SBIR Phase II: Learning Design Synthesis with a Mechatronics Kit

这个SBIR第二阶段项目通过开发用于工程设计合成教学和学习的机电一体化和机器人构建工具包，满足了国家对更广泛和更实践的STEM(科学、技术、工程和数学)教育的迫切需求。研究目标是开发一种教学工具，以吸引年轻学习者对工程设计感兴趣，鼓励他们特别参与工程实践，通过探索达到或超过国家标准的STEM主题来创造有吸引力的技术。其目标是让年轻人参与设计机电一体化和机器人系统，而不考虑以前的技术经验或STEM经验，并通过这种方式获得对工程设计综合的兴趣、经验和信心。这项工作包括开发建筑工具包硬件，为儿童编程他们的机电结构的软件环境，以及使用该工具包教授和学习STEM主题和工程设计的材料。随着硬件的进步，该项目将开发软件和学习资源，用教育材料搭建建筑工具包。它旨在支持教师和其他教育工作者将机电一体化工具包纳入课堂和校外学习，满足国家STEM标准，同时推进关于儿童如何学习复杂设计概念以及教育工作者如何最好地支持这一进步的研究。SBIR第二阶段项目的更广泛/商业影响是促进年轻学习者的创新、设计和创造性解决问题，这些技能是未来劳动力最重要的技能。这些技能是在STEM学科中解决的，然而，在教育中使用技术往往仅限于基于技能的计算机操作，而工程完全被忽视。教与学工具及其软件和学习资源集合真正整合了STEM缩写中的每个字母，同时邀请没有机器人、工程、设计、技术或计算机编程背景的学生立即开始创作。这利用了他们的创造力作为在这些领域继续学习的动力。正是因为KIT消除了对高级制造技能或编程知识的需求，该KIT及其配套活动将促进更广泛地纳入那些传统上可能对更复杂的STEM参与感到害怕的学生。随着更多的学生成功地利用工具包及其一整套学习活动，这将增强未来的劳动力、见多识广的公民，并支持教师和教育工作者探索在给予激励和建立信心的STEM活动时，所有学生都能取得什么成就。

This SBIR Phase II project addresses a critical national need for more expansive and hands-on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education by developing a mechatronic and robotics construction kit for teaching and learning engineering design synthesis. The research objective is to develop a teaching tool to interest young learners in engineering design, encourage and engage them in engineering practices specifically, creating appealing technology through exploring STEM topics that meets or exceeds national standards. The goal is to engage young people regardless of prior technical experience or STEM exposure in designing mechatronics and robotics systems, and through this to gain interest, experience, and confidence in engineering design synthesis. The work comprises developing construction kit hardware, a software environment for children to program their mechatronic constructions, and materials for using the kit to teach and learn STEM topics and engineering design. As the hardware advances, the project will develop software and learning resources that scaffold the construction kit with educational materials. It aims to support teachers and other educators incorporating the mechatronics kit into classroom and out-of-school learning, addressing national STEM standards while advancing research on how children learn complex design concepts and how educators can best support this progression.The broader/commercial impact of this SBIR Phase II project is in engendering in young learners innovation, design, and creative problem solving among the most important skills for tomorrow's workforce. These skills are addressed within STEM disciplines, however, too often the use of technology in education is limited to skill based computer operations, and engineering is neglected altogether. The teaching and learning tool and its ensemble of software and learning resources truly integrates every letter in the STEM acronym, while inviting students who have no background in robotics, engineering, design, technology, or computer programming to begin creating immediately. This leverages their creativity as motivation to continue learning in these fields. Precisely because kit removes the need for advanced fabrication skills or programming knowledge, this kit and its accompanying activities will promote broader inclusion of students who may have traditionally felt intimidated from more complex STEM engagement. As more students succeed with the kit and its ensemble of learning activities, this enhances a future workforce, an informed citizenry, as well as supporting teachers and educators to explore what all students can achieve when given motivating and confidence building STEM activities.