Collaborative Research: Minoritized Youth Computer Science Learning, Belonging and Career Interest: Coding and Creating with Beats

计算机科学知识和技能在数字世界中至关重要。尽管在中学设置计算机科学（CS）课程的可用性方面取得了进展，但一些学生群体在计算方面的代表性仍然很低。该项目旨在通过关注以编码音乐为中心的创新技术体验，扩大青年对计算的参与。该项目将在关键的中学时期吸引黑人，拉丁裔和女性青年，当时许多学生决定未来的CS机会是否值得考虑。通过在大学校园举办为期一周的暑期课程，该项目将开发和研究一系列与文化相关的活动，参与者将学习如何使用Sonic Pi音乐软件编码真实的嘻哈节拍来演奏，操纵和创作。该项目通过编码节拍将先前的研究扩展到CS学习中，（1）提高技术分析的深度，（2）将学生从节拍修改转移到节拍创建，以及（3）增加课程中自然包含的概念范围。这两所大学，一个当地学区和一个社区组织的合作努力将吸引音乐家，他们利用Sonic Pi进行表演，并举办年度比赛和音乐会，以学生作品为特色，以帮助拓宽CS和计算相关职业的青年视角。项目团队还将准备40名教师和社区指导员，以促进在自己的环境中类似的方案，确保项目持续时间的可持续性。该项目由学生和教师创新技术体验（ITEST）计划资助，该计划支持建立对实践，计划元素，背景和过程的理解的项目，有助于增加学生对科学，技术，工程，和数学（STEM）和信息和通信技术（ICT）的职业生涯。该项目采用设计-的实施研究，迭代完善教学方法在160名中学生和两个设置，以最好地解决CS文化和文化之间的不匹配和学生的学习经验在计算中代表不足。这个项目将设计和调查一个暑期项目的教学方法，强调如何特定的编码技术（例如，Sonic Pi）、脚手架技术和学习活动，以支持青少年的计算机科学知识、信心、归属感和职业意识。该项目将建立在以前资助的NSF STEM教育研究的基础上（例如，EarSketch）通过建立一个“学习-修改-创建”框架，阐述了青年学习计算的轨迹。混合方法将为研究提供信息。来自观察、焦点小组和计算工件的定性数据将探讨该方案在促进预期青年成果方面的承诺和有效性。定量数据（例如，经过验证的前后调查）将确定有助于加强支架式方法的可行性、可持续性和社会有效性的新模式。从这项研究中获得的知识和见解将为其他地区的未来项目提供支持，并为计算领域代表性不足的学生提供强大的计算机科学学习体验。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

Computer science knowledge and skills are essential in the digital world. Despite progress in the availability of computer science (CS) coursework in secondary school settings, a number of student groups remain substantially underrepresented in computing. This project aims to broaden youth participation in computing by focusing on innovative technology experiences centered around coding-based music. The project will engage Black, Latinx, and female youth during the critical middle school years when many students decide whether future opportunities in CS merit consideration. Through week-long summer programs held on college campuses, the project will develop and study a series of culturally relevant activities where participants learn how to play, manipulate, and create by coding authentic-sounding hip-hop beats using Sonic Pi music software. The project extends prior research into CS learning through coding beats by (1) enhancing the depth of technical analysis, (2) moving students from beat modification to beat creation, and (3) increasing the range of concepts that can naturally be included in a course. This collaborative effort across two universities, a local school district, and a community organization will engage musicians who utilize Sonic Pi in performances and host annual competitions and concerts featuring student work to help broaden youth perspectives of CS and computing-related careers. The project team will also prepare 40 teachers and community instructors to facilitate similar programs in their own settings, ensuring sustainability beyond the duration of the project. This project is funded by the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program, which supports projects that build understandings of practices, program elements, contexts and processes contributing to increasing students' knowledge and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and information and communication technology (ICT) careers.The project employs design-based implementation research to iteratively refine the instructional approaches across 160 middle school students and two settings to best address the mismatch between CS culture and the culture and learning experiences of students underrepresented in computing. This project will design and investigate a summer program instructional approach that highlights how particular coding technology (e.g., Sonic Pi), scaffolding techniques, and learning activities work to support youth's computer science knowledge, confidence, sense of belonging, and career awareness. The project will build upon previously funded NSF STEM education research (e.g., EarSketch) by grounding in the Use-Modify-Create framework, which articulates a trajectory of youth learning in computing. Mixed methods will inform the research. Qualitative data from observations, focus groups and computational artifacts will explore the promise and effectiveness of the program in promoting expected youth outcomes. Quantitative data (e.g., validated pre- and post-surveys) will identify emergent patterns that will help strengthen the feasibility, sustainability, and social validity of the scaffolded approach. The knowledge and insights gained from this research will provide evidence to support future programs across other regions and develop strong CS learning experiences for students underrepresented in computing.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.