Collaborative Research: The Smart Playground: Computational Thinking through Robotics in Early Childhood

合作研究：智能游乐场：幼儿期通过机器人进行计算思维

• 批准号: 2301248
• 负责人: Marina Bers
• 金额: $ 69.69万
• 依托单位: Boston College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-08-01 至 2027-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2301248&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Smart; Playground; Computational

Technology and computing are increasingly central in the lives of children, and building foundational skills in computational thinking in the early years is a national imperative. Young children can learn best through play and in educational environments that sustain their cultural practices and identities. This Discovery Research preK-12 program (DRK-12) project will co-create and study an outdoor robotic-augmented playground called the “Smart Playground” and a corresponding series of classroom lessons. The Smart Playground will be co-designed with Latinx families and educators to engage young children (kindergarten) in developing computational thinking skills and learning about robotics in a physical environment using a culturally sustaining approach. The project will retrofit existing playgrounds in a low-income, predominantly Latinx school district with circuit boards, sensors, and actuators. These boards will allow young children to program their playground to interact with them in different ways. By programming activities that use the playground structures, children will learn foundational computational thinking skills. Further, through co-designing with Latinx families and educators the project will center the technology and activities in families’ routines, values, and cultural funds of knowledge. Research and evaluation will examine whether exposure to the Smart Playground and corresponding classroom activities have an impact on the development of computational thinking in young children. This project will contribute to the emerging field of robotics in early childhood education by addressing the need for new approaches to teach with and about technology in a developmentally appropriate and culturally sustaining way. This work will increase awareness of early robotics, develop children’s computational thinking skills and STEM identities, and integrate learning opportunities throughout children’s experiences in playgrounds, classrooms, and public spaces. The Discovery Research preK-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. 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.This project aims to create and test an innovative educational approach for bringing STEM learning experiences to underserved youth. Using a culturally sustaining approach, this project will co-design, augment, and evaluate the Smart Playground to promote computational thinking with approximately 500 Latinx kindergarten students and their teachers and families from Santa Ana, CA. Using a Design Based Implementation Research approach and a variety of participatory design techniques, this project will create several prototypes of the Smart Playground and corresponding classroom activities. This work is guided by the following research questions: 1.) What is the impact of engaging with the Smart Playground on children’s computational thinking? 2.) How do varied design elements in the Smart Playground support the development of different aspects of computational thinking among children? 3.) In what ways do Latinx children, teachers, and families in Santa Ana propose to integrate local, cultural, and learning practices into the Smart Playground during co-design activities? A wide range of quantitative and qualitative data governing student gains in computational thinking during baseline, implementation, and follow-up phases will inform the iterative process of design-test-redesign. The project will also collect, transcribe, and analyze observations, interviews, and meeting records to develop thematic insights into culturally sustaining designs and re-design of the Smart Playground elements. Ultimately, this project will result in an evidenced based set of prototypes and lessons that promote computational thinking and build from the cultural strengths of Latinx children. Designs and lessons will prioritize usable and scalable materials to create playful computational thinking opportunities in classrooms and playgrounds across the country and the world.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.

技术和计算在儿童的生活中越来越重要，而在幼儿时期培养计算思维的基础技能是国家的当务之急。幼儿可以通过游戏和维持其文化实践和身份的教育环境来最好地学习。 preK-12 计划 (DRK-12) 项目将共同创建和研究一个名为“智能游乐场”的户外机器人增强游乐场，并将与拉丁裔家庭和教育工作者共同设计一系列相应的课堂课程。让幼儿参与（幼儿园）使用文化维持方法在物理环境中培养计算思维技能和学习机器人技术。该项目将使用电路板、传感器和执行器对低收入、主要是拉丁裔学区的现有操场进行改造。允许幼儿对游乐场进行编程，以不同的方式与他们互动。通过使用游乐场结构进行活动编程，孩子们将学习基本的计算思维技能。此外，通过与拉丁裔家庭和教育工作者的共同设计，该项目将以技术和知识为中心。家庭活动研究和评估将研究接触智能游乐场和相应的课堂活动是否对幼儿计算思维的发展产生影响。该项目将为早期机器人技术的新兴领域做出贡献。这项工作将提高对早期机器人技术的认识，培养儿童的计算思维技能和 STEM 身份，并将学习机会融入到儿童的体验中。操场、教室、发现研究 preK-12 计划 (DRK-12) 旨在通过创新资源的研究和开发，显着加强 preK-12 学生和教师对科学、技术、工程和数学 (STEM) 的学习和教学。 DRK-12 计划中的项目建立在 STEM 教育的基础研究和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。该项目旨在创建和测试一种创新的教育方法，以引入 STEM 学习。服务不足的经历该项目将采用文化可持续的方法，利用基于设计的实施研究方法，与来自加利福尼亚州圣安娜的大约 500 名拉丁裔幼儿园学生及其老师和家庭共同设计、增强和评估智能游乐场，以促进计算思维。以及各种参与式设计技术，该项目将创建多个智能游乐场原型和相应的课堂活动。这项工作以以下研究问题为指导：1.) 参与智能游乐场对儿童的计算思维有何影响。 ？ 2.) 智能游乐场中的各种设计元素如何支持儿童计算思维不同方面的发展？ 3.) 圣安娜的拉丁裔儿童、教师和家庭建议如何整合当地、文化和学习？共同设计活动期间将实践纳入智能游乐场？ 控制学生在基线、实施和后续阶段的计算思维方面的广泛定量和定性数据将为设计-测试-重新设计的迭代过程提供信息。还收集、转录和分析通过观察、访谈和会议记录，对智能游乐场元素的文化可持续设计和重新设计进行主题洞察，最终，该项目将产生一套基于证据的原型和课程，促进计算思维并建立文化优势。设计和课程将优先考虑可用和可扩展的材料，以便在全国和世界各地的教室和操场上创造有趣的计算思维机会。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值进行评估，被认为值得支持。以及更广泛的影响审查标准。