Activities in the Computer Clubhouse are guided by research showing that youth
learn most effectively when they are engaged in designing and creating projects,
rather than memorizing facts or learning isolated skills. The Clubhouse fosters
a learner-centered, informal educational approach that supports participants
to discover their interests and apply their own ideas. Beyond Four Walls
provides a unique opportunity for youth -- within this learner-centered environment
-- to become meaningfully involved in scientific inquiry, not only using tools
to gather, analyze, and interpret data, but also designing their own scientific
investigations and defining the space in which those investigations take place.
There are several reasons this is important:
- Motivation. Young people are more likely to feel a sense of personal investment
in a scientific investigation if they design it themselves. For many, designing
their own investigations may lend a dimension of creative self-expression
that is often perceived as missing in science education. With the appropriate
guidance, support, and tools, young people can develop a sense of confidence
and self-empowerment; they can view scientific investigation as a process
in which they can take part, day-to-day, creatively and pleasurably.
- Making connections to underlying concepts. To design their own scientific
investigations, students need to figure out what things to measure and how
to measure them. In the process, they develop a deeper understanding of the
scientific concepts underlying the investigation. If students create a "wearable
thermometer," for example, they naturally encounter (and make use of) the
concepts of thermal conductivity and heat capacity.
- Developing critical capacity. When students design their own investigations
and the tools to pursue these investigations, they will as a result develop
a healthy skepticism about the data they gather -- and a more subtle understanding
of the nature of scientific information and knowledge.
- Understanding the relationship between science and technology. One of the
Curriculum Frameworks speaks to the goal of using technology as a tool for
learning mathematics and science. By designing their own science tools, students
understand firsthand the ways that technology design can both serve and inspire
scientific investigation.
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