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

SBIR第一期项目代表了在线学术竞争的一种新方法，这种方法可能会促使市场改革运动从目前注重在机构层面增加竞争转向在基层，即在学生个人层面培养竞争。流行的学术理论认为，结构良好的学术竞争不仅能带来更健康的同伴关系，还能显著提高学习成果。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国家科学基金会使命的重要盟友。如果这里所设想的竞争结构被证明是合理的，如果学生们越来越多地用教科书，或者更具体地说，用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要大。从连接两个美国一年级学生在一场1-1的比赛中学习算术，到举办一场有来自世界各地的高中生参加的物理锦标赛，这个应用程序的可能影响是显著的。本提案中设想的技术创新将标志着现有的、普遍可用的、以两种方式提供学术竞争的基于网络的技术的根本进步。首先，它将允许学生识别学术能力相似的对手，然后安排双方方便的比赛，由存储在系统中的多项选择题和填空题推动，最终涵盖每个年级和课程的内容数据库。此外，它将使举办大规模的在线竞赛活动成为可能，届时可能有数百万学生同时登录，争夺任何特定学科的冠军头衔，首先是在全国范围内，最终是在全球范围内。展望未来，将特别强调移动优化，以预测此类设备的增长趋势，特别是考虑到学生使用所提议的功能将更多地发生在课堂之外的可能性。这个项目的最终目标是创造一个利用经典游戏机制来激励学生学习的平台。

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.