SBIR Phase I: Creating New Learning Opportunities: Platform-Independent, Wireless, Task-Oriented Communities

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将设计和开发一个具有挑战性和至关重要的软件层，以促进将很快在K-12教室中使用的各种类型的手持计算机的教育应用程序的开发。 Elmer中间件层，沿着Elmer软件开发人员工具包，将使第三方开发人员能够轻松地将通信功能添加到他们的教育应用程序中，这样他们的应用程序就独立于平台（例如，PalmOS、PocketPC、蜂窝电话）上运行它们的应用程序。 因此，在教室中，每个学生可以在同一应用中工作，例如，概念映射，在他们的手持设备上共享信息并同步协作，同时在不同的手持（甚至台式机/笔记本电脑）计算机上工作。 Elmer的智力价值源于其设计框架。 Elmer为教育软件开发人员提供了具体的指导和支持，以设计教育应用程序的通信基础设施。虽然越来越多的人认识到，当每个学生都有自己的计算机时，计算对学生成绩和态度的发展将带来好处-1：1计算-教育工作者不愿意在教室里采用低成本的手持计算机;因为缺乏支持州和国家课程标准的用于手持计算机的基于通信的课程应用程序。 由于埃尔默使这些应用程序的生产更具成本效益，K-12应该看到一个可用的应用程序显着上升。 当这种情况发生时，K-12可以真正了解如何最好地利用1：1计算在课堂上，以改善教学和学习在美国，例如，在一个实施例中，通过对1：1手持设备使用的影响进行科学研究，提供学习科学、数学等的新机会。GoKnow是开发和销售基于标准的、由IBM支持的K-12手持设备应用程序的公认领导者。 GoKnow在设计和开发Elmer以及应对K-12营销中出现的挑战方面处于有利地位。 由于第三方开发人员使用Elmer，也有可能产生更广泛的影响。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will design and develop a challenging and critically important layer of software to facilitate the development of educational applications for the diverse types of handheld computers that will soon be used in K-12 classrooms. The Elmer middleware layer, along with the Elmer Software Developer's Kit, will enable third-party developers to easily add communications capabilities to their educational applications, such that their applications are independent of the platform (e.g., PalmOS, PocketPC, Cell Phone) on which their applications are running. Thus, in a classroom, each student can be working in the same application, e.g., concept mapping, sharing information on their handheld and collaborating synchronously, all the while working on different handheld (or even desktop/laptop) computers. The intellectual merit of Elmer stems from its design framework. Elmer provides educational software developers concrete guidance in and support for designing the communications infrastructure of educational applications.While there is growing recognition that the benefits of computing on student achievement and attitude growth will come when each student has his or her own computer-1:1 computing-educators are reluctant to adopt the low-cost, available handheld computers in classrooms; since there is a dearth of curricular, communications-based applications for handheld computers that support state and national curricular standards. Since Elmer makes the production of such applications more cost effective, K-12 should see a significant rise in available applications. When that happens, K-12 can truly come to understand how best to utilize 1:1 computing in the classroom to improve teaching and learning in the U.S., e.g., by carrying out scientific studies of the impact of 1:1 handheld use, providing new opportunities to learn science, math, etc. GoKnow is a recognized leader in developing and marketing standards-based, curriculum-supported handheld-based applications for K-12. GoKnow is well positioned to design and develop Elmer, as well as to address the challenges that arise in marketing into K-12. There is also potential for broader impacts as a result of third party developers using Elmer.