U411C190179
2021 (see original presentation & discussion)
Grades K-6, Grades 6-8
This video describes a work in progress from a current US Dept of ED EIR grant. INFACT brings together designers and research in Computational Thinking education, cognitive science, and data mining to build adaptive scaffolds for executive function within CT learning activities for elementary and middle school learners (grades 3-8). INFACT is a set of game-based interactives along with coding and robotic activities, and offline conceptual and hands-on activities; all delivered with differentiated scaffolds for neurodiverse learners.
Jodi Asbell-Clarke
Director, EdGE at TERC
Hello! We hope you enjoy our video about INFACT. We had to make do with remote video production this year, so not as "polished" as we sometimes do, but we hope it gets the point across. We'd love to start a discussion about including neurodiverse learners in Computational Thinking activities. Let's talk!
Aman Yadav
Professor
Loved seeing the student excitement and teacher perspective on neurodiverse students as they played games and puzzles. Focus on students with disabilities is an important aspect of broadening participation in computing and this is important work. I was left wondering whether there was novelty effect of the games that could not be contributed to CT and how teachers are using the CT practices to engage students in learning literacy, numeracy, and other skills. How is the project assessing impact of student learning?
Shuchi Grover
Jodi Asbell-Clarke
Director, EdGE at TERC
Good questions Aman. First of all, while researchers do find that games are often attractive to neurodiverse learners, the activities we implemented earlier included bridging activities that translate the implicit game based learning to other CT activities in the class. Many of the teachers were also using introductory coding and/or robotics in conjunction with the game. That is why we brought all these activities together in INFACT and are studying that now. These activities are often integrated into ELA, Math, Science and other subjects. Unfortunately, as you asked about, there are no good CT assessments designed for CT novices or neurodiverse learners (e.g. current assessments are often heavy in text and vocabulary, or they require coding experience). We created our own non-textual puzzles as measures of CT, but they still need more work to be really good. We are doing further validity studies in INFACT and we are designing embedded formative and summative assessments for teachers within the program. Hope that clears things up.
Shuchi Grover
Aman Yadav
Professor
Jodi, thanks for the response. Great to see that CT is being brought to disciplinary contexts. Looking forward to seeing the results of your work around CT assessment.
Maya Israel
Shad Wachter
This is right up my alley. I teach technology literacy to students in grades 3-5 and part of my program includes teaching computational thinking using resources like Scratch, Sphero Edu, and BlocksCAD. But on a personal scale, I have a daughter with Autism. I am very interested in learning more about this program and would love to try some of these activities with my child at home and then possibly working with my differently-abled students to better meet their needs as they come to my classroom. Thank you so much for sharing!
Shuchi Grover
Jodi Asbell-Clarke
Director, EdGE at TERC
We'd love to work with you Shad. Please go to:
https://www.terc.edu/edge/do-you-teach-computat...
to sign up or contact kelly_paulson@terc.edu.
thanks!!
Shuchi Grover
Wendy Martin
Hi Jodi!
I am always so impressed by your projects and the ideas that drive them! This one is especially close to my heart. Just like your experience with computational thinking games, I have seen that with maker clubs in autism inclusion schools it is often the students with autism who shine because they are allowed to follow their interests and have the time and space to create in their own way. It is so important to see divergent thinking as an asset and not a deficit. I can't wait to read more about this work, and I hope you will be attending the CIRCLS 2021 Convening where we could talk more about it!
Shuchi Grover
Jodi Asbell-Clarke
Director, EdGE at TERC
Thanks Wendy - on my calendar! :)
Shuchi Grover
Marcia Linn
Hi Jodi ! It's great to "see" you here. Your video is thought provoking. I wonder if there is a way that we can collaborate to make science more welcoming to neurodiverse learners? See our work exploring the ways teachers collaborate to emphasize social justice in science. Enjoy, Marcia
Maya Israel
Shuchi Grover
Jodi Asbell-Clarke
Director, EdGE at TERC
Yes Marcia - let's connect. It's been a while :) I see your work in the video is largely textual and NLP (and very cool! ). For neurodiverse students we try to build more graphical and non-verbal elements to be more inclusive....we should talk more about how to do that in science. Email me when you have a chance.....jodi_asbell-clarke@terc.edu. Love to talk more!
Elizabeth Adams
This is very cool. I especially love the differentiation component in the teacher view. I am wondering what your experience has been with teachers using this feature. What have you learned from teachers about their preferences? We are developing a mod within Minecraft focused on computational thinking, and we plan to have a similar feature for differentiation. I am also wondering what materials you have provided teachers to support implementation. What have they found most helpful?
