Connecting Research and Teaching Through Product Innovation: Quality of Life Technology RET Site

该奖项为匹兹堡大学工程和计算机科学专业教师研究经验(RET)网站项目提供资金，该项目为期3年，标题为“通过产品创新连接研究和教学：乔纳森·L·皮尔曼博士指导下的生活质量技术RET网站”。该RET网站是匹兹堡大学主办的一个成功的RET网站项目的延续，该项目将继续利用学习研究和发展中心(LRDC)和生活质量技术(QOLT)工程研究中心的综合优势。该网站将招聘多达39名科学和数学教师，作为来自高需求城市高中的跨学科合作伙伴，他们将完成：1)在工程实验室的12周经验，在跨地区的4人团队中执行基础科学研究，然后将研究转化为创新产品，涉及QOLT主题。2)关于产品创新的课程，除了将这些产品带到MARKET的过程之外，还包括设计、开发和技术评估。3)重新设计最初由LRDC开发的基于设计的学习(DBL)单元，并由RET教师随着时间的推移通过迭代设计进行修改，以纳入产品开发经济学和其他与创新相关的数学概念。4)全面的专业发展系列，为教师提供DBL单元的课堂实施和帮助。该网站将直接影响大约39名教师和400名代表不足的学生，包括匹兹堡地区高需求城市高中的学生，特别关注几乎全部由少数族裔和社会经济地位较低的学生和女孩组成的高中。此外，通过专注于QOLT，该网站提高了人们的意识，并为越来越多经常被忽视的美国人口--因衰老或残疾而功能减退的人--开发技术。

This award provides funding for a 3 year continuing award to support a Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering and Computer Science Site program at the University of Pittsburgh entitled, "Connecting Research and Teaching Through Product Innovation: Quality of Life Technology RET Site under the direction of Dr. Jonathan L. Pearlman. This RET Site is a renewal of a successful RET Site program hosted by the University of Pittsburgh, which will continue to draw upon the aggregate strengths in the Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC) and the Quality of Life Technology (QoLT) Engineering Research Center. This site will recruit a total of up to 39 science and math teachers, as interdiscipliary pairs from high needs urban high schools, who will complete: 1) A 12 week experience in engineering labs in across-district teams of 4 to perform fundamental scientific research and then translate that research into innovative products, involving QoLT topics. 2) A course on product innovation that includes design, development, and evaluation of technolgies in addition to the processes of bringing these products to market.3) A redesign of design-based learning (DBL) units originally developed in the LRDC, and modified via iterative design by RET teachers over time to incorporate product development economics and other math concepts related to innovation.4) A comprehensive professional development series providing teachers with classroom implementation and assistance of DBL units. This site will directly impact approximately 39 teachers and 400 underrepresented students including those from high need urban high schools in the Pittsburgh region, with a particular focus on high schools comprised almost entirely of minority and low socio-economic status students, and girls. In addition, by focusing on QoLT, this site improves awareness and develops technology for a growing segment of the U.S. population that is often overlooked-people with reduced functional capabilities due to aging or disability.