CAREER: Computational Reconstruction of K12 Science (CoRe-Science): Integrating Computational Thinking and Modeling with School Science

Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN

Investigators

Abstract

This five year CAREER project (CoRe-Science: Computational Reconstruction of K12 Science) seeks to address the following research question: How does the design of agent-based programming languages and modeling platforms need to change in order to support deep curricular integration of computational thinking, programming and modeling with middle-school curricular science in the domains of physics and biology, without necessitating a radical restructuring of student and teacher preparation? This project has following objectives: a) To develop ViMAP, a new, multi-agent-based, visual programming language and modeling platform specifically for integrating computational programming and modeling with middle school curricular science in kinematics and ecology; b) To seamlessly integrate ViMAP and accompanying learning activities with existing project-based middle-school curricula in kinematics and ecology; and c) conduct empirical studies to identify how students develop computational thinking in the context of learning to model and use models for investigation (and vice versa), and to identify trajectories towards competency in computational thinking and modeling. The team will conduct classroom implementations of the CoRe-Science units in several urban public middle schools. The topic areas of kinematics and ecology were selected because they are important in light of national science education standards; they are experienced as extremely difficult by learners; they are amenable to agent-based modeling approaches; and prior work has prepared the PI to develop high-quality curricular materials on these topics. Besides the technological innovation, the products of this project are research findings, such as: a) empirically tested design principles for programming languages for K12 curricular integration, and b) the process, nature and role of computational thinking in the development of students' conceptual understanding in the two domains. In addition, classroom ready curricular units in kinematics and ecology, including the ViMAP programming and modeling platform, accompanying learning activities, and teacher support materials will be deployed and disseminated through a broad network of educational communities. Over the past few decades, computational thinking and modeling has emerged to be a key element of scientific and engineering expertise. Infusing computational thinking and the use of computational tools into the middle school curriculum in appropriate ways can promote this cross-cutting expertise. However, integrating general purpose computational programming with K12 curricular science has been shown to be challenging, and CoRe-Science seeks to address this issue by developing a new visual programming language and modeling environment specifically for scientific modeling for middle school students, and seamlessly integrate it with an existing science curriculum for middle school physics and biology. The products include new learning technologies that can be widely disseminated, and research findings based on empirical studies, that should be the basis of a framework to inform the future development of similar systems.