National Girls Collaborative

ADVANCING THE CONVERSATION ON SCALING NATIONAL INFORMAL STEM PROGRAMS -THE NATIONAL GIRLS COLLABORATIVE PROJECT AND EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT CENTER ARE CONVENING ?ADVANCING THE CONVERSATION ON SCALING NATIONAL INFORMAL STEM PROGRAMS,? A TWO-AND-A-HALF DAY KNOWLEDGE-BUILDING CONFERENCE THAT BRINGS TOGETHER KEY STAKEHOLDERS IN INFORMAL STEM EDUCATION (ISE) TO EXAMINE WHAT SCALE LOOKS LIKE ACROSS INFORMAL LEARNING SETTINGS. CURRENTLY, THERE IS NOT A COMMON DEFINITION OR SET OF DIMENSIONS RELATED TO WHAT IT MEANS TO SCALE PROGRAMS IN INFORMAL LEARNING SETTINGS. APPROACHES TO SCALE IN ISE TOO OFTEN CENTER ON THE PERSPECTIVES AND NEEDS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE DEVELOPING AND SPREADING PROGRAMS WHILE LESS CONSIDERATION IS GIVEN TO THE REALITIES OF THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR OPERATIONALIZING PROGRAMS IN HYPER-LOCAL CONTEXTS. THIS CONFERENCE APPROACHES THE QUESTION OF SCALE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE PROGRAM IMPLEMENTERS, WHO ARE THE BENEFICIARIES OF CAPACITY BUILDING AND SERVE AS FACILITATORS OF THESE SCALED PROGRAMS. THE CONFERENCE ALSO GIVES VOICE TO PROGRAM DEVELOPERS, RESEARCHERS, EVALUATORS, AND FUNDERS OF NATIONAL INFORMAL STEM PROGRAMS WHO STUDY AND SUPPORT SCALE IN EDUCATION. THE AIM OF THE CONFERENCE IS TO DEVELOP A NEW FRAMEWORK FOR SCALE IN ISE THAT CENTERS PARTNERSHIP AND CAPACITY BUILDING OF INFORMAL EDUCATORS. SUCH AN APPROACH TO SCALE ADDRESSES ISSUES OF LOCAL ACCESS AND DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION, AND PROMOTES SUSTAINABILITY OF ISE IN HIGH-NEED COMMUNITIES. CONFERENCE DISCUSSIONS CHALLENGE THREE COMMON MISPERCEPTIONS OF SCALE ACROSS ISE: (1) SIMPLE SPREAD AND REPLICATION OF TURNKEY PROGRAMS LEAD TO EFFECTIVE SCALE IN ISE; (2) DEFINITIONS OF SCALE DERIVED FROM FORMAL LEARNING SETTINGS SHOULD BE USED TO SCALE ACROSS ISE; AND (3) SCALE ACROSS ISE SHOULD BE DEFINED BY PROGRAM DEVELOPERS AND THOSE THAT SEEK TO STUDY IT. PARTICIPANTS WITH A WIDE RANGE OF PERSPECTIVES AND WHO REPRESENT A DIVERSITY OF ORGANIZATIONAL TYPES WILL ATTEND THE CONFERENCE AND WORK TOGETHER TO ARTICULATE SCALING SUCCESS FACTORS, BARRIERS, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION STRATEGIES, AND INTENDED OUTCOMES, DISTILLING THEMES, QUESTIONS, AND CONCERNS ABOUT CURRENT APPROACHES TO EVALUATING AND RESEARCHING SCALE IN ISE. TOGETHER, CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS WILL CO-CREATE A FRAMEWORK FOR SCALE IN ISE WHICH WILL DEFINE NEW AND EXPANDED DIMENSIONS OF SCALE THAT CENTER ON CAPACITY BUILDING AND DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION, AS WELL AS A PROGRAM DEVELOPER?S GUIDE FOR SCALING ISE PROGRAMS THROUGH THE LENS OF THE FRAMEWORK. THESE PRODUCTS WILL INCREASE THE KNOWLEDGE AND CAPACITY OF INFORMAL