Collaborative Research: Improving STEM Learning through Interactive RoboBooks

协作研究：通过交互式 RoboBooks 改善 STEM 学习

• 批准号: 0929409
• 负责人: Elizabeth Murray
• 金额: $ 7.18万
• 依托单位: CAST, Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-09-01 至 2011-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0929409&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Improving; STEM; Learning

The Improving STEM Learning Through Interactive RoboBooks is a collaborative project between Tufts University?s Center for Engineering Educational Outreach and the Center for Applied Special Technology, Inc. This project will develop RoboBooks, a novel interactive cyberenabled workspace for high school students with learning disabilities and/or behavioral/emotional disabilities that will improve their science understanding in chemistry and physics.Phase 1 will focus on preparing the RoboBook technology for the proposed research by embedding supports and scaffolds into the tool with the goal of improving the science learning experience for students with disabilities. Expertise and assets created in an NSF-funded collaborative research project (DRL-0730260) in which CAST, EDC and the University of Michigan are developing UDL approaches to science curricula for middle and high school students will be leveraged for this project. They are 1) developing an open source UDL Inquiry Science System that enables science curricula to be transformed into digitally supported versions that incorporate UDL features, 2) creating guidelines for designing UDL science materials, and 3) developing four UDL exemplars of chemistry and biology units from tested instructional materials and evaluating the benefits of these exemplars for middle and high school students with and without learning disabilities. In addition to preparing the technologies with embedded supports and scaffolds, the development of precise curricular units in physics and chemistry will take place during this phase of the project. A small cohort of teachers from Fenway High School and Boston Arts Academy will be incorporated into the project to advice in the design of the specific supports as well as the curricular materials. These teachers, along with one additional teacher, will be trained in the summer of 2010 to implement RoboBooks in their science classrooms in Fall 2010. Two teachers from each participating school will work with the team in Phase 2.Phase 2 of the project focuses on collecting pilot data on the overall effectiveness of RoboBooks as designed for students with high incidence disabilities. This phase will involve two teachers each from Fenway High School and Boston Arts Academy. A pilot study will be conducted with four classrooms to measure impact of the books as well as learning (content and process) gains and engagement in science. The primary research questions driving the pilot study will be:1. How do students with high incidence disabilities use interactive RoboBooks in high school physics and chemistry classes?2. Which supports and scaffolds embedded in RoboBooks do students and teachers find useful?3. How does the use of the RoboBooks affect student engagement relative to content using more traditional resources?4. What are the student-level attitudinal benefits reasonably ascribable to using RoboBooks?5. What cognitive benefits can be ascribed to the use of the RoboBooks? How do different implementations affect learning outcomes? What contextual variables facilitate or impede student-level learning benefits?The pilot study will employ the following measures: student and Teacher questionnaires embedded in RoboBooks to obtain feedback on usability and content presentation; interviews with teachers and students facilitated by the project staff and the external evaluator to gather more qualitative feedback; and pre/post science assessments. In addition, classroom observations will be conducted to observe the practices of use students with disabilities engage in with RoboBooks. Davis Square Research Associates will conduct the formative and summative independent evaluation.

通过交互式 RoboBooks 改善 STEM 学习是塔夫茨大学工程教育外展中心和应用特殊技术中心公司之间的一个合作项目。该项目将开发 RoboBooks，这是一种新颖的交互式网络工作空间，适用于有学习障碍的高中生和/或行为/情感障碍，这将提高他们对化学和物理的科学理解。第一阶段将侧重于通过将支撑物和支架嵌入到工具中，为拟议的研究准备 RoboBook 技术，目的是改善残疾学生的科学学习体验。该项目将利用 NSF 资助的合作研究项目 (DRL-0730260) 中创建的专业知识和资产，在该项目中，CAST、EDC 和密歇根大学正在为中学生和高中生开发 UDL 科学课程方法。他们正在 1) 开发一个开源 UDL 探究科学系统，使科学课程能够转换为包含 UDL 功能的数字支持版本，2) 创建设计 UDL 科学材料的指南，以及 3) 开发化学和生物单元的四个 UDL 示例根据经过测试的教学材料，评估这些范例对有或没有学习障碍的初中和高中学生的好处。除了准备嵌入式支撑和脚手架的技术外，该项目的这一阶段还将开发物理和化学方面的精确课程单元。来自芬威高中和波士顿艺术学院的一小群教师将被纳入该项目，为具体支持和课程材料的设计提供建议。这些教师以及另外一名教师将在 2010 年夏季接受培训，以便于 2010 年秋季在其科学教室中实施 RoboBooks。每个参与学校的两名教师将在第 2 阶段与该团队合作。该项目的第 2 阶段重点是收集关于 RoboBooks 为高发残疾学生设计的整体有效性的试点数据。这一阶段将涉及芬威高中和波士顿艺术学院的两名教师。将在四个教室进行试点研究，以衡量书籍的影响以及学习（内容和过程）收益和对科学的参与。推动试点研究的主要研究问题是：1．残疾高发学生如何在高中物理和化学课上使用交互式RoboBooks？2． RoboBooks 中嵌入的哪些支撑和支架对学生和教师有用？3.相对于使用更传统资源的内容，RoboBooks 的使用如何影响学生的参与度？4.使用 RoboBooks 对学生的态度有哪些合理的好处？5.使用 RoboBooks 可以带来哪些认知益处？ 不同的实施如何影响学习成果？ 哪些情境变量会促进或阻碍学生的学习效益？试点研究将采用以下措施：在 RoboBooks 中嵌入学生和教师问卷，以获取有关可用性和内容呈现的反馈；在项目工作人员和外部评估员的协助下对教师和学生进行访谈，以收集更多定性反馈；以及前/后科学评估。此外，还将进行课堂观察，以观察残疾学生使用 RoboBooks 的做法。 戴维斯广场研究协会将进行形成性和总结性独立评估。