Computer Science and Computational Approaches to Music for Middle School and High School Students

这项探索性研究小额赠款（SGER）支持纽约大学（NYU）的一项试点研究，在该研究下，计算机科学（CS）正在向7-12年级的数学和音乐天才儿童教授。他们正在学习如何将计算机科学原理应用于音乐，这是一个已知计算应用的技术领域，包括声音处理、音乐信息检索和与音乐相关的人工智能。重点是基本的科学概念，如算法和数据结构，以及它们如何应用于技术问题。这与之前大学预科CS的教学方法形成了对比，例如，AP计算机科学课程侧重于当前流行的计算机语言（JAVA），其他课程侧重于当前流行的计算机应用程序（文字处理，电子表格等）。后续研究预计将用于教授其他计算领域，如机器人和解决游戏的人工智能方法。同样，重点将放在正式的计算问题解决上，而不是使用当前流行的计算机语言和应用程序。本研究探讨了将基础计算机科学纳入初高中课程，这是教育界和科研界面临的一个重要问题。计算思维在当前智力思维中的无处不在使其成为一个极其重要的研究方向。在这项试点研究中创建的教材将在万维网上提供，结果将提交出版。这项试点研究旨在为大学预科学生开设真正的计算机科学课程奠定基础，这对美国未来的经济和智力发展至关重要。

This Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER) supports a pilot study at New York University(NYU), under which computer science (CS) is being taught to math and music savvy children ingrades 7-12. They are learning how CS principles apply to music, a technical field with knowncomputational applications including sound manipulation, music information retrieval, and musicrelatedartificial intelligence. The focus is on fundamental scientific concepts like algorithms anddata structures and how they apply to technical problems. This contrasts with previous approachesto teaching pre-college CS, e.g., AP computer science classes focus on a currently popular computerlanguage (JAVA) and other classes focus on currently popular computer applications (wordprocessing, spreadsheets, etc.). Follow up studies are anticipated for teaching other computationaldomains, such as robotics and artificial intelligence approaches to solving games. Again, the focuswill be on formal computational problem solving, rather than the use of currently popular computerlanguages and applications.This study explores the incorporation of basic CS into the middle/high school curricula, asignificant question for the educational and scientific research communities. The ubiquitousnessof computational thinking in current intellectual thought makes this an extremely significant lineof research.The teaching materials created in this pilot study will be available on the world wide web andresults will be submitted for publication. This pilot study is intended as a stepping stone to a realcomputer science curriculum for pre-college students, which should prove essential to the futureeconomic and intellectual development of the United States.