Developing Guidelines for Neurodiversity-Affirming Engineering Programs in Museums and Science Centers through Universal Design for Learning

从历史上看，许多非正式的学习机构在计划学习经历时没有考虑到神经系统的差异，或者为自闭症患者提供单独的课程，以适应感官或行为上的差异。该项目将通过开发和测试博物馆和科学中心工程项目的神经多样性确认指南来解决这些先前方法的局限性。这些指导方针旨在培养神经分化个体的归属感，优先考虑他们在非正式学习空间的充分包容，并通过构建对工程和社会具有内在价值的不同思维方式。为了开发这些项目，来自不同地区机构的博物馆从业人员将与自闭症青年及其家人合作，迭代地共同开发和评估三个非正式的工程项目，这些项目可在不同的地点进行转移和适应性。这些计划将以“通用学习设计”原则为基础，由青年和实践者解释和应用。这些原则包括为工程设计提供多种工具和材料；使用多种表示和模式来介绍与工程挑战相关的内容；通过将工程挑战置于现实环境中，促进参与；提供自主权和选择；规范使用多种类型的支撑；并鼓励学习者建立个人兴趣和优势。在工程项目和相关指南共同开发并在各个站点进行测试后，项目团队将利用它们为全国各地的博物馆从业者提供专业学习机会。研究将探讨通用学习设计的整合是否以及如何在非正式工程项目中培养神经多样性儿童及其照顾者的归属感。最终，该项目将产生一套全面的材料和基于研究的指导方针，以指导如何在非正式学习机构提供的节目中培养神经多样性青年的归属感。在这个项目中，三个非正式的工程项目将在纽约市的纽约科学馆迭代开发和完善；新墨西哥州阿尔伯克基的探索科学中心和儿童博物馆；以及宾夕法尼亚州匹兹堡儿童博物馆。在每个地点，自闭症青少年（8-12岁）和他们的照顾者将与博物馆从业人员合作，共同开发项目，这些项目将以学习通用设计（UDL）的原则为基础，旨在培养神经多样性青少年的归属感。来自教育发展中心的研究人员将指导参与式设计研究，以调查基于udl的项目是否以及如何影响神经多样性青年参与工程设计过程；以及UDL是否以及如何培养神经多样性青年及其照顾者的归属感。为了达到这些研究目的，项目团队将生成数据，例如与青年共同设计师和参与者的访谈；与家庭成员的访谈；参与项目的青少年观察；以及对儿童及其照顾者的调查。使用归纳和演绎方法的主题分析，例如现有归属调查的编码方案，将用于分析数据。由此产生的材料包括在博物馆和科学中心创建神经多样性肯定项目的从业者指南；面向博物馆教育工作者的专业学习材料；以三个非正式工程项目为例的描述评估项目的观察工具和其他仪器；以及使用协同设计过程开发非正式学习项目的指导方针。这些材料将通过由科学技术中心协会主办的实践社区，以及通过期刊、会议和博物馆和科学中心的利益相关者网络广泛传播。该整合研究与实践项目由推进非正式STEM学习（AISL）计划资助，该计划支持以下项目：(a)促进研究和实践，考虑非正式STEM学习在STEM公平和归属方面的作用；(b)促进个人和教育在STEM方面的成功；(c)促进公众参与科学发现；(d)培养对STEM职业的兴趣；(e)为有效的非正式STEM学习创造和加强理论和经验基础；(f)改善社区活力；及/或(g)加强科学传播和公众对STEM和STEM过程的参与和理解。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。

Historically, many informal learning institutions have not accounted for neurological differences as they planned learning experiences, or they have offered separate programming for autistic individuals to accommodate sensory or behavioral differences. This project will address the limitations of these previous approaches by developing and testing neurodiversity-affirming guidelines for engineering programs in museums and science centers. These guidelines will be designed to foster a sense of belonging for neurodivergent individuals by prioritizing their full inclusion in informal learning spaces, and by framing different ways of thinking as inherently valuable to engineering and to society. To develop these programs, museum practitioners from geographically diverse institutions will partner with autistic youth and their families to iteratively co-develop and evaluate three informal engineering programs that are transferrable and adaptable across sites. These programs will be grounded in principles of Universal Design for Learning, as interpreted and applied by the youth and practitioners. These principles include offering multiple tools and materials for engineering design; using multiple representations and modalities to introduce content relevant to engineering challenges; fostering engagement through situating the engineering challenges in real-world contexts; providing autonomy and choice; normalizing the use of numerous types of supports; and encouraging learners to build on personal interests and strengths. After the engineering programs and accompanying guidelines have been co-developed and tested across sites, the project team will use them to provide professional learning opportunities to museum practitioners across the nation. Research will explore whether and how the integration of Universal Design for Learning fosters a sense of belongingness for neurodiverse children and their caregivers in informal engineering programs. Ultimately, this project will result in a comprehensive suite of materials and research-based guidelines on how to foster a sense of belongingness for neurodiverse youth in programming offered by informal learning institutions. In this project, three informal engineering programs will be iteratively developed and refined at the New York Hall of Science in New York City; the Explora science center and children’s museum in Albuquerque, New Mexico; and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. At each site, autistic youth (ages 8-12) and their caregivers will work with museum practitioners to co-develop the programs, which will be grounded in principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and designed to foster belongingness among neurodiverse youth. Researchers from Education Development Center will guide participatory design research to investigate whether and how the UDL-based programs influence neurodiverse youth’s engagement in engineering design processes; and whether and how UDL fosters a sense of belongingness for neurodiverse youth and their caregivers. To achieve these research purposes, the project team will generate data such as interviews with the youth co-designers and participants; interviews with family members; observations of youth participating in the program; and surveys of children and their caregivers. Thematic analyses using inductive and deductive methods, such as coding schemes from existing belongingness surveys, will be used to analyze the data. Resulting materials include a practitioner guidebook for creating neurodiversity-affirming programs in museums and science centers; professional learning materials for museum educators; descriptions of the three informal engineering programs as exemplars; observation tools and other instruments to evaluate programs; and guidelines for using co-design processes to develop informal learning programs. These materials will be disseminated widely through a Community of Practice hosted by the Association of Science and Technology Centers, as well as through journals, conferences, and networks for stakeholders in museums and science centers. This Integrating Research and Practice project is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which supports projects that: (a) contribute to research and practice that considers informal STEM learning's role in equity and belonging in STEM; (b) promote personal and educational success in STEM; (c) advance public engagement in scientific discovery; (d) foster interest in STEM careers; (e) create and enhance the theoretical and empirical foundations for effective informal STEM learning; (f) improve community vibrancy; and/or (g) enhance science communication and the public's engagement in and understanding of STEM and STEM processes.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.