As computing has become integral to the practice of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), the STEM+Computing program seeks to address emerging challenges in computational STEM areas through the applied integration of computational thinking and computing activities within STEM teaching and learning in early childhood education through high school (preK-12).
A strong manufacturing industry is essential for the nation's economic prosperity. Workers in manufacturing increasingly need to have skills involving the use of computational thinking, software and advanced technologies. The project will develop a series of Digital Invention Kits that will enable high school students to reconstruct working models of the digital counterparts of these inventions. For example, the Davenport Rotary Motor, patented in 1837, will be used as scaffolding for development of a Stepper Motor Kit that incorporates a digital micro-controller. Students will thereby learn about the way in which the original analog electromechanical mechanisms led to development of today's digital counterparts. The proposed Digital Invention Kits will (1) provide an introduction to computational thinking, (2) recruit diverse students who are not traditionally attracted to STEM fields, and (3) introduce these students to industrial automation. The associated infrastructure developed through these projects will increase the capacity of schools to offer a broader range of manufacturing technologies in K-12 makerspaces. Participation in these programs by a broader range of students will also lead to increased diversity in advanced manufacturing programs in community colleges and beyond. The completed Digital Invention Kits and accompanying pedagogical materials, assessment items, and teacher support materials will be made available on the Make to Learn website and disseminated by professional organizations. The project will also conduct workshops and short courses introducing these materials to technology and engineering educators.
The project will investigate: (1) how effective the Digital Invention Kits in improving computational thinking, (2) how effective the Kits are in engaging and retaining female and underrepresented students for the entire Kit sequence, and (3) how the computational thinking strategies introduced in the program affect student design and product development. The project will use a mixed method approach to assess participant growth in various aspects of computational thinking, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. To examine student thought processes and solutions, the project will use qualitative approaches to study computational strategies, actions, coding and products, along with rationales and related beliefs. These will include observations of students, artifact analyses, task-based interviews, STEM-focused interviews, and instructor assessments (including tests and final course grades. Research outcomes will be presented at STEM conferences and will be published in peer-reviewed journals.
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.
