Track 2 EBP: Toward Using Virtual Identities in Computer Science Learning for Broadening Participation

本研究考察了虚拟身份在学生学习核心计算原理中的作用。在美国，女性和许多少数族裔群体在科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）专业领域的代表性不足。进入任何STEM领域都需要越来越多的计算技能。确定有效和创新的计算技能教学方法是对这一国家挑战的关键贡献。这项研究基于这样的证据：刻板印象威胁会破坏女性和少数族裔的学习过程。利用麻省理工学院在以前的国家科学基金会资助下开发的计算机科学学习软件，这项工作研究了虚拟身份在提高学生计算机科学学习方面的作用，特别是在扩大该领域的参与方面。这个项目使用计算和定性的方法来研究虚拟身份，化身，在学生学习计算机科学中的作用。它以三个核心操作支柱为中心：1)为不同的初中和高中学生部署计算机科学学习干预，利用学生的社会文化身份和生成主题来激发核心概念的意识，解决问题和思考主题，包括探索计算机科学的关键部分；2)描述学生的虚拟身份与他们实际的社会文化身份之间的关系，以制定虚拟身份类型的分类和描述学生如何使用和联系他们的虚拟身份的准则；3)识别不同虚拟形象类型对学生成绩的影响。

This research examines the role of virtual identities in students' learning core computational principles. Women and many ethnic minority groups are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions in the United States. Increasingly, computational skills are required for entry into any of the STEM fields. Identifying effective and innovative means of teaching computational skills is a critical contribution to this national challenge. This research builds on the evidence that stereotype threats can undermine the learning process for women and ethnic minorities. Using computer science learning software developed at MIT with previous NSF funding, this work examines the role that virtual identities can play in improving student learning in computer science specifically and broadening participation in the field generally.This project uses computational and qualitative methods to study the roles that virtual identities, avatars, can play in students' learning computer science. It centers on three core operational pillars: 1) deployment of a computer science learning intervention for diverse middle and high school students that draws on students' sociocultural identities and generative themes to agitate awareness of core concepts, problem solving and thinking in topics including critical sections of Exploring Computer Science; 2) characterization of the relationship between students' virtual identities and their actual sociocultural identities to develop a taxonomy of virtual identity types and a rubric for describing how students use and relate to their virtual identities; and 3) identification of the impacts of different avatar types on students' performance.