和青年学习和身份发展的文化表达实践之间的交叉性。该模型将测试以文化为基础的学习环境的可行性，以及嘻哈作为一种模式的基本原则，以吸引和鼓励来自主要代表不足的群体的中学生在他们的日常生活中学习、连接和考虑计算。在三年的时间里，预计将有400名中学适龄青年参与该项目和研究。这些年轻人将在印第安纳州加里、宾夕法尼亚州费城和马萨诸塞州剑桥的社区网站(即MakerSpace、基于艺术的空间、社区中心)在线和课后见面。将涵盖一系列跨学科的STEM主题，包括科学原理(例如，物理)、数学、工程学、计算机编程、数字媒体，以及通过计算思维或制造实践的视角进行跨平台的产品规划和开发。这些年轻人将合作开发和设计他们自己的基于STEM的跨学科计算项目，以嘻哈为基础。在线平台Cyber Cypher将由YOUmedia Network Labs和剑桥儿童-中学网络进行试点，YOUmedia Network Labs是一个由28个MakerSpace组成的全国性网络，剑桥儿童-中学网络是位于马萨诸塞州剑桥市的一个课外项目网络。在这项研究中，将探讨几个突出的问题：(1)中学生在学习计算制作实践时如何适应、抵制和/或转换生态环境中的资源和实践？(2)不同文化支持空间的差异如何影响跨学科计算制作实践中的学习发展？(3)中学生在构建多元计算制作身份时如何在不同的学习环境中适应、抵制和/或转换生态环境资源？以及(4)在这三个站点中，文化支持的计算制作环境的设计原则是什么，这些环境有助于计算制作实践以及STEM学习和身份发展？数据将从调查、实地观察、计算制作和设计技能评估以及多模式设计叙述中收集。研究和外部评估的结果将通过学术和实践者目标期刊、会议、项目参与者社区活动、在线社区和社交媒体进行分析和传播。该项目由STEM+C资助，该项目支持研究和开发跨学科和跨学科的方法，将计算整合到K-12预科学生的正式和非正式环境中的STEM教与学中。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。

Computing and computational thinking practices are ubiquitous in young people's lives. From the animations programmed in their video games to algorithms used to determine the next song selection from their playlists, today's youth are inundated with simple and complex computational models, tools, and practices. Nationally, computing and computational thinking practices are transforming STEM education and youth workforce preparedness. In fact, computational thinking practices are now recognized, alongside mathematics, as a fundamental core scientific practice in the Next Generation Science Standards. Consequently, much attention has been paid in recent years towards increasing opportunities for youth to engage in STEM content through computing and computational thinking practices. Access to these learning opportunities in computing, however, is inequitable. Youth of color are especially vulnerable to these inequities, as computational thinking practices are often devoid of the cultural capital and community engagement that research has shown to be particularly effective in attracting and engaging youth from underrepresented groups in STEM. This three-year research and design project will examine the intersectionality between computational thinking practices, interdisciplinary STEM learning, and culturally expressive practices on youths' learning and identity development. The model will test the feasibility of culturally sustaining learning environments and the foundational principles of hip hop as a model to engage and encourage middle school youth from predominately underrepresented groups to learn, connect to, and consider computing in their everyday lives. Over a three-year period, an estimated 400 middle school aged youth will participate in the project and research. The youth will meet online and afterschool at community-based sites (i.e., makerspace, arts-based space, community center) in Gary, Indiana; Philadelphia, PA; and Cambridge, MA. A range of interdisciplinary STEM topics will be covered including science principles (e.g., physics), mathematics, engineering, computer programming, digital media, and cross-platform product planning and development through the lens of computational thinking or making practices. The youth will work collaboratively to develop and design their own interdisciplinary STEM-based computing projects, using hip hop as a basis. The online platform, cyber cypher, will be piloted by Youmedia Network Labs, a nationwide network of 28 makerspaces and the Cambridge Agenda for Children-Middle School Network, a network of afterschool programs in Cambridge, MA. With regards to the research, several salient questions will be explored: (1) How do middle school youth appropriate, resist, and/or transform ecologically situated resources and practices as they learn computational making practices? (2) How do variations in different culturally sustaining spaces affect the development of learning in interdisciplinary computational making practices? (3) How do middle school youth appropriate, resist, and/or transform ecologically situated resources as they construct pluralistic computational making identities and within different learning environments? and (4) Across the three sites, what are the design principles of the culturally sustaining computational making environments that contribute to computational making practices and STEM learning and identity development? Data will be collected from surveys, field observations, computational making & design skills assessments, and multimodal design narratives. The results of the research and an external evaluation will be analyzed and disseminated via academic and practitioner targeted journals, conferences, project participant community events, online communities, and social media. This project is funded by STEM + C which supports research and the development of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to the integration of computing within STEM teaching and learning for preK-12 students in both formal and informal 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.