Collaborative Research: Engaging Blind and Visually Impaired Youth in Computer Science through Music Programming

许多学习计算机科学的数字平台都是为视力正常的人设计的，导致盲人和视障青年学习计算机科学的机会有限。当盲人和视障青年、他们的照顾者、他们的教育者和软件开发人员迭代地共同设计和评估通过音乐编程教授计算机科学的数字学习环境时，该项目将解决这一机会差距。在这个学习环境中，青少年（12-17岁）将编写代码来作曲和混音当代流行艺术家的音乐样本。具体来说，这个项目将导致EarSketch更易于访问的版本，EarSketch是一个广泛使用的在线平台，通过音乐编程学习代码。该项目还将为盲人和视障青年的教育工作者提供相关的专业学习和教学材料。研究将探讨数字学习环境是否以及如何在使用它的年轻人中产生许多积极的结果。最终，这个项目可能会解决盲人和视障人士在计算机领域代表性不足的问题，通过产生一个可访问的、有吸引力的、免费的、广泛传播的平台，通过听觉媒介学习编程。盲人和视障青年、他们的家人、教育工作者、教育研究人员、软件开发人员和音乐程序员将参与到通过音乐编程教授编程的无障碍数字学习环境的迭代共同设计和评估中。参与式设计研究将探索数字学习环境的要素，为盲人或视障学习者提供音乐节目和计算机教育。这些设计研究将包括访谈的主题分析、焦点小组，以及与盲人学校、初中或高中盲人或视障青年的教育工作者及其照顾者的并行协议。对盲人或视障软件开发人员和音乐程序员的观察研究将提供有关无障碍编码平台元素的进一步信息。此外，混合方法研究将探讨数字学习环境是否以及如何促进内容知识的获取、兴趣的发展、归属感和坚持计算机科学的意图在初高中盲人或视障学生中。经过验证的前后调查分析，以及学生互动日志和访谈，将提供有关学习环境是否以及如何在这些领域促进积极成果的信息。这种免费的、实地测试的、基于经验的学习环境将通过众多专业网络广泛传播给研究人员和实践者。此外，来自全国各地盲人学校的教师将有机会参加关于如何使用学习环境及其相关课程材料的专业学习会议。该项目由发现研究preK-12 （DRK-12）计划资助，该计划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。该项目由“面向学生和教师的创新技术体验”（ITEST）项目共同资助，该项目支持有助于提高学生对科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）以及信息和通信技术（ICT）职业的知识和兴趣的实践、项目要素、背景和过程的理解。该项目由CS for All: Research和RPPs项目共同资助。该项目旨在为所有美国学生提供有意义的机会，让他们在学校的Prek-12阶段参与计算机科学教育。在这个项目中，计算机科学包括使用计算工具，但也包括在我们的数字世界中应用计算所需的广泛理解、能力和技能。这些通常被称为计算素养。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。

Many digital platforms for learning computer science have been designed for sighted people, resulting in a limited number of accessible opportunities for blind and visually impaired youth to learn computer science. This project will address this opportunity gap when blind and visually impaired youth, their caregivers, their educators, and software developers iteratively co-design and evaluate a digital learning environment that teaches computer science through music programming. In this learning environment, youth (ages 12-17) will write code to compose music and to remix music samples from popular contemporary artists. Specifically, this project will result in a more accessible version of EarSketch, a widely-used online platform for learning to code through music programming. This project will also result in associated professional learning and teaching materials for educators of blind and visually impaired youth. Research will explore whether and how the digital learning environment results in numerous positive outcomes among the youth who use it. Ultimately, this project is likely to address the underrepresentation of blind and visually impaired people in computing fields through resulting in an accessible, engaging, freely-available, widely-disseminated platform for learning to code through auditory mediums.Blind and visually impaired youth, their families, educators, educational researchers, software developers, and music programmers will be involved in the iterative co-design and evaluation of an accessible digital learning environment that teaches coding through music programming. Participatory design studies will explore the elements of the digital learning environment that afford music programming and computing education for learners who are blind or visually impaired. These design studies will entail thematic analyses of interviews, focus groups, and concurrent protocols with educators at schools for the blind, blind or visually impaired youth in middle or high schools, and their caregivers. Observation studies of blind or visually impaired software developers and music programmers will provide further information about elements of accessible coding platforms. Additionally, mixed methods research will explore whether and how the digital learning environment fostered content knowledge gain, interest development, feelings of belonging, and intent to persist in computer science among middle and high school students who are blind or visually impaired. Analyses of validated pre- and post-surveys, as well as student interaction logs and interviews, will provide information relative to whether and how the learning environment fostered positive outcomes in these domains. The no-cost, field-tested, empirically based learning environment will be widely disseminated through numerous professional networks for researchers and practitioners. Additionally, teachers from schools for the blind across the country will have opportunities to participate in professional learning sessions on how to use the learning environment and its associated curricular materials. This project is funded by the Discovery Research preK-12 (DRK-12) program, which 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 project is co-funded by the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program, which supports projects that build understandings of practices, program elements, contexts and processes contributing to increasing students' knowledge and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and information and communication technology (ICT) careers.This project is co-funded by the CS for All: Research and RPPs program. This program aims to provide all U.S. students with meaningful opportunities to participate in computer science education in their schools at the Prek-12 levels. Computer science, in this program, includes use of computational tools, but also the broad range of understandings, competencies, and skills needed to apply computation in our digital world. These are often referred to as computational literacy.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.