Integrating Human Computer Interaction, Machine Learning, Game Design, and Educational Assessment in a STEM+C Curriculum

将计算融入K-12级别的科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）教育，对于创造一支能够满足未来计算思维需求的有竞争力的创新劳动力至关重要。 事实证明，提高人们对数学和数据科学的内在兴趣的努力很难在性别、种族和社会经济因素上得到均衡的应用。该研究项目将有助于通过将对数据科学的兴趣扩大到更多样化的学生群体来创建更稳定，道德和包容性的数据科学劳动力。这项研究跨越了游戏设计，人机交互，机器学习，课程设计和教育评估等领域，将基于STEM+C的课程直接集成到Minecraft中。 它推进了基于游戏的学习知识，并产生了一个基础设施，将作为一个重要的计算资源，初中和高中教育工作者，将持续超过目前的项目。随着计算已成为科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）实践的组成部分，STEM+Computing项目旨在通过将计算思维和计算活动应用于从幼儿教育到高中（preK-12）的STEM教学中，来解决计算STEM领域的新挑战。C是培养国家下一代数据科学家，信息科学家和工程师的技能。虚拟世界提供了一种以有趣和直观的方式吸引下一代学生的技术。 虚拟世界是围绕基本活动或游戏原子开发的，这些活动通过试错反馈循环反映了体验式学习过程。 这些原子以多种方式组合，并略有变化，形成一组相关的活动，称为游戏机制。这些活动将被映射到教育标准，以引入或加强各种STEM+C概念。该项目使用基于设计的研究方法，通过有意义地整合包括教师和学生在内的教育利益相关者的反馈，迭代地开发和完善活动。这项研究的主要成果包括学生对STEM+C的兴趣、态度、信念和自我效能的变化，参与协作式开放式解决方案的制定，以及在相关计算和数学概念方面的成就。这项研究将有助于扩大对计算的兴趣，以更多样化的学生池。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。

Integrating computing into science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education at the K-12 level is critical to creating a competitive, innovative workforce that is capable of the computational thinking needs of the future. Efforts to increase intrinsic interest in math and data science have proven difficult to apply evenly across gender, race, and socio-economic factors. This research project will assist in creating a more stable, ethical, and inclusive data science workforce by broadening interest in data science to a more diverse population of students. This research spans the fields of game design, human computer interaction, machine learning, curriculum design and educational assessment by integrating a STEM+C based curriculum directly into Minecraft. It advances knowledge in game-based learning and produces an infrastructure that will serve as a vital computing resource for middle and high school educators that will be sustained beyond the current project. 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).A key initiative of STEM+C is to cultivate the skills for the next generation of data scientists, information scientists, and engineers in the nation. A virtual world provides a technique to engage the next generation of students in a fun and intuitive manner. A virtual world is developed around fundamental activities, or gameplay atoms, which reflect the experiential learning process through a trial and error feedback loop. These atoms are combined in multiple ways with slight variations to form a group of related activities referred to as game mechanics. These activities will be mapped to education standards to introduce or reinforce various STEM+C concepts. This project uses design-based research methodology to iteratively develop and refine the activities through meaningfully integrating feedback from educational stakeholders, including teachers and students. Key outcomes from this research include changes in students' interest, attitudes, beliefs, and self-efficacy in STEM+C, engagement in collaborative open-ended solution making, and achievement in related computing and mathematics concepts. This research will help broaden interest in computing to a more diverse pool of students.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.