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

从历史上看，许多非正式学习机构在计划学习体验时，没有考虑到神经上的差异，或者它们为自闭症患者提供了单独的课程，以适应感觉或行为的差异。该项目将通过开发和测试神经多样性-肯定博物馆和科学中心工程项目的指导方针，来解决这些以前方法的局限性。这些指导方针旨在培养神经分化个人的归属感，将他们完全纳入非正式学习空间，并将不同的思维方式框定为对工程学和社会具有内在价值的方式。为了开发这些项目，来自不同地理位置的机构的博物馆从业者将与自闭症青年及其家人合作，反复共同开发和评估三个可跨地点转移和适应的非正式工程项目。这些方案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；使用多种表现形式和方式介绍与工程挑战相关的内容；通过将工程挑战置于现实世界的环境中来促进参与；提供自主权和选择；规范多种类型支持的使用；以及鼓励学习者发展个人兴趣和优势。在工程项目和附带的指导方针经过共同开发并在各个地点进行测试后，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。研究将探索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，说明如何在非正式学习机构提供的方案编制中培养不同神经质青年的归属感。在这个项目中，三个非正式工程项目将在纽约市的纽约科学馆、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的匹兹堡儿童博物馆迭代开发和完善。在每个地点，自闭症青年(8-12岁)和他们的照顾者将与博物馆从业者合作开发这些项目，该项目将以通用学习设计(UDL)原则为基础，旨在培养不同神经类型的年轻人的归属感。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的项目是否及如何影响神经性青少年参与工程设计过程；以及UDL是否及如何培养神经性青少年及其照顾者的归属感。为了实现这些研究目的，项目组将产生以下数据：与青年共同设计者和参与者的访谈；对家庭成员的访谈；对参与该计划的青年的观察；以及对儿童及其照顾者的调查。将使用归纳和演绎方法进行主题分析，如现有归属感调查中的编码方案，以分析数据。产生的材料包括一本在博物馆和科学中心创建肯定神经多样性项目的从业人员指南；博物馆教育工作者的专业学习材料；作为范例的三个非正式工程项目的说明；用于评估项目的观察工具和其他工具；以及使用联合设计过程开发非正式学习项目的指导方针。这些材料将通过科学和技术中心协会主办的实践社区以及博物馆和科学中心利益攸关方的期刊、会议和网络广泛传播。这一综合研究和实践项目由推进非正式STEM学习方案(AISL)资助，该方案支持以下项目：(A)促进关于STEM非正式学习在公平和归属STEM中的作用的研究和实践；(B)促进STEM个人和教育的成功；(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STEM非正式学习创造和加强理论和经验基础；(F)提高社区活力；和/或(G)加强科学交流以及公众对STEM和STEM过程的参与和了解。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。

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.