SCC-PG: Revitalizing Rural - Equipping Rural Communities with Technology Literacy for Seizing Productivity

缺乏对数字经济的参与是社会福祉和生产的障碍，对农村社区产生不对称影响。文献表明，技术可用性（如宽带）只是问题的一部分：农村社区在技术采用方面不如城市社区积极。采用问题涉及农村社区在多大程度上拥有财政资源、意识、技能和愿望（或统称为识字），以抓住智能和互联技术（SCT）提供的生产力机会。该规划项目将开展一项试点研究，以确定提高技术素养如何影响农村采用SCT以提高生产力，从而在经济和社会上振兴农村社区。具体而言，该项目将探索开发一种名为“提高生产力技术经验工具包”的新型技术素养教育工具。Pete-Kits将结合微处理器和传感器等低成本设备，利用WiFi、蓝牙和射频识别（RFID）等通信技术，并可与云连接相结合，以支持高中学生在其农村社区开发创业SCT项目。这些工具包将根据高中学生和社区成员的意见开发。高中教师和学生将接受如何使用这些工具包的培训，然后学生将被邀请开发他们自己的SCT创业项目，这些项目将在最后的社区竞赛活动中进行评判。本研究将考察：(1)使用Pete-Kit的亲身体验如何影响农村对SCT的认识；(2)通过与Pete-Kit的互动，使用SCT的基本技能在多大程度上得到提高；(3)基于Pete-Kit的培训和竞赛对农村参与者的生产力、创业愿望、远程工作和社区生活质量的影响。这些问题将主要通过调查工具来解决，在干预之前和之后，对社区活动的参与者和参加者进行管理。还将举行社区论坛和讲习班，审查皮特- kit项目的优缺点，并与其他社区和部落国家发展关系，以便将来可扩展。这一规划项目与“智能互联社区”计划的目标十分一致，该计划旨在加快建立科学和工程基础，使智能互联社区能够带来新的经济机会和增长水平。该项目也得到了ITEST计划的资助，该计划的重点是(1)提高对STEM和ICT职业的认识，(2)激励学生追求这些职业的教育途径，以及(3)发展进入这些职业所需的学科内容知识和技能。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。

Lack of participation in the digital economy is an impediment to societal well-being and production which asymmetrically affects rural communities. The literature indicates that technological availability (e.g., broadband) is only a part of the problem: rural communities are not as active as their urban counterparts in technology adoption. The adoption problem covers the extent to which rural communities have the financial resources and awareness, skills, and aspirations (or collectively, the literacy) to seize the productivity opportunities afforded by smart and connected technologies (SCT). This planning project will conduct a pilot study to determine how improved technology literacy can impact the rural adoption of SCT for building productivity to economically and socially revitalize rural communities. Specifically, this project will explore the development of a novel educational tool for technology literacy called Productivity Enhancing Technology Experience-Kits (Pete-Kits). Pete-Kits will be combinations of low-cost devices such as microprocessors and sensors that make use of communications technologies like WiFi, Bluetooth, and Radio Frequency ID (RFID), and which can be combined with cloud connectivity to support high school students as they develop entrepreneurial SCT projects within their rural communities. These kits will be developed with input from high school students and community members. High school teachers and students will receive training on how to use the kits, and students will then be invited to develop their own SCT entrepreneurial projects which will be judged in a final community competition event.The research will examine: (1) how rural awareness of SCT is influenced by hands-on experiences with Pete-Kits, (2) to what degree are the basic skills for using SCT increased through interactions with Pete-Kit, and (3) the effects are of Pete-Kit based training and competition on rural participants’ productivity, and their aspirations for entrepreneurship, remote work, and quality of life within their community. These questions will largely be addressed via survey instruments, administered both before and after the intervention, to both participants and to attendees of community events. Community forums and workshops will also be held to review the strengths and weaknesses of the Pete-Kit program, and to develop relationships with other communities and tribal nations for future scalability. This planning project aligns well with the Smart & Connected Communities program’s goal to accelerate the creation of the scientific and engineering foundations that will enable smart and connected communities to bring about new levels of economic opportunity and growth. This project is also receiving funding from the ITEST program, which has priorities for (1) increasing awareness of STEM & ICT occupations, (2) motivating students to pursue educational pathways to those occupations, and (3) developing disciplinary content knowledge and skills necessary for entering those occupations.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.