Collaborative Research: Beyond CS Principles: Engaging Female High School Students in New Frontiers of Computing

在AP计算机科学(CS)原理课程建立的基础上，该项目寻求极大地扩大接触最令人兴奋和新兴的计算前沿领域的机会，特别是高中女孩，例如分布式计算、物联网(IoT)、网络安全和机器学习，以及在几乎每个职业中有效地利用计算方法和工具所需的其他21世纪技能。创建激发高中生对高级主题的兴趣的途径，目标是建立一支多样化的、性别平衡的、面向未来的劳动力队伍，这是这项工作解决的一个关键和有影响力的当务之急。一个由研究人员、高中教师和行业合作伙伴组成的经验丰富的多学科团队将参与设计一个新的、模块化的、开放访问的课程，称为计算机科学前沿(CSF)，该课程提供对高中这些高级主题(目前只有大学CS专业的学生才能访问)的引人入胜的介绍。为了解决计算领域严重的性别差异，该项目将设计和研究课程，以吸引女学生。通过研究创新的计算工具和课程单元对学生(特别是年轻女性)的学习、态度、兴趣和合作的影响，该项目将促进发现和理解，以帮助扩大对与技术相关的职业的参与以及人类技术前沿工作的未来。课程教材的开放存取模块设计和传播活动将确保本研究的产品得到广泛采用。该项目利用了NetsBlox，这是一种功能强大但易于使用的可视化编程环境，已被证明可以增加人们对计算的参与度和兴趣。此外，NetsBlox支持有效的协作，同时促进在非正式环境中学习分布式计算、网络和网络安全。该项目的早期阶段将通过与七名参加教师的共同设计讲习班、与学生的夏令营以及在田纳西州和北卡罗来纳州的试点实施来设计和完善课程模块，导致高中教师在第三年全面实施课堂。通过调查、学生档案、教师访谈和NetsBlox的数字日志收集的数据将被分析。研究结果将有助于理解是否以及如何在高中引入先进的计算方法和关键能力；围绕现实世界、多学科问题开展基于项目的活动的教学如何提高女学生对计算的兴趣；这个项目由学生和教师创新技术体验计划(ITEST)资助，该计划支持的项目是建立对实践、计划元素、背景和过程的理解，有助于提高学生对科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)以及信息和通信技术(ICT)职业的知识和兴趣。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。

Building on the foundations set by the AP Computer Science (CS) Principles course, this project seeks to dramatically expand access, especially for high school girls, to the most exciting and emerging frontiers of computing, such as distributed computation, the internet of things (IoT), cybersecurity, and machine learning, as well as other 21st century skills required to productively leverage computational methods and tools in virtually every profession. Creating pathways that stimulate high school learners' interest in advanced topics with the goal of building a diverse, gender-balanced, future-ready workforce is a crucial and impactful imperative addressed in this work. An experienced multi-disciplinary team of researchers, high school teachers, and industry partners will be involved in the design of a new, modular, open-access curriculum called Computer Science Frontiers (CSF) that provides an engaging introduction to these advanced topics in high school (that are currently accessible only to CS majors in college). To address the dire gender disparity in computing, the project will design and research the curriculum to engage female students. Through studying the impact of innovative computing tools and curricular units on learning, attitudes, interests, and collaboration of students (and especially young women), the project will advance discovery and understanding to aid the cause of broadening participation in technology-related careers as well as the future of work at the human-technology frontier. The open access modular design of the curricular materials and the dissemination activities will ensure wide adoption of the products of this research. The project leverages NetsBlox, a powerful yet easy-to-use visual programming environment that has been shown to increase engagement and interest in computing. Additionally, NetsBlox supports effective collaboration while facilitating learning of distributed computing, networking, and cybersecurity in informal settings. Early phases of the project will involve design and refinement of curricular modules through co-design workshops with seven participating teachers, summer camps with students, and pilot implementations in Tennessee and North Carolina, leading to full classroom implementations in Year 3 by the high school teachers. Data collected through surveys, student portfolios, teacher interviews, and digital logs from NetsBlox will be analyzed. Research findings will help in understanding if and how advanced computing methods alongside key competencies can be introduced in high school; how pedagogies involving project-based activities around real-world, multidisciplinary problems work to increase female students' interests in computing; and which advanced topics work better than others in terms of difficulty level and engagement.This project is funded by the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program, which supports projects that build understandings of practices, program elements, contexts and processes contributing to increasing students' knowledge and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and information and communication technology (ICT) careers.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.