LEARNING ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN NATIONALLY SCALED INITIATIVES, STEM-RICH INSTITUTIONS WANTING TO SCALE THEIR OWN LOCALLY DEVELOPED PROGRAMS, INFORMAL STEM RESEARCHERS AND EVALUATORS, AND THE BROADER FIELD OF ISE INCLUDING PROGRAM FUNDERS. CONFERENCE FINDINGS WILL BE BROADLY DISSEMINATED THROUGH PUBLICATIONS, CONFERENCES, AND A NATIONAL WEBINAR CO-HOSTED BY THE NATIONAL GIRLS COLLABORATIVE PROJECT AND EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT CENTER. THIS CONFERENCE IS FUNDED BY THE ADVANCING INFORMAL STEM LEARNING (AISL) PROGRAM, WHICH SEEKS TO (A) ADVANCE NEW APPROACHES TO AND EVIDENCE-BASED UNDERSTANDING OF THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF STEM LEARNING IN INFORMAL ENVIRONMENTS; (B) PROVIDE MULTIPLE PATHWAYS FOR BROADENING ACCESS TO AND ENGAGEMENT IN STEM LEARNING EXPERIENCES; (C) ADVANCE INNOVATIVE RESEARCH ON AND ASSESSMENT OF STEM LEARNING IN INFORMAL ENVIRONMENTS; AND (D) ENGAGE THE PUBLIC OF ALL AGES IN LEARNING STEM IN INFORMAL ENVIRONMENTS. 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.

BUILDING KNOWLEDGE IN COMPUTING THROUGH EARLY LITERACY STRATEGIES -RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT LITERACY IS AN ESSENTIAL STEPPING STONE TO LONG-TERM ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN SCIENCE-RELATED FIELDS. INTEGRATING COMPUTER SCIENCE (CS)/COMPUTATIONAL THINKING (CT) WITH LITERACY HAS PRODUCED PROMISING RESULTS, SINCE CT SKILLS DIRECTLY COMPLEMENT THE TYPES OF THINKING FOSTERED DURING EVIDENCE-BASED LITERACY INSTRUCTION. DESPITE THESE EARLY FINDINGS, THE POTENTIAL FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS (ELA)-RELATED CONTENT TO ENHANCE CS/CT TEACHING AND LEARNING IN K-2ND GRADES REMAINS UNDEREXPLORED. GIVEN THE MYRIAD CONNECTIONS BETWEEN LITERACY AND CS/CT AND THE POSSIBILITIES THAT BOOKS PROVIDE TO COMBINE THE TWO, THE BUILDING KNOWLEDGE IN COMPUTING THROUGH EARLY LITERACY STRATEGIES (BELLS) PROJECT WILL CO-DESIGN A SERIES OF THREE BOOKS, TARGETED AT K-2ND GRADE CHILDREN, TO TEACH CS/CT INTEGRATED WITH ELA, WITH ACCOMPANYING GUIDES FOR TEACHERS. THESE MATERIALS WILL BE RIGOROUSLY TESTED AND THE BOOKS THEN REFINED THROUGH A MIXED-METHODS RESEARCH PLAN. THE BELLS PROJECT IS A COLLABORATION AMONG THE NATIONAL GIRLS COLLABORATIVE, THE INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCING COMPUTING EDUCATION, AND MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY, MANKATO. THE SCHOOL-BASED CO-DESIGN PARTNERS ARE LOCATED IN LOUISIANA'S REGION 8, A RURAL AREA WITH COUNTLESS REMOTE COMMUNITIES WHO OFTEN STRUGGLE TO HAVE BASIC INTERNET ACCESS. STRONG EARLY LITERACY SKILLS SHAPE FUTURE ACADEMIC SUCCESS, MAKING THIS PROJECT IMPACTFUL FOR STUDENT LEARNING. UNDERSTANDING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN CS/CT AND ELA ENSURES OPTIMAL EARLY LEARNING