SBIR Phase I: Web Application to Host Individual-based, Online Academic Competition

SBIR第一阶段项目代表了一种新的在线学术竞争方法，它可能会引发市场化改革运动的转变，目前的重点是在机构层面增加竞争，而不是在基层层面，即在学生个人层面培养竞争。流行的学术理论表明，结构良好的学术竞争不仅可以导致更健康的同伴动力，而且可以显着改善学习成果。考虑到数学对基础科学和工程的所有领域的重要性，以及数学竞赛比其他学科吸引更多参与者的趋势，这个项目很可能成为NSF使命的重要盟友。如果这里设想的竞争结构被证明是合理的，如果学生越来越多地用教科书或更具体地说是Chromebook取代手中的遥控器/操纵杆，那么就受教育程度更高的民众而言，对社会的好处可能是巨大的。此外，这种产品的商业潜力可能比几乎任何其他可以想象的方法都大。从将两名学习算术的美国一年级学生在1比1的比赛中联系起来，到举办一场有来自世界各地的高中生参加的物理锦标赛，这一应用的可能范围是惊人的。该提案中设想的技术创新将标志着现有的、普遍可用的基于网络的技术的根本性进步，该技术专注于以两种方式提供学术竞争。首先，它将允许学生识别具有相似学术能力的对手，然后通过存储在系统中的多项选择和填空题与他们安排相互方便的比赛，内容数据库最终跨越每个年级和课程。此外，它将使主办大规模的在线竞赛活动成为可能，在这些活动中，可能有数百万学生同时登录，争夺任何给定科目的冠军头衔，首先是全国性的，最终是世界性的。展望未来，将特别强调移动的优化，预计这类设备的增长趋势，特别是考虑到学生使用拟议功能的可能性将更经常发生在课堂之外。这个项目的最终目标是建立一个平台，利用经典的游戏机制来激励学生学习。

This SBIR Phase I project represents a new approach to online academic competition, one that may perhaps incite a shift in the market-based reform movement's present focus on increasing competition at the institutional level toward cultivating it at the grass roots level, that is, at the level of the individual student. Prevailing academic theory suggests that academic competition, well-structured, not only can lead to healthier peer dynamics but also to significant improvement in learning outcomes. Given the importance of mathematics to all fields of fundamental science and engineering, and the tendency of mathematics competitions to attract participants in greater number than other subjects, this project may well become a vital ally to the NSF mission. And if the structure of competition contemplated here proves sound, if students increasingly replace the remote/joystick in their hands with a textbook, or a Chromebook more specifically, the benefit to society in terms of a more educated populace could be substantial. Moreover, the commercial potential of this product may be greater than almost any other approach imaginable. From connecting two U.S. first graders studying arithmetic in a 1-1 match to hosting a Physics championship where high school students from around the world take part, the possible reach of this application is remarkable.The technical innovation contemplated in this proposal will mark a fundamental advance on existing, generally available web-based technology focused on the delivery of academic competition in two ways. First, it will allow students to identify opponents of similar academic ability and then schedule mutually convenient competitions with them fueled by multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank questions stored in the system, a content database eventually spanning every grade level and course. In addition, it will make possible the hosting of massive online competition events where potentially millions of students might log in simultaneously to compete for the title of champion of any given subject, first nationally and eventually world-wide. Going forward, special emphasis will be placed on mobile optimization in anticipation of the growing trend toward such devices, especially given the likelihood that student utilization of the proposed functionality will more often occur outside the classroom. The ultimate goal of this project is to emerge with a platform that leverages classic game mechanics to motivate students to learn.