Collaborative Research: Embodied Interactive Environment for Advancing Data Sensing and Computational Thinking Skills in the Built Environment

协作研究：在建筑环境中提升数据感知和计算思维技能的具体交互环境

• 批准号: 2241785
• 负责人: Chukwuma Nnaji
• 金额: $ 66.72万
• 依托单位: Texas A&M University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-03-01 至 2027-02-28
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2241785&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Embodied; Interactive; Environment

As the construction industry gears toward adopting data sensing technologies, there is a demand for creating and sustaining a workforce with skills for implementing the technologies and analyzing the resulting data to support decision-making. It is also essential to improve awareness of this Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) career option among all K-12 students, develop their understanding of the applications of data sensing technologies and improve their computational thinking skills in manipulating and using data. This project aims to investigate an immersive virtual reality-based learning environment for developing middle school students’ computational thinking skills necessary to address construction challenges and improving students’ engagement and attitudes towards STEM-related careers in the construction industry. 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 research will develop a DAta Sensing Learning EnvironmenT (called DASLET) to investigate how students’ computational thinking can be developed in addressing construction industry challenges with data sensing technologies and improve their engagement and attitudes toward STEM-related careers. Within DASLET, students can learn how to safely work with different data sensing technologies on a virtual construction site, translate sensor data into computational rules and extract meaningful information to support decision-making. The research will first develop a virtual reality-based learning environment that can facilitate tangible interaction with data sensing technologies to equip middle school students with skills for addressing construction risks. Next, working closely with middle school teachers, strategies will be developed for adapting applications of data sensing technologies in construction and the proposed learning environment to the middle school curriculum. Using mixed methods and multilevel modeling, the research team will implement DASLET with approximately 40 teachers and 120 students, and develop theories to explain how embodied interaction within the learning environment can enhance students’ computational thinking, improve engagement with data sensing technologies, and interest in data sensing and STEM-related careers in the built environment. The development of DASLET will involve industry practitioners and teachers from diverse groups including females and underrepresented minorities. It will be implemented in the schools and summer camps that serve students from groups that are underrepresented in STEM.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.

随着建筑行业朝着采用数据传感技术的努力，需要用实施技术和分析所得数据以支持决策的技能来创建和维持劳动力。在所有K-12学生中，提高对科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）职业选择的认识，发展他们对数据传感技术应用的理解，并提高其在操纵和使用数据时提高其计算思维技能的理解，这也是至关重要的。该项目旨在调查一个基于虚拟现实的学习环境，以发展中学生的计算思维技能，以应对建筑挑战，并改善学生的参与度以及参与者从事建筑行业与STEM相关的职业。该项目由针对学生和教师（ITEST）计划的创新技术经验提供资金，该计划支持对实践，计划要素，环境和过程的理解的项目，从而有助于增加学生对科学，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。这项研究将开发数据感测学习环境（称为DASLET），以研究如何通过数据传感技术来应对建筑行业的挑战，并改善其参与度并参加与STEM相关的职业。在DASLET中，学生可以学习如何在虚拟施工站点上安全地使用不同的数据传感技术，将传感器数据转化为计算规则，并提取有意义的信息以支持决策。该研究将首先开发一个基于虚拟的基于现实的学习环境，该环境可以促进与数据传感技术的切实互动，以使中学生具有解决施工风险的技能。接下来，与中学教师紧密合作，将制定策略，以适应数据传感技术在建筑中的应用以及拟议的学习环境中的中学课程。使用混合的方法和多级建模，研究团队将用大约40名教师和120名学生实施达斯特，并开发理论，以解释学习环境中的体现互动如何增强学生的计算思维，改善与数据传感技术的参与以及对数据感测和与Stem相关的职业的兴趣。达斯特（Daslet）的发展将涉及来自女性和代表性不足的少数群体（包括女性）的行业从业人员和教师。它将在为STEM中代表人数不足的团体中的学生提供服务的学校和夏令营中实施。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响审查标准，通过评估诚实地表示支持。