Using Wide-Spread Collaboration to Motivate Innovation and Creativity

这项计划的目的是为创意项目创造一个新的合作环境，并促进弱势青少年在解决资讯科技问题方面的创意和创新。新的环境是一个基于维基的创作工具包，被称为公文包，它将指导学生使用各种软件包，并允许他们在本地和互联网上与其他人分享和讨论。公文包概念的目的是扩展目前在Tuft开发的RoboBook产品的功能，以包括类似Wiki的主干的可伸缩性。一旦软件设计完成，我们也将为其开发教学内容。其想法是为学生提供一个创作环境(如Word或PowerPoint)，帮助学生1.学习如何使用各种软件包；2.通过博客、图片和电影跟踪他们正在做什么；3.与其他人(本地和远程)讨论和合作解决问题；4.与世界各地的其他人分享他们开发的东西。此外，公文包将允许学习中心招募优秀的导师，他们不一定是软件专家。其想法是用户可以？查看公文包？对于软件包中的项目(例如，Scratch)。她打开公文包，打开一本说明书，里面有电影、图片和互动页面。然后，她开始进入她的项目的开放式设计，其中的设计概要为她的设计提供了脚手架。在这一点上，该工具更像是一个日记和笔记环境(其中笔记可以包括图片、语音和电影)。当她完成设计时，她在公文包里制作了最后的演示文稿，然后在网络上与其他人分享。广泛的影响：混合技术被提供给不同城市、不同社会经济条件的儿童，可以在改善弱势青年的科学教育机会方面产生真正的影响。这项工作还可以为未来的教科书提供新的方向。

The goal of this project is to develop a new environment for collaboration in creative projects and to promote creativity and innovation in IT problem solving among disadvantaged youth. The new environment is a wiki-based authoring toolkit, called the Briefcase, that will guide students through the use of various software packages and allow them to share and discuss with others locally and over the Internet. The intent of the Briefcase concept is to extend the functionality of the RoboBook product currently under development at Tufts to include the scalability of a Wiki-like backbone. Once the software has been designed, we will develop instructional content for it as well. The idea is to provide students with an authoring environment (like Word or PowerPoint) that helps students 1. learn how to use various software packages; 2. keep track of what they are doing through blogs, pictures, and movies; 3. discuss and team with others (locally and remotely) to problem solve; and 4. share what they develop with others around the world. Further, the Briefcase will allow the Learning Centers to recruit excellent mentors that are not necessarily software experts. The idea is that a user could ?check out a Briefcase? for a project in a software package (e.g., Scratch). She opens the Briefcase to an instruction manual, complete with movies, pictures, and interactive pages. She then starts to move into the open-ended design of her project, with the included design brief providing scaffolding for her design. At this point the tool becomes more of a diary and note-taking environment (where notes can include pictures, voice, and movies). As she completes her design, she creates her final presentation within the Briefcase that is then shared with others on the web.Broader Impact: The hybrid technology being delivered to children in different cities in different socioeconomic conditions, can make a real impact in improving science education opportunities for disadvantaged youth. This work could also inform new directions for textbooks of the future.