The increasing sophistication and availability of Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) technologies wield the potential to transform how we teach and learn computational concepts and coding. This project develops a platform for creative coding in virtual and augmented reality. The Embodied Coding Environment (ECE) is a node-based system developed in the Unity game engine. It is conceptualized as a merged digital/physical workspace where spatial representations of code, the visual outputs of the code, and user editing histories are co-located in a virtual 3D space.
This project is a multiyear study of the impact of an enrichment program that the US National Science Foundation (NSF) managed in the 1990s. The Young Scholars Program (YSP) involved around 18,000 7th–12th grade students and 600 separate grants between 1989 and 1996. The purpose of YSP was to introduce high-achieving middle and secondary school students to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields to encourage their entry into those fields and thus increase the size and quality of the nation’s STEM workforce.
QuEST develops and researches practices in precollege quantum science and computing instruction that are aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards. The goals include the development of (1) quantum knowledge and quantum computing practices that promote critical thinking, reasoning, and communication skills; and (2) student awareness and interest in quantum computing careers and academic pathways.
The project's central goals are threefold: (1) to provide access to meaningful bilingual computer programming and mathematics (CPM) experiences to Latinx middle school students, (2) to develop a bilingual CPM curriculum based on Python and Jupyter Notebook to provide visual representations of mathematics concepts, and 3) to prepare and work with teachers through interdisciplinary teams and action research to integrate CPM into the school curriculum.
Data Jam engages students in the process of exploring, analyzing, and summarizing long-term data about nearby ecosystems that are the subject of extensive long-term study by LTER.
The YouthAstroNet project is scaling up a program & online learning platform for youth ages 11-14 that features customized access to robotic telescopes, support for learner-driven engagement with scientific and computational analysis tools and practices, and interactions with digital STEM mentors.
The major objectives of the UNLV ITEST project are to: 1) enhance secondary female students’ academic self-concept in computing and engineering fields through a constructivist learning environment; 2) enhance secondary female students’ knowledge, skills, and interests in these fields; 3) increase the number of secondary female students’ participation in STEM competitions; 4) investigate the factors that influence female students’ career choices in STEM/ICT fields.
EdAI investigates how best to prepare teachers to implement the Developing AI Literacy (or DAILy) curriculum in regular school day classrooms. We seek to understand what supports and teaching practices are effective and necessary for middle school teachers to implement the curriculum and positively impact student’s learning if AI.
We are investigating a “convening AI” that brings together teachers and students to troubleshoot around machine-selected excerpts of student work-in-progress. Our initial domain is middle school virtual robot programming.