Supporting participation of underrepresented youth in computing using tangible computational craft kits

大多数计算机做的是强大的事情，但隐藏了它们的内部工作。即使学生可以看到计算设备的内部，他们也会发现很难理解和操纵它的行为。这个项目将开发有形的计算工具包，让学生观察和使用其他看不见的计算概念和原理。学生将使用这些低成本的电子元件来设计、创建、修改项目并进行故障排除。该项目将通过向学习者提供这些新的工具包和基于与文化相关的教学方法的活动，支持包容性参与计算。这项研究将研究这种方法对学习者技术能力信念的影响--他们对自己的知识、技能、学习和工作能力的自我概念和信念。在这些领域需要坚定的信念，以降低成功参与近期、近期和远期计算教育机会的门槛。该项目结合了材料科学、人机交互和面向制造商的技术的最新创新，为物理计算项目创造新的材料和构建块。未被充分代表的中学生--主要是黑人、拉丁裔和女性--将使用这些工具来加深对作为计算对象基础的功能和原理的理解。基于设计和混合方法的研究将被用来研究这些工具和与文化相关的设计活动如何影响中学生的实践、参与和对技术能力信念的改变。该项目由CS for All：Research and RPPS计划资助。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Most computers do powerful things but hide their inner workings. Even if students can look inside a computing device, they would find it difficult to understand and manipulate its behavior. This project will develop tangible computing kits to allow students to observe and work with otherwise invisible computing concepts and principles. Students will design, create, modify, and troubleshoot projects using these low-cost electronics components. The project will support inclusive participation in computing by providing learners with these new kits and activities based on culturally-relevant pedagogies. This research will study the impact of this approach upon learners' technical competency beliefs — their self-concepts and beliefs about their knowledge, skills, and ability to learn and work in computing. Strong beliefs in these areas are needed to lower barriers for successful participation in immediate, near, and far future computing education opportunities.This project combines recent innovations in material science, human-computer interaction, and maker-oriented technologies to create new materials and building blocks for physical computing projects. Underrepresented middle school-aged youth — primarily Black, Latino, and female — will use these tools to develop understandings about the functionality and principles that underlie computational objects. Design-based and mixed methods research will be used to study how these tools and culturally-relevant design activities influence middle school youth's practices, participation, and changes to technical competency beliefs. This project is funded by the CS for All: Research and RPPs 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.