Collaborative Research: SmartCAD: Guiding Engineering Design with Science Simulations

合作研究：SmartCAD：用科学模拟指导工程设计

• 批准号: 1503170
• 负责人: Jennifer Chiu
• 金额: $ 39.91万
• 依托单位: University of Virginia Main Campus
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-06-01 至 2020-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1503170&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; SmartCAD; Guiding; Engineering

The Discovery Research K-12 program (DRK-12) 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 (RMTs). 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. In this project, SmartCAD: Guiding Engineering Design with Science Simulations, the Concord Consortium (lead), Purdue University, and the University of Virginia investigate how real time formative feedback can be automatically composed from the results of computational analysis of student design artifacts and processes with the envisioned SmartCAD software. Through automatic feedback based on visual analytic science simulations, SmartCAD is able to guide every student at a fine-grained level, allowing teachers to focus on high-level instruction. Considering the ubiquity of CAD software in the workplace and their diffusion into precollege classrooms, this research provides timely results that could motivate the development of an entire genre of CAD-based learning environments and materials to accelerate and scale up K-12 engineering education. The project conducts design-based research on SmartCAD, which supports secondary science and engineering with three embedded computational engines capable of simulating the mechanical, thermal, and solar performance of the built environment. These engines allow SmartCAD to analyze student design artifacts on a scientific basis and provide automatic formative feedback in forms such as numbers, graphs, and visualizations to guide student design processes on an ongoing basis. The research hypothesis is that appropriate applications of SmartCAD in the classroom results in three learning outcomes: 1) Science knowledge gains as indicated by a deeper understanding of the involved science concepts and their integration at the completion of a design project; 2) Design competency gains as indicated by the increase of iterations, informed design decisions, and systems thinking over time; and 3) Design performance improvements as indicated by a greater chance to succeed in designing a product that meets all the specifications within a given period of time. While measuring these learning outcomes, this project also probes two research questions: 1) What types of feedback from simulations to students are effective in helping them attain the outcomes? and 2) Under what conditions do these types of feedback help students attain the outcomes? To test the research hypothesis and answer the research questions, this project develops three curriculum modules based on the Learning by Design (LBD) Framework to support three selected design challenges: Solar Farms, Green Homes, and Quake-Proof Bridges. This integration of SmartCAD and LBD situate the research in the LBD context and shed light on how SmartCAD can be used to enhance established pedagogical models such as LBD. Research instruments include knowledge integration assessments, data mining, embedded assessments, classroom observations, participant interviews, and student questionnaires. This research is carried out in Indiana, Massachusetts, and Virginia simultaneously, involving more than 2,000 secondary students at a number of socioeconomically diverse schools. Professional development workshops are provided to familiarize teachers with SmartCAD materials and implementation strategies prior to the field tests. An external Critical Review Committee consisting of five engineering education researchers and practitioners oversee and evaluate this project formatively and summative. Project materials and results are disseminated through publications, presentations, partnerships, and the Internet.

Discovery Research K-12 计划 (DRK-12) 旨在通过创新资源、模型和工具的研究和开发，显着增强 PreK-12 学生和教师对科学、技术、工程和数学 (STEM) 的学习和教学（RMT）。 DRK-12 计划中的项目建立在 STEM 教育的基础研究以及先前的研究和开发工作的基础上，为拟议项目提供理论和实证依据。在该项目中，SmartCAD：用科学模拟指导工程设计、康科德联盟（牵头）、普渡大学和弗吉尼亚大学研究了如何根据学生设计工件和流程的计算分析结果自动组成实时形成性反馈与预想的 SmartCAD 软件。通过基于视觉分析科学模拟的自动反馈，SmartCAD能够对每个学生进行细粒度的指导，让教师能够专注于高水平的教学。考虑到 CAD 软件在工作场所的普遍性及其在大学预科课堂中的传播，这项研究提供了及时的结果，可以推动整个基于 CAD 的学习环境和材料的开发，以加速和扩大 K-12 工程教育。该项目在 SmartCAD 上进行基于设计的研究，该研究通过三个能够模拟建筑环境的机械、热力和太阳能性能的嵌入式计算引擎来支持二级科学和工程。这些引擎使 SmartCAD 能够在科学的基础上分析学生的设计工件，并以数字、图表和可视化等形式提供自动形成性反馈，以持续指导学生的设计过程。研究假设是，在课堂上适当应用 SmartCAD 会产生三种学习成果： 1) 获得科学知识，表现为对所涉及的科学概念及其在完成设计项目时的整合有更深入的理解； 2) 随着时间的推移，迭代、明智的设计决策和系统思考的增加表明设计能力的提高； 3) 设计性能改进，表现为在给定时间内成功设计出满足所有规格的产品的机会更大。在衡量这些学习成果的同时，该项目还探讨了两个研究问题：1）模拟向学生提供的哪些类型的反馈可以有效帮助他们获得成果？ 2）在什么条件下这些类型的反馈可以帮助学生取得成果？为了测试研究假设并回答研究问题，该项目基于设计学习（LBD）框架开发了三个课程模块，以支持三个选定的设计挑战：太阳能发电场、绿色住宅和抗震桥梁。 SmartCAD 和 LBD 的集成将研究置于 LBD 背景下，并揭示了如何使用 SmartCAD 来增强已建立的教学模型（例如 LBD）。研究工具包括知识整合评估、数据挖掘、嵌入式评估、课堂观察、参与者访谈和学生问卷。这项研究同时在印第安纳州、马萨诸塞州和弗吉尼亚州进行，涉及多所社会经济多元化学校的 2,000 多名中学生。在现场测试之前，我们会举办专业发展研讨会，让教师熟悉 SmartCAD 材料和实施策略。由五名工程教育研究人员和从业人员组成的外部批判性审查委员会对该项目进行形成性和总结性监督和评估。项目材料和结果通过出版物、演示、合作伙伴关系和互联网传播。