ENGAGE: A Game-based Curricular Strategy for Infusing Computational Thinking into Middle School Science

STEM+计算伙伴关系（STEM+C）计划旨在通过跨一个或多个领域的应用研究和开发，推进STEM教学和学习中计算的多学科整合。基于先前开发和测试的中学海洋学选修课计算机科学教育原型，ENGAGE项目的目标是设计和研究一个更全面的中学生命科学课程策略，使用基于游戏的学习环境，将计算思维实践深度整合到生命科学课程中。主题将包括研究生态系统中物种的相互依存关系，生物和生态系统中的物质和能量，物种的自然选择及其生存适应。在关注学生学习的同时，该项目将开发和研究一种教师专业发展模式，以支持教师在中学生命科学中整合计算思维。首席研究人员将收集具体的证据，证明基于游戏的学习可以有效地支持与新的科学教育框架（国家研究委员会，2012年）和计算机科学教师协会，计算机科学教育计算思维框架（2016年）相一致的计算丰富的科学实践。具体来说，这项工作将：(1)为北卡罗莱纳州和佛罗里达州的中学生设计一个创新的课程策略和新的基于游戏的学习环境，以开发计算丰富的科学实践（开发和使用模型，分析和解释数据）；(2)在游戏学习环境下，调查中学生在中学科学课堂中如何发展计算思维实践（创建抽象和模型、分析问题和工件、开发计算工件）；(3)制定循证教师专业发展计划，支持教师将计算思维深度融入中学科学教学。首要的研究问题将是：深入的、以掌握为导向的游戏玩法如何在中学生命科学中发展核心计算思维实践？相关的子问题将包括：(a)基于游戏的学习如何促进学生科学和工程实践的发展？(b)以游戏为基础的学习如何促进学生掌握深深融入科学教育的计算思维？(c)基于游戏的计算丰富科学学习如何改善学生在短期自我效能感、结果预期和长期STEM职业兴趣方面的科学态度？该项目将开展三种类型的活动，在项目的每一年并行进行。首先，它将开发并迭代完善课程策略和基于协作游戏的学习环境，这将在北卡罗来纳州和佛罗里达州的合作中学实施，随后每年都有越来越多的教师和学生参与其中。其次，该研究将开发、实施和完善相应的专业发展材料以及相关的在线和面对面活动。教师专业发展将在整个学年实施，利用暑期学院和持续的校本支持。第三，将进行课堂研究，以建立中学生如何最有效地开展计算丰富的科学实践的证据基础。对于课堂研究，该项目将比较三种情况：(1)基线条件（没有项目实施的标准科学课堂实践）将使用以前没有参加过项目的教师；(2)项目-无游戏条件，学生将参与课程策略的实施，在游戏之外提供对数据丰富的科学问题的游戏外计算问题解决，但不提供基于游戏的学习体验；(3)实施完整版的ENGAGE课程策略，提供基于游戏的学习体验，以及游戏外的计算问题解决。在为期三年的研究期间，数据收集策略将包括：课堂观察、个别教师访谈、学生和教师焦点小组、项目开发评估、嵌入式基于游戏的学习评估、学生创建的工件评估、测试前和测试后评估，以及科学和STEM态度的评估。数据解释策略将包括：对不同年份和三种实验条件下的分数进行比较分析，通过观察和形成性分析来指导学习任务的改进，对学生表现和成长进行定性和定量分析，以及对自我报告态度变化进行形成性分析。该项目的主要成果将是一个基于研究和实地测试的原型，将计算思维融入中学水平的科学学习。外部组织将进行形成性和总结性评估。

The STEM+Computing Partnership (STEM+C) program seeks to advance multidisciplinary integration of computing in STEM teaching and learning through applied research and development across one or more domains. Building on a previously developed and tested prototype for computer science education in a middle school oceanography elective, the ENGAGE project's objective is to design and study a more comprehensive curricular strategy for middle school life science using a game-based learning environment that will deeply integrate computational thinking practices within the life science curriculum. Topics will include the study of interdependent relationships of species in ecosystems, matter and energy in organisms and ecosystems, and natural selection of species and their adaptations for survival. Along with a focus on student learning, the project will develop and study a teacher professional development model to support teachers in the integration of computational thinking in middle school life science. Principal Investigators will gather specific evidence about the ways in which game-based learning can effectively support computationally rich science practices aligned with the new Science Education Framework (National Research Council, 2012) and the Computer Science Teachers' Association, Computer Science Education Computational Thinking Framework (2016). Specifically, the effort will: (1) design an innovative curricular strategy and novel game-based learning environment to develop computationally rich science practices (developing and using models, and analyzing and interpreting data), for middle school students from North Carolina and Florida; (2) investigate how middle school students develop computational thinking practices (creating abstractions and models, analyzing problems and artifacts, and developing computational artifacts) in middle school science classrooms with the game-based learning environment; and (3) develop an evidence-based teacher professional development program that supports teachers in the deep integration of computational thinking into middle grades science. The overarching research question will be: How can deep, mastery-oriented gameplay develop core computational thinking practices in middle school life science? Related sub-questions will include: (a) How can game-based learning promote the development of students' science and engineering practices?; (b) How can game-based learning promote student mastery of computational thinking deeply infused science education?; and (c) How can game-based learning for computationally rich science improve students' attitudes in science with regard to short-term self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, and long-term STEM career interest? The project will undertake three types of activities carried out in parallel across each year of the project. First, it will develop and iteratively refine the curricular strategy and collaborative game-based learning environment, which will be implemented at partner middle schools in North Carolina and Florida, with increasing numbers of teachers and students participating in each succeeding year. Second, the study will develop, implement, and refine the corresponding professional development materials and associated online and face-to-face activities. The teacher professional development will be implemented throughout the school year, utilizing both a summer institute and ongoing school-based support. Third, classroom studies will be conducted to build the evidence base on how middle school students can most effectively develop computationally rich science practices. For the classroom studies, the project will compare three conditions: (1) the baseline condition (standard science classroom practice with no project implementation) will utilize teachers who have not previously participated in the project; (2) the project-without-game condition, where students will participate in an implementation of the curricular strategy that provides out-of-game computational problem solving on data-rich science problems outside of the game, but does not provide the game-based learning experiences; and (3) implementation of a full version of the ENGAGE curricular strategy that provides both game-based learning experiences, as well as outside-of-game computational problem solving. Data-gathering strategies throughout the three-year duration of the study will include: classroom observations, individual teacher interviews, student and teacher focus groups, project-developed assessments, embedded game-based learning assessments, student-created artifact assessments, pre- and posttest assessments, and assessments of science and STEM attitudes. Data interpretation strategies will include: comparative analysis of scores across years and across the three experimental conditions, observational and formative analyses to guide refinement of learning tasks, qualitative and quantitative analyses of student performance and growth, and formative analysis of changes in self-reported attitudes. The main outcome of the project will be a research-informed and field-tested prototype integrating computational thinking into science learning at the middle school level. An external organization will conduct the formative and summative evaluations.