A Study of a Technology-enhanced Curriculum Integrating Science, Engineering Design, and Computational Modeling to Achieve Synergistic Learning with Elementary Students

随着计算成为科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)实践中不可或缺的一部分，STEM+计算方案寻求通过将计算思维和计算活动应用于STEM教与学的应用整合来应对计算STEM领域中新出现的挑战。这个项目将为高年级小学生开发一个为期6周的单元，将科学、工程和计算思维的概念和实践整合在一起。将开发的课堂材料将融合学科核心思想、科学和工程设计实践以及K-12科学教育框架和下一代科学标准(NGSS)所描述的交叉概念。预期的项目成果包括：(1)一个完善的、技术增强的课程单元，其特点是创新的支持性学习技术与NGSS对整合地球科学、工程和计算思维的预期保持一致；(2)一个计算系统建模环境，学生可以在其中开发地球系统现象的模型，以测试、比较和改进与这些现象相关的工程解决方案；(3)教育辅助资源，帮助小学高年级教师实施该单元，并将工程和计算思维的学科整合到他们的科学教学中；(4)该单元在通过整合科学、工程和计算思维来提高学生熟练程度方面的有效性的经验证据；和(5)开发与NGSS一致的多学科课程材料的原则性设计过程。本设计和开发项目将使用基于既定设计方法的原则性设计过程--以证据为中心的设计、知识集成和信息工程--以确保所有材料都与项目的学习目标保持一致。项目团队将与服务于文化、经济和语言不同学生群体的学校合作，设计过程将纳入公平/公平设计框架，帮助确保评估、课程材料和技术支持与不同的学生群体相关、公平和有帮助。该项目将使用基于混合方法设计的研究方法来调查以下研究问题：(1)一个整合了科学、工程设计和计算建模的技术增强的课程单元如何帮助高年级学生在NGSS的三个维度上实现这些学科的协同学习？(2)高年级学生需要哪些特定领域的支持来开发地球系统的计算模型并使用计算模型来开发工程解决方案？(3)支持资源如何教育小学教师并支持他们实施融合工程和计算思维的科学课程材料？该项目将进行两种类型的实证课堂研究，以寻求这些研究问题的答案：(1)将在项目第二年进行一系列以设计为基础的研究研究，以解决前两个研究问题；(2)将进行学习和实施研究，以解决所有三个研究问题。

As computing has become integral to the practice of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), the STEM+Computing program seeks to address emerging challenges in computational STEM areas through the applied integration of computational thinking and computing activities within STEM teaching and learning in early childhood education through high school (preK-12). This project will develop a 6-week unit for upper elementary students that integrates science, engineering, and computational thinking concepts and practices. The classroom materials to be developed will blend disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering design practices, and crosscutting concepts as described by the Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Expected project outcomes include: (1) A refined, technology-enhanced curriculum unit featuring innovative supportive learning technologies aligned with NGSS performance expectations integrating Earth science, engineering, and computational thinking; (2) A computational systems modeling environment where students can develop models of Earth systems phenomena to test, compare, and refine engineering solutions related to those phenomena; (3) Educative supporting resources that help upper elementary teachers implement the unit and integrate the disciplines of engineering and computational thinking into their science teaching; (4) Empirical evidence of the unit's effectiveness at promoting student proficiency with integrating science, engineering, and computational thinking; and (5) A principled design process for developing NGSS-aligned multidisciplinary curriculum materials.This design and development project will use a principled design process based on established design approaches--Evidence Centered Design, Knowledge Integration, and Informed Engineering--to ensure that all materials are aligned to the learning goals of the project. The project team will collaborate with schools serving populations of culturally, economically, and linguistically diverse students, and the design process will incorporate a fairness/equity design framework, helping to ensure that assessments, curriculum materials, and technology supports are relevant, fair, and helpful to diverse student groups.  A mixed-methods design-based research approach will be used by the project to investigate the following research questions: (1) How can a technology-enhanced curriculum unit that integrates science, engineering design, and computational modeling help upper elementary students achieve synergistic learning of these disciplines along the three dimensions of the NGSS? (2) What domain-specific supports do upper elementary students need to develop computational models of Earth systems and use computational models to develop engineering solutions? (3) How can supporting resources educate elementary teachers and support their implementation of science curriculum materials integrating engineering and computational thinking? The project will conduct two types of empirical classroom studies to pursue answers to these research questions: (1) A series of design-based research studies will be conducted during year 2 of the project to address the first two research questions; and (2) A learning and implementation study will be conducted to address all three of the research questions.