Kukua - an innovative, fun, and engaging, early childhood STEM platform as a promotion intervention program for age 4-8 years old AA girls

Kukua - 一个创新、有趣、引人入胜的幼儿 STEM 平台，作为 4-8 岁 AA 女孩的促进干预计划

• 批准号: 10255019
• 负责人: Tony Xuyen Ma
• 金额: $ 39.35万
• 依托单位: BENTEN TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-06-01 至 2024-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10255019
• 关键词: 8 year old; Address; African American; Age; Attention; Black Panther; Caregivers; Child; Collaborations; Complex; Coupled; Development; Elephants; Engineering; Ensure; Family; Female; Foundations; Future; Gender; Hair Color; Home; Household; Image; Intervention; Learning; Names; Nursery Schools; Occupations; Parents; Perception; Persons; Phase; Play; Population; Primary Schools; Principal Investigator; Psychological reinforcement; Research; STEM career; STEM field; STEM game; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education; Scientist; Self Efficacy; Series; Sex Bias; Skin; Small Business Innovation Research Grant; Technology; Testing; Toothpaste; Toy; United States; Universities; Voice; Woman; aged; base; career; cultural competence; design; digital media; early childhood; elementary school; experience; experimental study; girls; innovation; interest; intervention program; mathematical ability; mathematical theory; mobile application; movie; parental involvement; primary caregiver; programs; prospective; prototype; racial bias; role model; scientific literacy; skill acquisition; skills; social model; success; usability

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT In the United States (US), 73% of scientists and engineers are white with less than 2% being African American (AA) women.1 While AA girls and women comprise 7% of the US population, they are significantly under- represented in STEM education and professions – with less than 2% of AA women in all STEM occupations. Research suggests that STEM promotion interventions for AA girls should occur during preschool/early-primary school, when the foundational “building blocks” of self-efficacy are first developed (e.g., mastery experiences, social modeling). For this Phase I SBIR project, we propose Kukua - an innovative, fun, and engaging, early childhood STEM as a promotion intervention program for African American girls (4–8 years-old). Kukua, meaning “grow” or “grow up” in Swahili, will be a culturally-relevant smart doll with corresponding daily interactive digital media, via videos, coupled with a primary caregiver app for engagement in STEM activities. Kukua will increase STEM skills development and interest from observational, play-based learning, and role modeling.21 Additionally, Kukua will challenge false assumptions about AA girls’ STEM abilities. Kukua will be designed and developed by Benten Technologies, led by Principal Investigator (PI) Tony Ma of Benten Technologies in collaboration with Dr. Natalie S. King (Co-I) of Georgia State University, Katie Chang (Co-I) of Benten Technologies, and Dr. Krystyna Isaacs (Project Manager) of Benten Technologies. The specific aims of this Phase I project are: 1) Develop a prototype of Kukua, including caregiver app and ten 15-minute interactive videos for the first 2-weeks of a 12-week program, using formative research with AA girls (4-8 years old) and primary caregivers; and 2) Conduct a 2-week pilot testing of Kukua with 20 AA girls (4-8 years old) and their primary caregiver to assess its feasibility (usability, acceptance, and engagement). Impact: In the short-term, this study will demonstrate the feasibility of the development and implementation of a play and observational learning-based intervention utilizing a smart doll alongside other interactive digital media that includes an interactive mobile application featuring interactive videos for promoting STEM interest and skills development among African American girls. In the long-term, African American girls will continue to engage in STEM education after elementary school, have a greater sense of belonging in STEM, and demonstrate increased confidence and interest in STEM. For Phase II, we plan to complete the development of the 12-week program and test the effects of Kukua on increasing STEM knowledge, interest, and identity among African American girls, and ultimately increase African American girls’ and women’s representation in STEM education and professions.

项目概要/摘要 在美国 (US)，73% 的科学家和工程师是白人，其中不到 2% 是非裔美国人 (AA) 女性。1 虽然 AA 女孩和女性占美国人口的 7%，但她们的人口严重不足： AA 女性在 STEM 教育和职业中的比例不足 2%。 研究表明，针对 AA 女孩的 STEM 促进干预措施应在学前/小学早期进行 学校，当自我效能感的基本“组成部分”首次发展时（例如，掌握经验， 对于第一阶段 SBIR 项目，我们提出了 Kukua - 一个创新、有趣、引人入胜的早期项目。 儿童 STEM 作为针对非裔美国女孩（4-8 岁）的促进干预计划。 斯瓦希里语中的“成长”或“长大”，将是一个与文化相关的智能娃娃，具有相应的日常互动数字 媒体、视频以及主要护理人员参与 STEM 活动的应用程序将增加。 通过观察、基于游戏的学习和角色塑造来培养 STEM 技能和兴趣。21 此外， Kukua 将挑战关于 AA 女孩 STEM 能力的错误假设 Kukua 将被设计和开发。 由 Benten Technologies 负责，由 Benten Technologies 的首席研究员 (PI) Tony Ma 领导，与 乔治亚州立大学的 Natalie S. King 博士（Co-I）、Benten Technologies 的 Katie Chang（Co-I）和 Benten Technologies 的 Krystyna Isaacs（项目经理）该第一阶段项目的具体目标是：1) 开发 Kukua 原型，包括前两周的护理应用程序和 10 个 15 分钟的互动视频 为期 12 周的计划，对 AA 女孩（4-8 岁）和主要照顾者进行形成性研究；2) 对 20 名 AA 女孩（4-8 岁）及其主要照顾者进行为期 2 周的 Kukua 试点测试，以评估其效果 可行性（可用性、接受度和参与度）。 影响：在短期内，本研究将证明开发和实施的可行性 利用智能娃娃和其他交互式数字设备进行基于游戏和观察学习的干预 包括交互式移动应用程序的媒体，该应用程序具有交互式视频，可促进 STEM 兴趣 非洲裔美国女孩的技能发展 从长远来看，非洲裔美国女孩将继续发展。 小学毕业后就参与STEM教育，对STEM有更强的归属感，并且 表现出对 STEM 的信心和兴趣 对于第二阶段，我们计划完成开发。 为期 12 周的计划，并测试 Kukua 对增加 STEM 知识、兴趣和认同感的影响 并最终提高非裔美国女孩和妇女在非裔美国女孩中的代表性 STEM 教育和职业。