EBP: Bringing AP Computer Science Principles to Students with Learning Disabilities and/or an ADHD: The Hidden Underrepresented Group

本研究旨在通过确保有学习差异的学生（有学习障碍和/或注意缺陷/多动障碍（ADHD）的学生）能够成功地参加一般的计算机科学课程，特别是AP计算机科学原理（CSP）课程，来扩大计算机科学的参与。来自Outlier Research & Evaluation（芝加哥大学初等数学与科学教育中心（CEMSE）的一个研究小组）和Wolcott School（芝加哥一所针对学习差异学生的学校）的跨学科团队将运用他们在教育研究、特殊教育、心理学、教育学和计算机科学（CS）内容方面的专业知识：识别有学习差异的学生在接触计算机科学概念和计算实践时面临的挑战；找出应对这些挑战的解决方案；测试两个AP计算机科学原理（CSP）课程在开发中的适应性和适应性，以应对这些挑战：纽约市计算的美丽和乐趣（BJC4NYC）；以及Code.org的CS原则。该项目的研究结果将为确保这一经常被忽视的学生群体能够充分参与计算机科学教育迈出第一步。这个项目很及时，因为大学理事会正准备在2016年秋季推出新的AP CSP课程。这项基础研究的发现对于确保不同学习方式的学生不被排除在外至关重要。为了实现这一目标，Outlier和Wolcott学校团队将追求以下研究问题：(1)让有学习差异的学生能够接受高中CS教育，特别是AP CSP教育，学习和教学方面的关注点是什么？(2)为了使CSP课程，特别是BJC4NYC和CS原则能够为有学习差异的学生所接受，需要哪些具体的适应和调整？(3)有学习差异的学生在多大程度上成功完成AP CSP课程，并对他们的经历表现出积极的态度？为了回答这些问题，项目团队将：a)确定通常与特殊学习障碍和多动症相关的课程适应，并考虑其在计算机科学教育中的应用；b)生成并测试选定CSP课程的适应性和适应性；c)推导出一套设计原则，用于向学习差异的学生教授计算机科学；d)与CSP开发商合作，将适应性和适应性永久地纳入其材料中；e)广泛传播关于调整学习差异学生的发现、教学指导和其他发现。该团队将采用混合方法的研究设计，使用通过课堂观察收集的数据；教师书面反馈和访谈；学生的书面反馈，自我评估，问卷调查，焦点小组和访谈。该研究将通过采取措施，了解将这一尚未触及的群体纳入计算机科学教育所需的知识，为建立广泛的高中计算机科学教育基础设施提供支持，并就如何将在CSP中学习不同的学生纳入其中提供具体指导，并展示努力推进扩大参与这一维度的重要性和优点。

This study aims to expand participation in computer science by ensuring that students with learning differences (students with learning disabilities and/or an Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)) can successfully participate in computer science courses in general, and AP Computer Science Principles (CSP) courses in particular. An interdisciplinary team from Outlier Research & Evaluation (a research group at the Center for Elementary Mathematics and Science Education (CEMSE) at the University of Chicago), and the Wolcott School (a school in Chicago for students with learning differences) will apply their expertise in education research, special education, psychology, pedagogy, and computer science (CS) content to: identify the challenges students with learning differences face as they engage with computer science concepts and computational practices; derive solutions for addressing those challenges, and; test adaptations and accommodations that address those challenges for two AP Computer Science Principles (CSP )curricula in development: Beauty and Joy of Computing for New York City (BJC4NYC); and Code.org's CS Principles. Findings from this project will take a first step toward ensuring that this often overlooked student population can fully participate in CS education. The project is timely, as the College Board is preparing to launch the new AP CSP course in the fall of 2016. The findings of this foundational study will be crucial to ensuring that students who learn differently are not excluded. To accomplish this goal, the Outlier and Wolcott School team will pursue the following research questions: (1) What are the learning and teaching concerns regarding making high school CS education in general, and AP CSP in particular, accessible to students with learning differences?; (2) What specific adaptations and accommodations are needed to make CSP courses in general and BJC4NYC and CS Principles in particular accessible to students with learning differences?; and (3) To what extent do students with learning differences successfully complete the AP CSP course and demonstrate positive attitudes about their experience? To answer these questions, the project team will: a) identify lesson adaptations generally associated with specific learning disabilities and an ADHD, and consider their application in CS education; b) generate and test adaptations and accommodations for select CSP lessons; c) derive a set of design principles for teaching CS to students with learning differences; d) work with CSP developers to permanently incorporate adaptations and accommodations into their materials; and e) broadly disseminate findings, instructional guidance and other findings about adjustments for students with learning differences. The team will employ a mixed-methods research design using data collected through classroom observations; teacher written feedback and interviews; and student written feedback, self-assessments, questionnaire responses, focus groups and interviews. The study will support efforts to generate a wide-scale infrastructure for high school CS education by taking steps to generate knowledge about what is needed to include this as yet unreached group in computer science education, provide specific guidance about ways to include students who learn differently in CSP, and demonstrate the importance and merits of working to advance this dimension of broadening participation.