Social Virtual Reality enabled Learning to Empower Special Education Students in Gaining Competence to Join the Future Technology Workforce

该项目旨在为患有各种认知疾病（包括自闭症、注意力缺陷/多动障碍（ADHD）和阅读障碍）的过渡年龄成年人加强STEM教育和劳动力发展。它旨在培养STEM身份，并为神经发育和学习障碍患者提供STEM途径，这些患者在STEM教育和推广中经常被忽视。该项目利用虚拟现实（VR）、智能教学代理和异步学习技术的进步，创建一种可访问的、包容性的STEM教育方法。完成后，该项目将使用最新的VR技术提供一个高度可访问的网络安全课程，并根据知识共享许可作为免费开放的教育资源提供。通过减少参与STEM领域的障碍，该项目将为这一传统上服务不足的人群开辟STEM职业道路。该项目框架基于三个支柱：以计算思维（CT）为中心的STEM课程，利用网络安全场景鼓励协作学习，在游戏式VR平台中进行沉浸式学习，并提供攻击影响分析和防御解决方案，以及通过以学习者为中心的包容性方法实现可访问性和可用性。课程遵循三阶段教学法：学习基础概念，将概念应用于问题场景，并为开放式问题创造新颖的解决方案。学习者将参与一系列单元，探索涉及攻击者-防御者游戏的一系列网络安全场景，包括软件工程，数据分析和社会能力框架内的团队合作。CT实践将在四个维度下组织：数据、建模与模拟、计算问题解决和系统思考。还将研究开发智能教学代理技术，以实现自定进度和大规模部署培训。该项目将公开传播成果，包括新理论、社交VR环境的软件元素和特殊教育内容数据集。为神经分化学习者提供服务的项目将与之合作，以协助招募神经分化的共同设计师，并确保项目努力的可持续性。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 aims to enhance STEM education and workforce development for transition-aged adults with a variety of cognitive conditions including autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and dyslexia. It is aimed at fostering STEM identity and promoting STEM pathways for individuals with neurodevelopmental and learning disabilities, who have often been overlooked in STEM education and outreach. This project leverages advancements in virtual reality (VR), intelligent pedagogical agents, and asynchronous learning technologies to create an accessible, inclusive approach to STEM education. Upon completion, the project will provide a highly accessible cybersecurity curriculum using the latest VR technologies, available as a free, open educational resource under a Creative Commons license. By reducing barriers to participation in STEM fields, the project will open pathways to STEM careers for this traditionally underserved population.The project framework is based on three pillars: a STEM curriculum centered on computational thinking (CT) using cybersecurity scenarios to encourage collaborative learning, immersive learning in a game-like VR platform with attack impact analysis and defense solutions, and accessibility and usability through learner-centered, inclusive approaches. The curriculum follows a three-phase pedagogy: learning foundational concepts, applying concepts to problem scenarios, and creating novel solutions to open-ended problems. Learners will engage in a series of units to explore a range of cybersecurity scenarios involving attacker-defender games, encompassing software engineering, data analysis, and teamwork within a social competencies framework. CT practices will be organized under four dimensions: data, modeling & simulation, computational problem solving, and systems thinking. Research will also be conducted to develop intelligent pedagogical agent techniques to enable self-paced and high-scale deployment of training. The project will openly disseminate outcomes, including new theory, software elements for social VR environments, and special education content data sets. Programs that serve neurodivergent learners will be partnered with to assist in recruiting neurodiverse co-designers and to ensure the sustainability of the project efforts.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.