Designing Tactile Picture Books: Critical Making in Libraries to Broaden Participation in STEM Education and Careers

该学习和研究中心将推进学生和教师创新技术体验（ITEST）计划的努力，以更好地理解和促进提高学生在科学，技术，工程或数学（STEM）领域追求职业生涯的动机和能力的做法，通过开发一种创新方法，利用图书馆Makerspaces将扫盲，职业意识和科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）。 来自科学领域代表性不足的群体的初中和高中学生，包括视障学生，将为视障儿童数字化设计和制作3D打印触觉故事书。 通过与学校、图书馆和科罗拉多盲人中心合作，该项目将让参与者参与有社会意义的活动，因为他们在整合艺术、多模态识字、工程设计和制造、STEM概念以及提高对STEM相关领域职业意识的指导活动方面获得了经验。 完成该项目的高中生将有机会担任年轻学生的导师。 触觉图画书项目（TPBP）有两个总体目标：a）通过图书馆的无障碍批判性制作体验，扩大代表性不足的学习者，特别是女孩，代表性不足的少数民族和视力障碍学生对STEM的参与;以及B）提高代表性不足的学习者对STEM职业的认识和兴趣。该项目将吸引来自代表性不足群体的770多名学习者，包括至少400名女性和120名有视力障碍的学生，以研究新战略，并加深对支持在STEM领域代表性不足的群体中成功采用这种方法的因素的理解。 本研究将采用基于设计的实施研究（DBIR）方法，研究与以下三个研究问题相关的结果：a）TPBP课程和非正式学习环境的哪些方面最有效地支持学生的STEM能力和倾向，包括：多模式识字和3D设计，为不同的学习者，制造技能，协作和创新，自我效能和持久性？ B）作为创客空间导师的STEM专业人员以何种方式和程度影响学生？对STEM职业的认识和兴趣？ 以及c）在3D设计和制作活动中，以及在培养STEM态度和兴趣方面，以触觉书籍为重点的批判性制作体验的哪些方面最有效地吸引和支持代表性不足的学习者，包括女孩，少数民族和视力障碍学生？ 该项目包括两个层次的导师，以支持关键的图书馆制作经验：a）高中导师，从合作学校招募，和B）干专业人士，从合作伙伴制造商团体招募。 通过该项目创建的可理解的触觉图片将通过科罗拉多的有声图书图书馆分发给有盲童的家庭，并整合到公共图书馆的感官故事时间（为有感官处理问题和自闭症的儿童设计）中，3D设计将在网上提供，以支持为幼儿广泛制作无障碍材料。TPBP课程、设计指南和研究成果将通过教育工作者、图书馆、创客空间和教育和职业发展研究人员的国家网络传播。

This Learning and Research Center will advance efforts of the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program to better understand and promote practices that increase students' motivations and capacities to pursue careers in fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) by developing an innovative approach to using library Makerspaces to link literacy, career awareness, and learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Middle and high schools students from groups underrepresented in science, including visually impaired students, will digitally design and fabricate 3D-printed tactile storybooks for young children with visual impairments. In partnership with schools, libraries, and the Colorado Center for the Blind, the project will engage participants in socially purposeful activity as they gain experiences in integrating art, multimodal literacy, engineering design and fabrication, STEM concepts, and mentoring activities that raise awareness of careers in STEM-related fields. High school students who complete the program will have opportunities to serve as mentors for younger students. The Tactile Picture Books Project (TPBP) has two overarching goals: a) Expand participation in STEM among underrepresented learners, especially girls, underrepresented minorities and students with visual impairments, through accessible critical making experiences in libraries; and b) Increase STEM career awareness and interest among underrepresented learners.The project will engage more than 770 learners from underrepresented groups, including at least 400 females and 120 students with visual impairments to examine the new strategy and to deepens understanding of the factors that support the success of the approach among groups underrepresented in STEM fields. A Design-Based Implementation Research (DBIR) approach will be employed to study outcomes relating to three research questions: a) What aspects of the TPBP curriculum and informal learning environment most effectively support students' STEM competencies and dispositions, including: multimodal literacy and 3D design for diverse learners, fabrication skills, collaboration and innovation, and self-efficacy and persistence? b) In what ways and to what degree do STEM Professionals, serving as Makerspace mentors, influence students? awareness of and interest in STEM careers? And c) What aspects of the Critical Making experience focused on tactile books most effectively engage and support underrepresented learners, including girls, minorities and students with visual impairments, in 3D design and fabrication activities, and in developing STEM attitudes and interests? The project incorporates two tiers of mentors to support critical making experiences in libraries: a) High School Mentors, recruited from partner schools, and b) STEM Professionals, recruited from partner Maker groups. Accessible tactile pictures created through the project will be distributed to families with blind children via Colorado's Talking Books Library, integrated into public libraries' Sensory Storytimes (designed for children with sensory processing issues and autism), and the 3D designs will be made available online to support widespread production of accessible materials for young children. The TPBP curriculum, design guidelines and research findings will be disseminated via national networks of educators, libraries, Makerspaces, and researchers in education and career development.