Kukua - an innovative, fun, and engaging, early childhood STEM platform as a promotion intervention program for age 4-8 years old AA girls

Kukua - 一个创新、有趣、引人入胜的幼儿 STEM 平台，作为 4-8 岁 AA 女孩的促进干预计划

• 批准号: 10255019
• 负责人: Tony Xuyen Ma
• 金额: $ 39.35万
• 依托单位: BENTEN TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-06-01 至 2024-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10255019
• 关键词: 8 year old; Address; African American; Age; Attention; Black Panther; Caregivers; Child; Collaborations; Complex; Coupled; Development; Elephants; Engineering; Ensure; Family; Female; Foundations; Future; Gender; Hair Color; Home; Household; Image; Intervention; Learning; Names; Nursery Schools; Occupations; Parents; Perception; Persons; Phase; Play; Population; Primary Schools; Principal Investigator; Psychological reinforcement; Research; STEM career; STEM field; STEM game; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education; Scientist; Self Efficacy; Series; Sex Bias; Skin; Small Business Innovation Research Grant; Technology; Testing; Toothpaste; Toy; United States; Universities; Voice; Woman; aged; base; career; cultural competence; design; digital media; early childhood; elementary school; experience; experimental study; girls; innovation; interest; intervention program; mathematical ability; mathematical theory; mobile application; movie; parental involvement; primary caregiver; programs; prospective; prototype; racial bias; role model; scientific literacy; skill acquisition; skills; social model; success; usability

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT In the United States (US), 73% of scientists and engineers are white with less than 2% being African American (AA) women.1 While AA girls and women comprise 7% of the US population, they are significantly under- represented in STEM education and professions – with less than 2% of AA women in all STEM occupations. Research suggests that STEM promotion interventions for AA girls should occur during preschool/early-primary school, when the foundational “building blocks” of self-efficacy are first developed (e.g., mastery experiences, social modeling). For this Phase I SBIR project, we propose Kukua - an innovative, fun, and engaging, early childhood STEM as a promotion intervention program for African American girls (4–8 years-old). Kukua, meaning “grow” or “grow up” in Swahili, will be a culturally-relevant smart doll with corresponding daily interactive digital media, via videos, coupled with a primary caregiver app for engagement in STEM activities. Kukua will increase STEM skills development and interest from observational, play-based learning, and role modeling.21 Additionally, Kukua will challenge false assumptions about AA girls’ STEM abilities. Kukua will be designed and developed by Benten Technologies, led by Principal Investigator (PI) Tony Ma of Benten Technologies in collaboration with Dr. Natalie S. King (Co-I) of Georgia State University, Katie Chang (Co-I) of Benten Technologies, and Dr. Krystyna Isaacs (Project Manager) of Benten Technologies. The specific aims of this Phase I project are: 1) Develop a prototype of Kukua, including caregiver app and ten 15-minute interactive videos for the first 2-weeks of a 12-week program, using formative research with AA girls (4-8 years old) and primary caregivers; and 2) Conduct a 2-week pilot testing of Kukua with 20 AA girls (4-8 years old) and their primary caregiver to assess its feasibility (usability, acceptance, and engagement). Impact: In the short-term, this study will demonstrate the feasibility of the development and implementation of a play and observational learning-based intervention utilizing a smart doll alongside other interactive digital media that includes an interactive mobile application featuring interactive videos for promoting STEM interest and skills development among African American girls. In the long-term, African American girls will continue to engage in STEM education after elementary school, have a greater sense of belonging in STEM, and demonstrate increased confidence and interest in STEM. For Phase II, we plan to complete the development of the 12-week program and test the effects of Kukua on increasing STEM knowledge, interest, and identity among African American girls, and ultimately increase African American girls’ and women’s representation in STEM education and professions.

项目总结/摘要 在美国，73%的科学家和工程师是白色，非洲裔美国人不到2%。 (AA)1虽然AA女孩和妇女占美国人口的7%，但她们的比例明显低于- 在STEM教育和职业中，AA女性的比例不到2%。 研究表明，对AA女孩的STEM促进干预应发生在学前/小学早期 学校，当自我效能的基础“积木”首次开发时（例如，掌握经验， 社会建模）。对于这个第一阶段SBIR项目，我们建议Kukua -一个创新的，有趣的，引人入胜的，早期的 儿童STEM作为一个促进干预计划，为非洲裔美国女孩（4-8岁）。Kukua，意思是 “成长”或“长大”在斯瓦希里语，将是一个文化相关的智能娃娃与相应的日常互动数字 媒体，通过视频，再加上一个主要的护理人员应用程序参与STEM活动。Kukua将增加 STEM技能发展和兴趣来自观察，基于游戏的学习和角色塑造。21此外， Kukua将挑战关于AA女孩STEM能力的错误假设。Kukua将被设计和开发 由Benten Technologies的首席研究员（PI）Tony Ma领导，与 博士娜塔莉·S格鲁吉亚州立大学的King（Co-I），Benten技术的Katie Chang（Co-I）和Dr. Benten Technologies公司的Kaduyna Isaacs（项目经理）。第一期工程的具体目标是： 开发Kukua的原型，包括护理人员应用程序和前2周的10个15分钟互动视频 为期12周的计划，使用AA女孩（4-8岁）和主要照顾者的形成性研究;以及2） 对20名AA女孩（4-8岁）及其主要照顾者进行为期2周的Kukua试点测试，以评估其 可行性（可用性、接受度和参与度）。 影响：在短期内，本研究将证明制定和实施 一个游戏和观察学习为基础的干预利用智能娃娃与其他互动数字 包括交互式移动的应用程序的媒体，该应用程序具有用于促进STEM兴趣的交互式视频 以及非裔美国女孩的技能发展。从长远来看，非裔美国女孩将继续 小学毕业后从事STEM教育，对STEM有更大的归属感， 增强对STEM的信心和兴趣。对于第二阶段，我们计划完成开发 为期12周的计划，并测试Kukua对增加STEM知识，兴趣和身份的影响 在非洲裔美国女孩中，并最终增加非洲裔美国女孩和妇女在 STEM教育和职业。