Positioning Youth for Success in Science: Studying the Malleability and Impact of Computational Thinking for Science

由于STEM学科中计算的强大创新和应用，STEM+C程序解决了从低年级到高中（preK-12）学生对现实世界，跨学科和计算准备的迫切需求。该项目将推进新的跨学科方法的研究和开发，以计算STEM教学和学习，将整合计算思维和科学学习领域。 该项目将综合计算思维的框架和定义，以确定最适合青年未来科学学习的方面。 由此产生的结构，科学计算思维（CT-S）将通过开发有效和可靠的评估进行检查，项目团队将调查CT-S是否，为谁，以及在什么情况下能够在近端科学学习经验中取得成功。调查结果将通过描述学生发展CT-S技能的各种方式以及CT-S支持科学学习和发展STEM职业偏好的程度来为该领域做出贡献。这将为未来的课程和教学开发提供信息，将计算思维和科学学习以富有成效和支持性的方式整合起来。该项目得到了STEM +计算计划的支持，该计划推动了跨学科和跨学科方法的研究和开发，以将计算融入科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）教学和学习中，适用于正式和非正式环境中的学前班学生。STEM+C支持学生如何学习计算思维以解决STEM领域的跨学科问题的研究。CT-S的考试将嵌入新的下一代科学标准中，旨在支持计算思维的发展。研究计划包括CT-S结构和相关假设学习进展的衔接，以及嵌入三个不同科学主题的CT-S评估工具的开发。这些工具将通过与学生的认知访谈，飞行员的反应定性分析，并与课程中使用的模拟学生日志交叉验证。该项目将使用这些工具进行一项为期一年的多队列纵向研究，1300名中学生，探索CT-S与学习和职业意识的结果之间的关系，并确定亚组之间的变化。将通过两个分析模型分析本纵向研究收集的数据。第一个相关模型将研究CT-S作为学习经验和科学内容学习期间参与的预测因子。第二个探讨内部和跨个人使用HLM模型，以研究如何CT-S在中年级的变化。这项工作的成果将被分享，以告知专业人士，从业者和政策社区。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

As a result of the powerful innovation and application of computing in STEM disciplines, the STEM+C program addresses an urgent need for real-world, interdisciplinary, and computational preparation of students from the early grades through high school (preK-12). This project will advance research and development of new transdisciplinary approaches to computational STEM teaching and learning that will integrate the fields of computational thinking and science learning. The project will synthesize across frameworks and definitions of computational thinking to identify those aspects that best position youth for future science learning. The resulting construct, Computational Thinking for Science (CT-S) will be examined through the development of valid and reliable assessments, and the project team will investigate whether, for whom, and under what circumstances CT-S enables success in proximal science learning experiences. Findings will contribute to the field by describing the varied ways that students develop CT-S skill sets and the degree to which CT-S supports science learning and developing STEM career preferences. This will inform future curriculum and instructional development that integrates computational thinking and science learning in productive and supportive ways. This project is supported by the STEM + Computing Program that advances research and development of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to the integration of computing within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teaching and learning for preK-12 students in both formal and informal settings. STEM+C supports research on how students learn to think computationally to solve interdisciplinary problems in the STEM fields.The examination of CT-S will be embedded in a new Next Generation Science Standards-aligned, technology rich middle school science curriculum aimed at supporting the development of computational thinking. The research plan includes articulation of the CT-S construct and associated hypothetical learning progression, and development of CT-S assessment instruments embedded in three different science topics. These instruments will be validated via cognitive interviews with students, qualitative analysis of the pilot responses, and cross validated with student logs of simulations used in the curriculum. The project will use these instruments to conduct a multi-cohort one year longitudinal study with 1300 middle school students, exploring the relationship of CT-S with learning and career awareness outcomes and identify variations between subgroups. Data gathered over this longitudinal study will be analyzed through two analytical models. The first correlational model will examine CT-S as a predictor of engagement during learning experiences and science content learning. The second explores variations within and across individuals using HLM models to examine how CT-S changes during the middle grade years. Outcomes of this work will be shared to inform professional, practioner, and policy communities.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.