EAGER: MAKER: Enhanced learning through making by way of personalized content for animation and fabrication

该项目旨在通过研究一种方法来影响学习过程，这种方法允许5至10岁的未来制造者为教育工作者提供输入，这些教育工作者开发具有创造性和独特的物理或数字产品，以吸引其他K-8学生群体。通过这项研究，有可能提供更好的教育玩具和文物，以吸引K到8年级的学生，而不是通过大规模生产创造的传统教育产品。Making可以支持个性化的教育产品，这些产品是根据孩子的个人喜好设计的，这一想法令人兴奋且新颖。本研究调查了源自儿童的个性化内容作为一种促进游戏作为一种学习形式的手段的影响。本研究探讨了创新的交互设计工具作为一种通过制作学习的方式。此外，该项目还评估了博物馆创客空间和与教育工作者和年轻学习者合作的课后项目的有效性。这个项目评估了使用手绘作为一个复杂设计系统的起点的影响。定性分析使用在匹兹堡儿童博物馆举行的游戏测试会议和课后项目的输入，将用于学生群体的比较。使用交互式软件的设计和创新将使新奇的创客活动成为可能，并使更广泛的受众受益。对于年轻的学习者来说，参与数学模型和计算软件工具的额外体验是令人兴奋和新颖的，这些工具可以自动完成繁琐而具有挑战性的设计任务。该项目以非正式的方式将创客活动整合到广泛的工程学习环境中，以暴露和鼓励未来的STEM劳动力。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project seeks to impact the process of learning through Making by investigating an approach that allows future Makers aged 5 to 10 years old to provide input to educators who develop creative and unique physical or digital products that appeal to other K-8 student populations. Through this research there is potential to provide better educational toys and artifacts that appeal to K through 8 students instead of the traditional educational products created through mass production. The idea that Making can support individualized educational products that are designed to the individual preferences of a child is exciting and novel. This research investigates the impact of personalized content originating from children as a means to promote play as a form of learning. This research investigates innovative interactive design tools as a way of learning-through-making. Also, this project assesses the efficacy of a museum Maker space and an afterschool program for working with educators and young learners. This project evaluates the impact of using hand drawings as a starting point to a complexly designed systems. Qualitative analysis using inputs from play-testing sessions held at the Pittsburgh Children's Museum and afterschool programs will be used for comparison of the student populations. Designs and innovations using interactive software will enable novel Maker activities and empower broader audiences. The additional experiences for young learners to become involved with mathematical models and computational software tools that automate tedious and challenging design tasks is exciting and novel. The project expertly integrates Maker activities into an extensive engineering based learning environment in an informal way to expose and encourage the future STEM workforce.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.