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

这个小型企业创新研究（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，以促进即将在K-12教室中使用的各种手持计算机的教育应用程序的开发。Elmer中间件层以及Elmer软件开发工具包将使第三方开发人员能够轻松地为他们的教育应用程序添加通信功能，从而使他们的应用程序独立于其应用程序运行的平台（例如，PalmOS, PocketPC, Cell Phone）。因此，在教室里，每个学生都可以在同一个应用程序中工作，例如，概念图，在他们的手持设备上共享信息和同步协作，同时在不同的手持设备（甚至台式机/笔记本电脑）上工作。Elmer的智力价值源于它的设计框架。Elmer为教育软件开发人员提供了设计教育应用程序通信基础设施的具体指导和支持。虽然越来越多的人认识到，当每个学生都拥有一台自己的电脑时，计算机对学生成绩和态度的提高将会带来好处，但教育者不愿意在教室里采用低成本、现成的手持电脑；由于缺乏支持州和国家课程标准的基于通信的手持计算机应用程序。由于Elmer使这些应用程序的生产更具成本效益，K-12应该会看到可用应用程序的显着增加。当这种情况发生时，K-12才能真正了解如何在课堂上最好地利用1:1计算来改善美国的教与学，例如，通过对1:1手持设备使用的影响进行科学研究，为学习科学，数学等提供新的机会。GoKnow是为K-12开发和营销基于标准，课程支持的手持应用程序的公认领导者。GoKnow很有能力设计和开发Elmer，并解决K-12市场营销中出现的挑战。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.