Collaborative Research: Empowering Educators to Create Customized, Culturally-Responsive Instructional Materials from Scratch Encore Harmonized with the Interest of Students

研究表明，当教学内容位于学习者熟悉的环境中时，教学效果会更好。这个项目建立在一个成功的计算机科学入门课程的基础上，称为Scratch Encore，探索如何支持教师将现有的Scratch Encore教学材料与反映学生，学校和社区的兴趣，文化和经验的主题结合在一起或协调。在设计这些和谐的课程时，教师创建与学生产生共鸣的定制活动，同时保留原始Scratch Encore课程的结构和内容。为了了解使用这种统一教材的教与学的影响，该项目正在与合作学校进行一项课堂研究。该项目通过直接与来自学生人数众多的学校的教师合作，以及通过向教师提供更有效地教授不同人群的工具，扩大了人们对计算机的参与。在这样做的过程中，这项工作促进了我们对支持教师设计个性化计算机科学教学材料所需的各种工具和培训的理解。该项目开展基础研究，追求两个目标：(1)了解如何支持教师创建本地化的、具有文化响应性的计算机科学教学材料；(2)了解这些材料对学生的影响。为了为专业发展材料和定制课程发展材料的设计提供信息，参与式设计会议由经验丰富的教师管理，并且作为多年研究的一部分，这些材料正在被反复修订。为了了解在课堂上使用本地化的文化响应材料的影响，一项混合方法研究从教师创建的文化响应课程的课堂中收集数据。这项工作集中在两个地理上截然不同的地区。随后，该研究招募了一批全国教师参加专业发展课程，以了解文化响应设计在更多地区的差异。最后，通过教师分享和使用定制的、具有文化响应性的Scratch Encore材料的平台，支持广泛传播。探索研究preK-12项目（DRK-12）旨在通过研究和开发创新资源、模型和工具，显著提高preK-12学生和教师对科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）的学习和教学。DRK-12计划中的项目建立在STEM教育的基础研究和先前的研究和开发工作的基础上，为拟议的项目提供了理论和实证依据。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。

Research shows that instruction is more effective when content is situated in contexts familiar to learners. This project builds on a successful introductory computer science curriculum, called Scratch Encore, to explore ways to support teachers in bringing together - or harmonizing - existing Scratch Encore instructional materials with themes that reflect the interests, cultures, and experiences of their students, schools, and communities. In designing these harmonized lessons, teachers create customized activities that resonate with their students while retaining the structure and content of the original Scratch Encore lesson. To understand the impact of teaching and learning with such harmonized materials, the project is conducting a classroom study with partnering schools. This project is broadening participation in computing both by working directly with teachers from schools with high numbers of students from populations historically underrepresented in computing and by providing teachers with tools to more effectively teach diverse populations. In doing so, this work advances our understanding of the kinds of tools and training that are needed to support teachers in designing personalized computer science instructional materials.This project is conducting foundational research that pursues two goals: (1) understanding how to support teachers in creating localized, culturally responsive computer science instructional materials and (2) understanding the effects of those materials on students. To inform the design of the professional development materials and customized curriculum development materials, participatory design sessions are managed by experienced teachers and the materials are being iteratively revised as part of a multi-year study. To understand the impact of the use of localized, culturally responsive materials in the classroom, a mixed-methods study collects data from classrooms where teacher-created culturally responsive lessons are taught. This work is focused on two geographically distinct regions. Subsequently, the study enrolls a national cohort of teachers to participate in the professional development sessions to understand how culturally responsive designs differ across more regions. Finally, wide dissemination is supported through a platform for teachers to share and use the customized, culturally responsive Scratch Encore materials that are developed. The Discovery Research preK-12 program (DRK-12) seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students and teachers, through research and development of innovative resources, models and tools. Projects in the DRK-12 program build on fundamental research in STEM education and prior research and development efforts that provide theoretical and empirical justification for proposed projects.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.