SBIR Phase I: Collaboration, Creativity and Computational Thinking - A Cooperative Music Tinkering Game

这个 SBIR 第一阶段项目将为 6-10 岁的孩子制作一款数字物理游戏，通过协作、聆听和通过玩音乐进行修补来培养计算思维实践。人们普遍认为，为了为未来做好准备，今天的学生需要培养批判性思考、识别和解决复杂问题、清晰沟通自己的想法以及与团队合作的能力。计算思维（CT）是科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）学科的核心，是关于发展一套解决问题的启发法、方法和思维习惯。协作和创造力现在被视为跨领域的 21 世纪技能，也被视为 CT 实践。并非所有学习者都有动力通过传统编程环境学习 CT，即使是那些为年轻学习者设计的环境。此外，缺乏让孩子们参与修补的学习环境——尝试和调试——找出事情没有按预期发生的原因。而且，绝大多数现有的幼儿 CT 学习环境并没有明确支持培养解决问题的积极态度、处理复杂性的信心以及与他人沟通和合作以实现目标。这个产品会增强学生的能力吗？通过将计算和音乐结合起来的基本概念，掌握协作问题解决和最终的计算思维。该项目的核心技术创新是设计和开发方法，它将导致在学习成果、协作问题解决和参与游戏的方法方面创建一个变革性的学习平台。这种多用户、多设备体验依赖于协作解决问题的新方法，利用响应小组修补和调试的多个用户输入。玩家必须采用批判性的聆听、修补、调试和沟通来识别已关闭的音乐片段，并协作调整控制器以使音乐恢复到原始状态。这款游戏不仅需要跨尺度解决问题（调试谜题的较小部分以获得整体解决方案），而且还需要协作和沟通，而这在儿童教育游戏中很大程度上是缺失的。此阶段将重点关注游戏数字组件的构建以及围绕物理控制器进行研究和开发。此外，这一阶段的开发将研究视觉、音频和触觉反馈机制的平衡，以帮助玩家度过令人沮丧的时刻，促进玩家沟通和协作，并测试视觉设计以获得最有效的反馈。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 SBIR Phase I project will produce a digital + physical game for 6-10 year olds that fosters computational thinking practices through collaboration, listening, and tinkering through play with music. It is widely recognized that to be ready for the future, today?s students need to develop the ability to think critically, identify and solve complex problems, communicate clearly about their thinking, and work collaboratively with a team. Computational thinking (CT) is the core of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines, and is about developing a set of problem-solving heuristics, approaches and habits of mind. Collaboration and creativity, now seen as cross-cutting 21st Century skills, are also viewed as CT practices. Not all learners are motivated to learn CT through traditional programming contexts, even those designed for young learners. Moreover, there are a lack of learning environments to engage children in tinkering--trying things out and debugging--finding out why things didn?t happen as expected. And, the vast majority of existing CT learning environments for young children do not explicitly support the development of positive attitudes towards problem solving, confidence in dealing with complexity, and communicating and collaborating with others to achieve a goal. This product will enhance students? grasp of collaborative problem solving and ultimately computational thinking by engaging them in fundamental concepts that unite computing and music.The core technical innovation of this project is the design and development methodology that will lead to the creation of a transformative learning platform in its approach to learning outcomes, collaborative problem solving, and engaging game play. This multi-user, multi-device experience relies on a new approach to collaborative problem solving, leveraging multiple user inputs responsive to group tinkering and debugging. Players must employ critical listening, tinkering, debugging, and communication to identify pieces of music that are off, and work collaboratively to adjust controllers to get the music back to its original state. This game not only requires problem solving across scales (debugging smaller parts of the puzzle to get to an overall solution) but also requires collaboration and communication, something largely missing in educational games for children. This phase will focus on the build of the digital component of the game as well as conduct research and development around physical controllers. Additionally, this phase of development will research the balance of visual, audio and haptic feedback mechanisms to help players through frustrating moments, foster player communication and collaboration, and test visual design for the most effective feedback.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.