Shuchi Grover
Jodi Asbell-Clarke
Director, EdGE at TERC
Hi Elizabeth - we will let you know when we know? :) We have just rolled out the differentiation portal with teachers, but based it on feedback that teachers needed to break it down by grade, tech access (e.g. Scratch, robots), and groupings. We are screening participants for EF so we are not relying on teachers' IEP lists or anything like that, but we do ask them what level of scaffolding they want for a class and/or for individuals in that class. We are studying how this all supports productive persistence in the activities. That study should be rolling out next year (fingers crossed! :)) . Hope that helps...thanks, jodi
Shuchi Grover
NATHAN KIMBALL
Curriculum Developer
Hi Jodi, I'm so glad you are working on this. I remember (years ago) bringing out a 6th grade curriculum to a class with a couple of neurodiverse students and feeling at a loss to address their needs. It would seem to me that a challenge will be to address the mainstreamed classrooms, and so, the differentiated portal is brilliant. I'm conjecturing that teachers will also need a lot of support to know how to negotiate these learners needs around CT. Has your work, so far, been with individuals or classes? Do you have thoughts about applying this in mainstreamed classrooms?
Shuchi Grover
Jodi Asbell-Clarke
Director, EdGE at TERC
Hey Nathan - great to hear from you. Zoombinis has been a gift for us to really dig deep in this area (TERC circa 1990s lives on!! :)). We are in the design research phase right now and working with individual teachers (and their remote/inperson classes) as well as parents and home schoolers with their children. INFACT is designed to be implementable for mainstream or specialized settings. The INFACT Portal allows a teacher to select activities sequences and scaffolding levels for either the entire class or groups or individual students. It's all doable because we knew we'd have all those needs. It's also how we've been able to pivot to whatever schooling brings us these days. Hope all is well!
NATHAN KIMBALL
Curriculum Developer
Thanks, Jodi. Yes, I'm so glad Zoombinis has a second life and serves as a basis for great research. It is too good, and won't grow old! I'll look forward to hearing more about the INFACT portal as you progress!
Jodi Asbell-Clarke
David Lockett
Albert Einstein Fellow
Very impressed by computational thinking projects and the ideas that drive them. Congratulations on creating the INFACT project that is paired with rich, authentic CT content.
Shuchi Grover
Jodi Asbell-Clarke
Director, EdGE at TERC
Thanks for the kind words David. And congrats on being selected as a fellow!
Ning Wang
Zoombinis! I have been following this for years. Great design and creation!
Shuchi Grover
Momo Hayakawa
Very cool project supporting the strengths of neurodiverse children! Your description mentions offline conceptual and hands on activities. Are these activities developed to enhance working memory and attention? What are some examples of these analog learning experiences?
Shuchi Grover
Jodi Asbell-Clarke
Director, EdGE at TERC
Hi Momo - great question, and something we are thinking a lot about. We have working memory and attention scaffolds in the learning interactives (graphical organizers and glow on salient features) that can turn on or off depending on the need. For the offline activities, we are offering multiple entry points, optional graphical organizers, and multiple representations for students along with tips for teachers to help scaffold EF along the way. Glad to talk more if you have questions! thanks, Jodi
Eric Hamilton
Jodi, congratulations on the long term accomplishments of EdGE, and now, especially this work on neurodiversity. This is inspiring work, and helps pave the way to become not only a smarter world but a more humane world. I am grateful.
Jodi Asbell-Clarke
Director, EdGE at TERC
thanks Eric - hope you are well!
Cheri Fancsali
This looks like a great project! Thanks for sharing your work. As an EIR grant, what type of research are you doing and how far along are you in the project?
Jodi Asbell-Clarke
Director, EdGE at TERC
Hi Cheri - We have an efficacy study (per WWC standards) starting in October 2021. We were funded in 2019 and have had about 2 years of iterative design research and development. EIR grants are quite different than NSF grants but this has been a wonderful opportunity to get an extensive team together and do some good work :)
Laura Santhanam
Such important work and the framing (thinking about how neurodiverse learners can improve schools) is vital to improving experiences and outcomes in education.
Jodi Asbell-Clarke
Director, EdGE at TERC
thanks Laura. It is a different way of looking at the issue, and hope we can take the focus away from "fixing the learners". Thanks for your interest.
Colbey Harlan
Hi, my name is Colbey. I love what you are doing to help cultivate learning environments for neurodiverse students, this is amazing. As someone with autism myself studying psychology at Stanford, I have a great interest in helping others in the neurodiverse community. I would love to learn more and am open to seeing what research opportunities you have. Thank you.
Jodi Asbell-Clarke
Director, EdGE at TERC
Hey Colbey - great to hear from you. We would love to talk more with you if you are interested. Email me at jodi_asbell-clarke@terc.edu. :)
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