MyTurn: An Afterschool Social Robotics Program to Promote Interest in Computing Among Middle School Students

计算思维和机器人技术对未来的许多科学和技术职业越来越重要，然而年轻人往往没有机会实践除基本编程之外的广泛和多样化的计算应用。这个项目将通过开发和测试课后项目的设计原则来解决这个问题，这些设计原则可以培养年轻人对广泛的计算机职业的兴趣。作为该项目的一部分，中学女生将与来自工业和本科计算机科学专业的女性导师合作，共同设计一个名为MyTurn的课后机器人项目。在参加MyTurn的过程中，女孩们将组成团队，设计和编程可重构的社交机器人，这些机器人将执行青年选择的应用程序，例如为他人提供各种类型的帮助。这项研究将探讨该项目的不同设计元素是否以及如何培养女孩对计算机和计算机职业的兴趣。与MyTurn相关的材料，以及为节目创作提供信息的设计原则，将通过开发课后节目的众多专业网络广泛而自由地传播。最终，该项目的可交付成果可能会促进知识和实践，以扩大在这些领域历史上代表性不足的女孩和妇女对计算机职业和职业道路的参与。在这个探索理论和设计原则的项目中，伊利诺伊大学芝加哥分校将开发理论和原则，说明利益相关者如何共同设计课外项目，提高中学女生对计算机职业的兴趣。这些理论和设计原则将与课后社交机器人项目一起反复开发和测试。混合方法研究将确定积极影响青少年经验、归属感和对计算机和计算机职业兴趣的关键机制。具体而言，计划小组将分析调查，探讨青少年对电脑及电脑职业的兴趣；与青年及其导师的访谈记录；妇女和女孩共同设计课后活动的参与性会议视频；还有年轻人的工艺品。这些分析的结果将通过计算机科学教育研究人员和实践者的专业网络广泛传播。该项目将产生经过经验检验的设计原则，概述课外项目的教育者如何在女孩人生轨迹的关键时刻培养她们对计算机职业的兴趣，这可以为她们在高中及以后追求更多的计算机科学经验和课程做好准备和激励。该项目由“面向学生和教师的创新技术体验”（ITEST）项目资助，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。

Computational thinking and robotics are increasingly essential to many scientific and technological careers of the future, yet youth often do not have opportunities to practice broad and diverse applications of computing beyond basic programming. This project will address this issue through developing and testing design principles for afterschool programs that build youths’ interest in a broad range of computing careers. As part of this project, girls in middle school will co-design an afterschool robotics program, named MyTurn, in partnership with women mentors from industry and undergraduate computer science programs. While participating in MyTurn, girls will work in teams to design and program reconfigurable social robots that will perform youth-selected applications, such as providing various types of assistance to others. The research will explore whether and how different design elements of the program fostered girls’ interest in computing and computing careers. The materials associated with MyTurn, as well as the design principles that informed the creation of the program, will be widely and freely disseminated through numerous professional networks that develop afterschool programming. Ultimately, the deliverables from this project are likely to advance knowledge and practice regarding broadening participation in computing careers and career pathways among girls and women who have historically been underrepresented in these fields. In this Exploring Theory and Design Principles project, the University of Illinois Chicago will develop theories and principles which illustrate how stakeholders can co-design afterschool programs that increase middle school girls’ interest in computing careers. These theories and design principles will be iteratively developed and tested in conjunction with the afterschool social robotics program. Mixed methods research will identify key mechanisms that positively influence youths’ experiences, sense of belonging, and interest in computing and computing careers. Specifically, the project team will analyze surveys that explore youths’ interest in computing and computing careers; transcripts of interviews with the youth and their mentors; videos of the participatory sessions during which women and girls co-design the afterschool program; and youth artifacts. The findings from these analyses will be disseminated widely via professional networks of computer science education researchers and practitioners. This project will result in empirically-tested design principles, which outline how educators of afterschool programs can build girls’ interest in computing careers at a critical time in their trajectories, which can prepare and inspire them to pursue additional computer science experiences and courses in high school and beyond. This project is 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 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.