EXPERIENCES, FOSTERS INTEREST IN CS/CT, AND FILLS A GAP IN TEACHING CS/CT IN EARLY ELEMENTARY GRADES. AS TECHNOLOGY'S ROLE GROWS, INTEGRATING CS/CT WITH EVIDENCE-BASED EARLY LITERACY RESOURCES AND TOOLS EXPANDS ACCESS TO THESE ESSENTIAL SKILLS BY K-2ND GRADE STUDENTS. INTEGRATING CS/CT INTO FOUNDATIONAL SUBJECTS LIKE ELA ENSURES THAT ALL K-2ND GRADE STUDENTS ARE EXPOSED TO THESE CRITICAL SKILLS EARLY, INCREASING ACCESS AND PARTICIPATION IN CS/CT. EARLY INTEGRATION FOSTERS INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING, ENHANCING BOTH LITERACY AND PROBLEM-SOLVING ABILITIES, WHILE LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR FUTURE CS LEARNING. AS TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS CONTINUE TO SHAPE THE ECONOMY AND NATIONAL SECURITY, EQUIPPING ALL STUDENTS--STARTING IN THE EARLIEST GRADES--WITH FOUNDATIONAL CS KNOWLEDGE SUPPORTS LONG-TERM WORKFORCE READINESS AND INNOVATION. THE BELLS PROJECT TEAM WILL COLLABORATE WITH LOUISIANA TEACHERS AND STUDENTS TO CO-DESIGN A SERIES OF PICTURE BOOKS FOR K-2ND GRADE STUDENTS THAT INTEGRATE CS/ CT CONCEPTS WITH ELA CONCEPTS, ALIGNED WITH SPECIFIC AGE-APPROPRIATE CS/CT AND ELA STANDARDS AND PRESENTED IN AN ENJOYABLE AND ENGAGING FORMAT MINDFUL OF THE LEARNING NEEDS OF K-2 STUDENTS. THROUGH A MIXED METHODS RESEARCH DESIGN, THE PROJECT TEAM WILL EXPLORE THE POTENTIAL OF THIS INTEGRATION TO DEVELOP K-2 STUDENTS' INTEREST IN AND KNOWLEDGE OF CS/CT, AS WELL AS TEACHER SELF-EFFICACY FOR TEACHING CS/CT TO K-2 STUDENTS. QUANTITATIVE ANALYSES OF TEACHER AND STUDENT OUTCOMES AND QUALITATIVE ANALYSES OF TEACHER AND STUDENT FEEDBACK WILL BE USED TO TEST AND REFINE THE BOOKS AND ACCOMPANYING TEACHER MATERIALS. THIS RESEARCH WILL MAKE AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF BEST PRACTICES FOR EARLY LITERACY, FOR CS/CT, AND FOR THEIR INTEGRATION. ENHANCING UNDERSTANDING OF THESE TOPICS IS ESSENTIAL FOR ENSURING THAT STUDENTS ARE PROVIDED OPTIMAL LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN THEIR FORMATIVE YEARS AND ENCOURAGING THEM TO DEVELOP AN INTEREST IN CS/CT AND STRONG EARLY LITERACY SKILLS ARE A KEY DETERMINANT OF A STUDENT'S FUTURE ACADEMIC SUCCESS, WHICH POSITIONS THIS PROJECT TO HAVE A PROFOUND IMPACT ON LATER STUDENT LEARNING. FURTHER, LITTLE RESEARCH ON CO-DESIGNING BOOKS WITH YOUNG STUDENTS EXISTS; SO, THIS PROJECT WILL FILL AN IMPORTANT GAP. SIMILARLY, CS/CT SKILLS ARE INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT AS THE SCOPE OF TECHNOLOGY EXPANDS, AND SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATION WITH EARLY LITERACY WILL MAKE CS/CT LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO MANY MORE STUDENTS. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED THROUGH THE COMPUTER SCIENCE FOR ALL: RESEARCH AND RPPS PROGRAM. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.