Collaborative Research: Broadening Participation in Computing through Authentic, Collaborative Engagement with Computing for the Greater Good

协作研究：通过真实、协作的方式参与计算，以实现更大的利益，从而扩大对计算的参与

• 批准号: 2012990
• 负责人: Heidi Ellis
• 金额: $ 55.91万
• 依托单位: Western New England University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-10-01 至 2025-09-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2012990&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Broadening; Participation; Computing

Increasing the number of computer science graduates is a national priority for continued economic growth in the United States. Accomplishing this goal is challenging, as millions of available computer science jobs go unfilled each year due to the lack of skilled applicants. A critical step in increasing the computing workforce is to increase and broaden participation in undergraduate computer science. One proven approach to do so is connecting computing to societal benefits, and such connection is also known to attract students from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in computing. Through a collaboration between Drexel University, Nassau Community College, Western New England University, Worcester State College, and Dickinson College, this project will make the connection between society and computing through the NSF-supported Humanitarian Free and Open Source Software (HFOSS) approach. HFOSS is like the Habitat for Humanity project, but instead of helping communities build houses, HFOSS supports the development of free software that benefits communities. Examples of HFOSS projects include free, open software for disaster management, education, economic development, and public health. This project will enable students at the five partnering institutions to engage with a complex, authentic software development environment that supports collaborative, active learning with genuine tasks that make a difference in communities. Students will learn contemporary software engineering and develop professional skills while gaining first-hand experience with the positive impact that computing can have on society. This project has the potential to transform computing education by using computing for the greater good as the framework to improve student engagement, learning, and diversity in computer science.In addition to instructor-led HFOSS development projects, this project will provide students with an extended range of HFOSS educational opportunities, including authentic but controlled practice environments within computing classrooms (HFOSS kits) as well as community-based Client Oriented-FOSS projects that pair an instructor with students and a local non-profit organization on a small software product to benefit the non-profit. The computing courses implementing HFOSS will use Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning to scaffold students' computer science learning and early professional skill development. Research conducted by the project team is designed to advance knowledge about constructivist approaches to computing education including guided inquiry learning and communities of practice. This research includes innovative studies of the changes in role and identity of instructor and student that accompany a shift to active learning, together with studies of student engagement, retention, and diversity. The evidence-based learning approaches and engagement with authentic contexts implemented and researched by this project have potential applications across STEM education. This project is supported by the NSF IUSE: EHR Program, which supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. It is also supported by the IUSE:CUE program, which seeks to re-envision the role of computing in undergraduate education while continuing to emphasize the need for more diverse student populations for careers in both computing and non-computing fields.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.

增加计算机科学毕业生的数量是美国经济持续增长的国家优先事项。实现这一目标具有挑战性，因为由于缺乏熟练的申请人，每年有数百万个计算机科学工作岗位空缺。 增加计算劳动力的一个关键步骤是增加和扩大本科计算机科学的参与。 一种行之有效的方法是将计算与社会效益联系起来，这种联系也可以吸引传统上在计算领域代表性不足的群体的学生。 通过德雷克塞尔大学、拿骚社区学院、西新英格兰大学、伍斯特州立学院和迪金森学院之间的合作，该项目将通过NSF支持的人道主义自由和开源软件（HFOSS）方法将社会和计算联系起来。HFOSS就像人类家园项目，但不是帮助社区建造房屋，HFOSS支持有利于社区的自由软件的开发。 HFOSS项目的例子包括用于灾害管理、教育、经济发展和公共卫生的免费开放软件。 该项目将使五个合作机构的学生能够参与一个复杂的，真实的软件开发环境，该环境支持协作，主动学习，真正的任务，使社区的差异。学生将学习当代软件工程和发展专业技能，同时获得第一手经验，计算可以对社会产生积极影响。该项目有可能通过使用计算为更大的利益作为框架，以提高学生的参与度，学习和计算机科学的多样性来改变计算教育。除了由教师领导的HFOSS开发项目外，该项目还将为学生提供广泛的HFOSS教育机会，包括计算机教室内真实但受控的实践环境（HFOSS工具包）以及基于社区的面向客户的FOSS项目，这些项目将教师与学生和当地非营利组织配对，共同开发小型软件产品，使非营利组织受益。 实施HFOSS的计算课程将使用过程导向的引导探究学习来支撑学生的计算机科学学习和早期专业技能发展。由项目团队进行的研究旨在推进有关计算教育的建构主义方法的知识，包括指导探究学习和实践社区。这项研究包括对教师和学生的角色和身份变化的创新研究，这些变化伴随着向主动学习的转变，以及对学生参与度，保留率和多样性的研究。该项目实施和研究的基于证据的学习方法和与真实背景的接触在STEM教育中具有潜在的应用。该项目由NSF IUSE：EHR计划支持，该计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生的STEM教育的有效性。 通过学生的学习轨道，该计划支持创建，探索和实施有前途的做法和工具。 它也得到了IUSE：CUE计划的支持，该计划旨在重新设想计算在本科教育中的作用，同时继续强调需要更多样化的学生群体从事计算和非计算领域的职业。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。

项目成果

The Power of Open Source for Social Good to Increase Diversity in Computing

开源对社会公益的力量可增加计算的多样性

• DOI: 10.1145/3408877.3439628
• 发表时间: 2021
• 期刊: SIGCSE '21
• 作者: Ellis, Heidi J.;Hislop, Gregory W.;Postner, Lori
• 通讯作者: Postner, Lori

Humanitarian Applications Increase Interest and Motivation of Women in Computing

人道主义应用增加了女性对计算机的兴趣和动力

• DOI: 10.1145/3545945.3569832
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: SIGCSE 2023
• 作者: Postner, Lori;Hislop, Gregory W;Ellis, Heidi J.C.
• 通讯作者: Ellis, Heidi J.C.

Engagement Models in Education-Oriented H/FOSS Projects

以教育为导向的 H/FOSS 项目中的参与模型

• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Proceedings of the 54th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
• 作者: Braught, Grant;Huss-Lederman, Steven;Jackson, Stoney;Turner, Wes;Wurst, Karl R.
• 通讯作者: Wurst, Karl R.