SBIR Phase I: Collaborative game approach to support classroom instruction of difficult-to-teach science concepts

这个SBIR第一阶段项目将使教师能够使用协作游戏方法呈现困难但学习必要的科学概念，这将显着提高学生的参与度和理解力。该项目将侧重于改进光合作用和细胞呼吸的教学，这些过程是多阶段的，基本上是不可见的，由一系列复杂和相互依存的相互作用组成，并且是科学标准所要求的。透过让教师和学生有信心学习复杂的科学科目，该计划旨在提高中学生对STEM的参与和兴趣，并帮助他们建立应对21世纪世纪挑战所需的核心科学知识和更高层次的思维技能。这项研究是基于有据可查的有效科学教学的教学方法，其中包括脚手架课程，形成性评估，动手项目为基础的挑战，并从协作解决问题产生的同伴学习。开发一种更具沉浸感和实用性的学习方法，支持NSF的使命，以促进特殊的科学教育，并将有助于吸引和准备更多的学生为STEM为基础的职业。这项工作填补了市场对教育技术工具的需求，使科学教师能够专注于他们真正的专业领域，教他们的学生。SBIR第一阶段项目提出利用触摸屏设备的全系列传感器和致动器，以设计一系列协调的物理相互作用，模拟基于化学的光合作用和细胞呼吸的生物过程。主要的创新是将这些复杂的生物过程-一些是连续的，另一些是并发的-转化为一个合作游戏，需要个人和小团体进行互动，以执行一系列直观，具体，协调和可重复的物理行为来解决科学挑战。由于涉及复杂的化学导向过程的概念更难教，往往会传播常见的误解，通常会抑制学生的兴趣，关键的研究目标是创建一个工作原型，支持教师，准确地传递科学知识，并积极吸引学生。该项目将确定合作游戏方法的有效性，使用来自一组高中生物教师的反馈。第二阶段将完善和扩大这一方法，并进行课堂效果测试和验证。其结果将是一个适应教育工作者的风格和课堂结构的教学工具，提供符合相关国家和国家标准的内容，并提供一种引人入胜的互动，促使学生掌握科学导向的内容。

This SBIR Phase I project will enable teachers to present difficult, but necessary to learn, science concepts using a collaborative game approach that will significantly increase student engagement and understanding. The project will focus on improving the instruction of photosynthesis and cell respiration, processes which are multi-phasic, largely invisible, comprised of a complex and interdependent set of interactions, and required by science standards. By giving teachers and learners the confidence to undertake complicated science subjects, the project aims to increase secondary student involvement and interest in STEM, and help build the core scientific knowledge and higher order thinking skills they will need to address the challenges of the 21st Century. The research is based on well-documented pedagogical approaches to effective science instruction, which include scaffolded curricula, formative assessments, hands-on project-based challenges, and peer learning which arises from collaborative problem solving. Developing a more immersive and practicable learning method upholds the NSF's mission to promote exceptional science education and will help attract and prepare more students for STEM-based careers. This work fills a market need for educational technology tools that allow science teachers to focus on their true area of expertise, teaching their students.This SBIR Phase I project proposes to utilize the full range of sensors and actuators of touch-screen devices in order to design a sequence of coordinated physical interactions that model the chemical-based biological processes of photosynthesis and cell respiration. The primary innovation is translating these complicated biological processes - some sequential, others concurrent - into a collaborative game that requires individuals and small groups to interact to perform a series of intuitive, concrete, coordinated, and repeatable physical actions to solve scientific challenges. Since concepts involving complex chemically-oriented processes are more difficult to teach, often promulgate common misconceptions, and typically dampen student interest, the key research goal is to create a working prototype that supports teachers, accurately transmits scientific knowledge, and actively engages students. The project will determine the effectiveness of the collaborative game approach using feedback from a cohort of high school biology teachers. Phase II will refine and expand the approach and conduct classroom efficacy testing and validation. The result will be an instructional tool that adapts to the educator's style and classroom structure, provides content that meets relevant state and national standards, and delivers the kind of engaging interaction that propels students to master science-oriented content.