SBIR Phase I: Virtual-Worldizing ThinkMath: An Existing K-5 Math Curriculum Building Computational Fluency

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的重点是在虚拟世界环境中设计和测试图形、协作游戏，以支持小学生的数学学习。Numedeon, Inc.是Whyville的创造者，这是一个屡获殊荣的针对8至15岁儿童的教育虚拟世界。自1999年以来，Whyville已经吸引了700万用户参与科学和数学探索，每月有20万独立用户每次访问平均花费30分钟以上。Numedeon将其在创建协作式开放式学习游戏方面的经验带入该项目，在ThinkMath的特定组件上构建在线游戏和体验！课程。ThinkMath !是教育发展中心（EDC）在美国国家科学基金会的支持下开发的一门创新的K-5数学课程。Numedeon将汇集EDC、WestEd和DaVinci Minds顾问的专业知识，解决在正规教育中有效使用游戏的三个基本挑战：在不影响游戏玩法和参与度的情况下提供脚手架和评估，利用协作和用户创造来促进深入理解，以及设计用于培训和支持教师的综合工具。由此产生的试点游戏以及教师工具和嵌入式评估将在Whyville推出，以进行测试和评估。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力在于创造一种新的互动学习形式，将在线社交环境中的正式课堂教学与非正式游戏学习相结合。随着美国62亿美元的教科书市场走向数字化，该项目挑战了将纸质课程盲目地转换为数字教科书和基于演练的教学实践。数学事实?同时解决国家对提高数学能力的关键需求。通过结合最好的课程开发（EDC）和最好的基于协作游戏的学习（Numedeon），这种将基于标准的数学课程引入成功的商业虚拟世界的努力是同类中第一次。它将树立一个标准，将课程与数字媒体结合起来，创造出高价值、高可见度的产品，超越死记硬背和操练，建立心理基础设施和数学理解。此外，以游戏为基础的教学的视觉性质将减少使用双语和特殊需要学生的障碍。最后，教师专业发展和支持工具的设计作为一个综合过程的一部分，而不是附加作为事后的想法，将有显著的教学影响和市场潜力。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project focuses on the design and testing of graphical, collaborative games within a virtual world environment to support math learning for elementary school students. Numedeon, Inc. is the creator of Whyville, the award winning educational virtual world for children ages 8 to 15. Whyville has engaged 7 million users in science and math explorations since 1999, with 200,000 monthly uniques spending 30+ minutes on average per visit. Numedeon brings its experience in creating collaborative, open-ended learning games to this project, building online games and experiences upon specific components of the ThinkMath! curriculum. ThinkMath! is an innovative K-5 mathematics curriculum developed by Education Development Center (EDC) with prior support from the National Science Foundation. Pooling expertise from consultants at EDC, WestEd, and DaVinci Minds, Numedeon will address three fundamental challenges in the effective use of games in formal education: providing scaffolding and assessment without compromising game play and engagement, leveraging collaboration and user creation to promote in-depth understanding, and designing integrated tools for training and supporting teachers. The resulting pilot games along with teacher tools and embedded assessment will be launched in Whyville for testing and evaluation.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project lies in creating a new form of interactive learning that integrates formal classroom-based instruction with informal game-based learning within an online social environment. As the $6.2 billion textbook market in the US goes digital, this project challenges the mindless conversion of print curriculum to digital textbooks and drill-based practice of ?math facts? while addressing a critical national need to promote mathematics competency. By combining the best in curriculum development (EDC) with the best in collaborative game-based learning (Numedeon), this effort to bring a standards-based mathematics curriculum into a successful commercial virtual world is first of its kind. It will set a standard for thoughtfully marrying curriculum with digital medium to create a high value, high visibility product that goes beyond rote memorization and drilling to building mental infrastructure and mathematical understanding. In addition, the visual nature of game-based instruction will reduce barriers to use for bilingual and special needs students. Finally, teacher professional development and support tools designed as part of an integrated process, as opposed to tacked-on as an afterthought, will have significant pedagogical impact and market potential.