Collaborative Research: Rethinking Circle Time: Integrating Computational Thinking into K-2 Literacy

该奖项全部或部分由《2021年美国救援计划法案》（公法117-2）资助。为了让所有学生准备好参与日益数字化的社会，计算机科学（CS）和计算思维（CT）教育机会必须让所有学生参与CS的思想和实践，以帮助他们了解计算如何影响世界。在低年级，计算机科学教育侧重于计算思维（CT），这是识别问题并创造潜在解决方案的过程，以便计算机（人或机器）可以实施该解决方案。学生的小学经历会影响他们对STEM的看法和倾向，研究显示，早在五年级时，CS就存在性别差异。重新思考周期时间项目将检查K-2学生有意义地参与CT所需的学习和指导。由于K-2教师难以将CT融入学校生活，一些人建议将CT纳入其他科目。由于扫盲是K-2阶段的重点，该项目将研究重新思考扫盲“循环时间”的过程，这是对整个小组扫盲教学的参考。Rethinking Circle Time将与K-2学生、在职教师和职前教师合作，设计、实施和迭代不同的识字活动，建立学生的CT知识和兴趣，探索识字与CT之间的联系，学习如何帮助学生，特别是女孩，获得关键的CT理解。在这个项目中要解决的首要研究问题是：在K-2课堂中整合计算思维和读写能力的模型是什么，以支持所有学生的关键CT理解和能力，并指导教师的高杠杆教学实践？这个问题将通过基于设计的研究（DBR）来回答，使用多层设计实验，根据关注学生学习的发现，为每一层提供反馈循环；学生的兴趣和动力，以女生为主；以及在职教师和职前教师的教学创新、实践和经验。多层设计实验分为三层：第一层：学生层，第二层：教师层，第三层：研究人员层。该项目将研究每一层参与者（学生、教师、研究人员）的概念模型，以及这些层面如何相互作用：学生通过识字学习CT，教师为CT创建和实施学习环境，研究人员在每个将要研究的系统中发挥不可或缺的作用。因此，计划和计划外的反馈循环将被用来完善概念模型的表示，因为该项目旨在了解K-2学生，特别是女孩，如何通过读写环境学习CT，以及如何有效地支持这种学习。该项目的贡献包括：(1)在帮助K-2学生理解识字背景下的CT概念方面取得了理论和实践上的进步，特别是围绕多种表示和翻译；(2)为在职和职前教师提供了一个支持CT与识字教育相结合的模型；(3)为K-2 CT教育创建课程的设计原则，重点是让年轻女孩参与CT教育。该项目将直接影响和研究一个由K-2在职教师（n=9）、职前教师（n=200）和学生（n=300）组成的生态系统，该生态系统跨越多个背景（农村/城市，跨越两个州）。该项目的合作学校为各种各样的学习者提供服务，包括来自代表性不足群体的学生。CAPE框架将用于审查K-2识字课，特别是女童识字课的公平问题。本计划所产生的知识，透过检视学生在小学至中学阶段的电脑科学经验，有助扩大学生对电脑科学的参与。该项目由CS for All: Research and RPPs计划支持。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识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 award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). To prepare all students to participate the increasingly digital society, computer science (CS) and computational thinking (CT) education opportunities must engage all students in CS ideas and practices to help them understand how computing influences the world. At the younger grades, CS education focuses on computational thinking (CT), which is the process of identifying a problem and creating potential solutions so that a computer (human or machine) could implement that solution. Students’ elementary experiences impact their perceptions and dispositions toward STEM, with studies showing gender differences in CS as early as 5th grade. The Rethinking Circle Time project will examine the learning and instruction required for K-2 students to engage meaningfully with CT. Because K-2 teachers struggle with fitting CT into the school day, some suggest integrating CT into other subjects. With literacy being a strong focus at the K-2 levels, this project will research the process of rethinking literacy “circle time” - a reference to whole group literacy instruction. Rethinking Circle Time will engage with K-2 students, in-service teachers, and pre-service teachers to design, implement, and iterate different literacy activities that build students’ CT knowledge and interests to explore connections between literacy and CT to learn about how to help students, especially girls, gain key CT understandings.The overarching research question being addressed in this project is: What are models for integrating computational thinking and literacy in K-2 classrooms that support key CT understandings and abilities for all students and guide high-leverage instructional practices for teachers? This question will be answered through design-based research (DBR) using a multi-tiered design experiment that incorporates feedback loops for each tier based on findings focused on student learning; student interest and motivation with an emphasis on girls; and instructional innovations, practices, and experiences of both in-service and pre-service teachers. The multi-tiered design experiment has three levels: Tier 1: Student Level, Tier 2: Teacher Level, Tier 3: Researcher Level. The project will examine the conceptual models of the actors (students, teachers, researchers) at each tier, and how these tiers interact: students as they learn CT through literacy, teachers as they create and implement learning environments for CT, and researchers who play an integral part in each of the systems that will be researched. Therefore, planned and unplanned feedback loops will be utilized to refine representations of the conceptual models as the project seeks to understand how K-2 students, particularly girls, learn CT through literacy contexts and how to support that learning effectively. Contributions from this project include (1) theoretical and practical advances in helping K-2 students develop an understanding of CT concepts in the context of literacy, specifically around multiple representations and translations, (2) a model for supporting in-service and pre-service teachers to integrate CT and literacy education, and (3) design principles for creating curricula for K-2 CT education with a focus on engaging young girls in CT. This project will directly impact and research an ecosystem of K-2 in-service teachers (n=9), pre-service teachers (n=200), and students (n=300) across multiple contexts (rural/urban, across two states). The project’s partner schools serve a diverse range of learners, including students from underrepresented groups. The CAPE framework will be used to examine issues of equity in the K-2 CT literacy lessons, especially girls. The knowledge generated from this project support broadening participation in CS by examining students’ experiences in CT at the K-2 levels. This project is supported through the CS for All: Research and RPPs program.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.