Science Learning+: Understanding the Role of Embodied Interaction in Pre-K Children's Learning about Science in Informal Settings

科学研究人员和实践者经常面临这样的挑战：如何最好地评估科学活动对语言技能仍在发展的幼儿的有效性。然而，研究表明，早期学习对个人潜力至关重要。基于运动与思维紧密交织的证据，该项目将研究思想和运动如何作为具体化学习联系起来，以加速科学理解。研究将在美国（US）和英国（UK）进行，目的是收集科学学习过程中具体互动的证据，并阐明博物馆展品如何最有效地鼓励与科学的认知和身体参与的设计原则。在非正式STEM学习领域，这样的指导方针在很大程度上是缺乏的，因此该项目寻求对学习的理解方式进行转型变革，并认识到知识的变化可以通过基于身体的动作和口头来发展和揭示。这种观点是至关重要的，因为许多早期学习者在语言之前通过非语言渠道进行理解交流。研究将在不同的儿童群体中进行，并将探索具体化学习在STEM中代表性不足的社区中的应用。该项目由“科学学习+”项目资助，该项目是由美国国家科学基金会（NSF）、惠康基金会和英国经济与社会研究委员会共同发起的国际合作项目。这项联合资助工作的目标是采取转型步骤，改善非正式STEM经验的知识库和实践。在NSF内部，科学学习+是推进非正式STEM学习（AISL）计划的一部分，该计划旨在加强非正式环境中的学习，并扩大STEM学习经验的获取和参与。在3年的时间里，六个博物馆站点的研究-实践团队将在为年轻学习者设计的科学展览中合作调查运动和学习成果之间的联系。研究活动将包括通过分析观察到的和自动捕获的相互作用数据，以及综合和解释数据，反复和改进新的仪器和协议。以设计为基础的研究方法将应用于解决三个关键问题：1)感官和行动体验的哪些元素是告知旨在利用体现互动学习的展品设计的关键；2)肢体动作/手势对评估儿童对科学概念的理解有何作用？3)在不同的博物馆环境中，具体参与的文化差异是什么？收集400个儿童展览互动的视频和音频数据。活动前后将对部分参与者进行半结构化访谈，重点关注儿童对相关科学概念的理解，以及他们对参与展览的身体和情感体验的个人反思。该项目将提高人们对具体学习方法的认识，并在非正式STEM教育者和认知研究人员之间建立更强有力的合作。利用非正式和正式的传播网络将有助于项目成果的广泛传播。鉴于强有力的证据表明学前教育对服务不足人群的影响，以及美国和英国正在努力提高学前教育中STEM学习的质量，这一点至关重要

Science researchers and practitioners are often challenged by how best to assess the effectiveness of science activities on young children whose language skills are still emerging. Yet, research has demonstrated the critical importance of early learning on individual potential. Building on evidence that movement is tightly intertwined with thinking, this project will investigate how thought and movement link as embodied learning to accelerate science understanding. Research will be conducted in the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) with the aim to gather evidence for embodied interactions during science learning and articulate design principles about how museum exhibits can most effectively encourage cognitive and physical engagement with science. Such guidelines are largely absent in the field of informal STEM learning, and so this project seeks transformational change in how learning is understood and recognizes that changes in knowledge can be developed and revealed through body-based movements as well as verbally. Such a view is critically important given that many early learners communicate understanding through nonverbal channels before verbal. Research will be conducted with a diverse population of children and will explore the application of embodied learning to communities that are underrepresented in STEM. This project is funded through Science Learning+, which is an international partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Wellcome Trust with the UK Economic and Social Research Council. The goal of this joint funding effort is to make transformational steps toward improving the knowledge base and practices of informal STEM experiences. Within NSF, Science Learning+ is part of the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program that seeks to enhance learning in informal environments and to broaden access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences.During a 3-year period, researcher-practitioner teams across six museum sites will collaboratively investigate the links between movement and learning outcomes at selected science exhibits designed for young learners. Research activities will involve iteration and refinement of new instruments and protocols, through analysis of observed and automated capture of interaction data, and synthesis and interpretation of data. A design-based research methodology will be applied to address three key questions: 1) What elements of sensory and action experiences are key to informing the design of exhibits that aim to exploit embodied interactions for learning; 2) What is the role of bodily enactment /gestures in assessing children's understanding of science concepts; and 3) What cultural differences in kinds of embodied engagement emerge across diverse museum settings? Video and audio data of 400 children's exhibit interactions will be collected. Pre/post semi-structured interviews will be conducted with a subset of these participants and will focus on children's understanding of relevant science concepts as well as personal reflections on their physical and emotional experience engaging with the exhibit. This project would raise awareness of embodied approaches to learning as well as build stronger collaborations between informal STEM educators and cognitive researchers. Utilization of informal and formal dissemination networks will support wide diffusion of project outcomes. This is critically important given strong evidence pointing to the impact of preschool education in underserved populations, and ongoing national efforts by the US and UK to improve the quality of STEM learning in preschool contexts