Experiential 'Accessible Learning Labs' for Promoting Inclusive Software Development

该项目旨在通过提供易于采用的体验式基础计算教育模块来服务于国家利益，同时扩展有关体验式计算教育的知识体系。这个学生学习3级项目将使用现有的可扩展学习实验室（ALL）平台协作开发和传播托管实验室。该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，该过程已证明有利于通知和激励学生关于基础计算主题。这项工作还填补了知识体系中的空白，了解广泛的计算教育中经验性的、以包容性为重点的干预措施的正确实施、应用和益处。该项目的广泛影响包括：I）由此产生的平台和实验室将产生对体验式的、以包容性为中心的计算教育产生深远影响的知识，II）本项目开发的实验室材料将教育和激励明天的开发人员学习以包容性为中心的主题，从而产生对普通人群更具包容性的软件，和III）学生将获得真实世界的分布式软件开发经验。拟议的工作将在几个方面扩展以前的可扩展学习实验室（ALL）工作，包括：I）七个不同类别的机构之间的直接合作（2年制课程，研究型大学，技术学校，历史上的黑人学院和大学，国家聋人技术学院），以确保他们的观点出现在新的实验室，II）学生与不同观点，课程机会和技术多样性进行交流的机会显着增加，III）创建协作技术和组织模型，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发展，以及IV）通过调查研究问题和传播研究结果来扩大教学知识体系。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计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。该奖项反映了NSF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.