Experiential 'Accessible Learning Labs' for Promoting Inclusive Software Development

本项目旨在提供易于接受的体验式基础计算教育模块，以服务于国家利益，同时扩展体验式计算教育的知识体系。这个参与式学生学习三级项目将使用现有的无障碍学习实验室（ALL）平台共同开发和传播托管实验室。这个项目的智力价值包括建立在ALL平台上，并利用其体验式学习过程，这已经证明了在基础计算主题方面的信息和激励学生的好处。这项工作还填补了知识体系中关于在广泛的计算机教育中正确实施、应用和体验性、包容性干预的好处的理解的既定空白。项目的更广泛影响包括：1)由此产生的平台和实验室将产生对体验式、以包容性为中心的计算教育具有深远影响的知识；2)该项目开发的实验室材料将在以包容性为中心的主题中教育和激励未来的开发人员，从而使软件的生产更具包容性；3)学生将获得真实的、分布式的软件开发经验。拟议的工作将从以下几个方面扩展以前无障碍学习实验室（ALL）的工作：1)七个截然不同的机构（两年制课程、研究型大学、技术学校、传统黑人学院和大学、国家聋人技术学院）之间的直接合作，以确保他们的观点出现在新的实验室中；2)显著增加学生接触不同观点、课程机会和技术多样性的机会；III)创建一个协作的技术和组织模式，包括以平台为中心的应用程序和跨组织的指导重点，支持外部机构和开源社区的实验室开发；IV)通过调查研究问题和传播发现来扩展教学知识体系。对实验室及其干预措施的评估将使用从参与机构收集的数据进行总结性和形成性分析。NSF IUSE: EDU项目支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。通过参与学生学习轨道，该计划支持有前途的实践和工具的创建，探索和实施。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 project aims to serve the national interest by providing easily adoptable experiential foundational computing educational modules, while expanding the body of knowledge regarding experiential computing education. This Engaged Student Learning Level 3 project will collaboratively develop and disseminate hosted labs using the existing Accessible Learning Labs (ALL) platform. The intellectual merit of this project includes building upon the ALL platform and utilizing its experiential learning process that has demonstrated benefits for informing and motivating students regarding foundational computing topics. This work also fills the established void in the body of knowledge regarding the understanding of the proper implementation, application, and benefits of experiential, inclusivity-focused interventions in broad computing education. The broader impacts of the project include: I) the resulting platform and labs will generate knowledge having a far-reaching impact on experiential, inclusivity-focused computing education, II) the lab material developed by this project will educate and motivate tomorrows' developers in the topics centered in inclusively, resulting in the production of software more inclusive of the general population, and III) students will be provided with real-world, distributed software development experience.The proposed work will expand upon previous Accessible Learning Labs (ALL) work in several ways including: I) direct collaboration between seven categorically-distinct institutions (2-year programs, research-focused universities, technical schools, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the National Technical Institue for the Deaf) to ensure their perspectives are present in new labs, II) a significant increase in opportunities for students to interface with differing viewpoints, curricular opportunities, and technical diversity, III) the creation of a collaborative technical and organizational model, including a platform-focused application and a cross-organizational mentorship focus, supporting lab development by external institutions and the open-source community, and IV) expansion of the pedagogical body of knowledge through the investigation of research questions and dissemination of findings. The evaluation of the labs and their interventions will use summative and formative analyses using data collected from participating institutions. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program 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.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.