STTR Phase I: Digital eWriter for the Classroom

这项创新是开发一种新的设备，称为eWriters，用于课堂使用，既是一种可持续的纸张替代技术，也是学生/教师互动的有效工具。 这些设备通过满足人类制作和记录手写图像的需求，解决了实现可持续发展世界的问题，而没有与纸张生产相关的环境危害。 他们被广泛接受的基础上，密切模仿笔和纸的感觉写作经验。 无纸化课堂工作流程将需要自动收集作业并以电子方式评分的工具。 这些许褚将创建虚拟白板，以加强学生/教师的互动。 该项目侧重于数学和科学教育，这些领域很难用其他设备类型服务，例如需要键盘输入的领域，因为工作的基本性质，特殊符号和格式要求。 然而，这些设备本身适用于更广泛的主题领域，包括艺术，值得注意的是，一些艺术家已经采用了eWriters作为他们的媒介。 由于eWriters是一项新技术，该项目将率先探索其应用于教育的变革潜力，其更广泛的商业影响首先是学校纸张消耗量大幅减少的社会效益，随后扩展到工作场所，因为越来越多的学生进入劳动力市场，准备在不使用纸张的情况下完成工作。 同样重要的是电子写作者为教师提供的新工具，特别是通过虚拟白板，允许教师和学生之间的无线互动。 有能力的教师将找到新的方法，在艺术和科学等不同的学科领域接触学生。 在学生考试成绩和学术竞争力下降的时候，很难夸大这一点的重要性。 在商业上，电子手写板显示技术已经在美国开发和制造，在俄亥俄州的肯特投资了卷对卷显示器生产设施。 因此，将该技术发展成为一种教育工具，有助于维持国内经济和环境。 现有的电子手写板产品、分销、零售渠道和营销为教育发展的商业化提供了一个强大的平台。 在教育环境中的初步成功显示了在这一领域取得商业化成功的强大前景和潜力。

The innovation is the development of a new class of devices known as eWriters for classroom use as both a sustainable paper replacement technology and an effective tool for student/teacher interaction. These devices address the problem of achieving a sustainable world by satisfying the human need for making and recording handwritten images without the environmental harm associated with the production of paper. They are widely accepted based on a writing experience which closely mimics the feel of pen and paper. The paperless classroom workflow will require tools for automatically collecting assignments and electronically grading them. Virtual whiteboards enabled by the devices will be created to enhance student/teacher interaction. The project focuses on math and science education, areas that are difficult to service with other device types, such as ones requiring keyboard input, due to the basic nature of the work, special symbols, and formatting requirements. However, the devices themselves are applicable to a broader range of subject areas, including art, where it is noteworthy that some artists have already adopted the eWriters for their medium. As eWriters are a new technology, the project will be among the first to explore their transformative potential as applied to education.The broader/commercial impact begins with the societal benefit of significantly reduced paper consumption in schools and later extends into the workplace as increasing numbers of students enter the workforce prepared to perform their jobs without the use of paper. Also important is the new tool that eWriters provide to teachers, particularly through virtual whiteboards that permit wireless interaction between a teacher and their students. Capable teachers will find new ways of reaching students in subject areas as varied as art and science. It is hard to overstate the importance of this at a time of flagging student test scores and academic competitiveness. Commercially, the eWriter display technology has been developed and manufactured in the United States, with investments in roll-to-roll display production facilities in Kent, Ohio. Development of the technology into an educational tool therefore assists in sustaining the domestic economy, in addition to the environment. The existing eWriter product, distribution, retail channels, and marketing give a strong platform for the educational development to be commercialized. The initial success in educational settings shows strong promise and potential for commercialization success in this field.