Fostering Utah Education Learning for Grades 4-6 Computer Science

该项目通过设计和测试将现有计算机科学资源应用于4-6年级小学科学课程的过程，将计算机科学扩展到犹他州的农村小学。它利用犹他州教育委员会、威斯敏斯特学院和犹他州中部教育区域服务中心之间的伙伴关系来解决这个问题：“各州和地区网络如何支持农村地区管理和调整国家计算机科学教育资源？”它正在创建专业学习社区，将犹他州农村的小学教师与经验丰富的科学和计算机科学教师，以及教育技术培训师和国家K-6计算机科学教师聚集在一起。计算机科学单元将通过CANVAS模块（国家许可的学习管理系统）提供，作为一种方式，使其他犹他州农村教师可以在原始队列之外访问它们。该研究调查了国家计算机科学资源适应农村K-12需求的过程，创建单元的严谨性，以及在课堂上实施的成功。该团队正在利用这些学校教师所面临的挑战的数据，不断改进有针对性的支持，包括课程调整、专业发展差异化（PD）和针对农村小学教师特殊需求的系统级支持。为了评估适应、创造和实施过程的有用性，本研究包括对教师和发展团队专家的访谈。此外，教师正在完成PD退出调查和月度执行调查。该团队还通过CANVAS平台检查与模块相关的状态数据使用情况，作为衡量实现的一种方法。这项研究正在为农村K-12计算机科学国家材料的适应模型过程提供信息，并且正在与国家计算机科学研究界共享。该项目由CS for All项目资助。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 is expanding computer science into rural elementary schools in Utah by designing and testing a process for adaptation of existing computer science resources into elementary science classes in grades 4-6. It leverages a partnership between the Utah State Board of Education, Westminster College, and the Central Utah Educational Regional Service Center to addresses the question, “How can states and regional networks support rural districts in curating and adapting national resources for computer science education?” It is creating professional learning communities that bring together rural Utah elementary teachers with experienced science and computer science teachers, as well as educational technology trainers and national K-6 computer science teachers. The computer science units will be made available through CANVAS modules (the state licensed learning management system) as a way of making them accessible to other Utah rural teachers beyond the original cohort.The research is investigating the process of adaptation of national computer science resources to rural K-12 needs, the rigor of the units created, and the success of implementation in the classroom. The team is using data on the challenges faced by teachers in those schools to iteratively refine targeted supports that include curriculum adaptations, differentiation of professional development (PD), and system-level supports that address the specific needs of rural school elementary teachers. To assess the usefulness of the adaptation, creation, and implementation process, the research involves interviews with both teachers and development team experts. Additionally, teachers are completing PD exit surveys and monthly implementation surveys. The team is also examining state data usage associated with the modules through the CANVAS platform as a way to measure implementation. The research is informing a model process for adaptation of national materials for computer science in rural K-12, and is being shared with the national computer science research community. This project is funded by the CS for All program.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.