I-Corps L: nScope- a Lab for Every Laptop

西北大学（NU）的I-Corps L项目将专注于扩大和维持教育创新nScope，这是国家科学基金会资助的IUSE: EHR项目中“参与学生学习”轨道下的核心项目之一。nScope系统是一种usb供电设备，可插入电子原型设计面包板。nScope配备了示波器、电源、两个函数发生器和两个脉冲发生器。硬件配有图形界面和开放的应用程序接口（API），用于从任何平台（PC、Mac和树莓派）进行自定义控制。当前的版本对初学者来说既简单又安全，但对专家来说却足够强大。nScope的多功能性使其成为所有类型STEM学习者的有力教育工具。这个I-Corps for Learning项目将研究如何增加这个创新项目的影响，以便更多的STEM学生可以从nScope的能力中受益。可能探索的途径包括与大学、社区学院和工程执照委员会建立伙伴关系和合作。教程或模块将根据用户需求进行定制。创新的规模将研究维持项目的手段，包括潜在的商业渠道。研究表明，以学习者为中心、以知识为中心、以评估为中心和以社区为中心的课程可以促进学生的学习。教育创新能否体现有效学习的原则，取决于硬件改进、教程开发、学习模块定制、用户与产品的交互方式等方面。在课堂之外更广泛的采用，终端用户更加多样化，这提供了一个机会，在评估教育创新和设计考虑这些因素的材料时考虑更多的人口因素。nScope的可定制功能和低成本有可能使某些类型的STEM教学对各种学生更具互动性和有效性。该项目将有助于推进有关如何支持跨不同课程、多个工程学科和一系列机构文化成功适应体验模块的知识。

This I-Corps L project from Northwestern University (NU) will focus on scaling and sustaining of an educational innovation, nScope, one of the centerpieces in the parent NSF project funded under the "Engaged Student Learning" track in the IUSE: EHR program. The nScope system is a USB-powered device that plugs into an electronics prototyping breadboard. The nScope is equipped with an oscilloscope, power supply, two function generators and two pulse generators. The hardware is accompanied by a graphical interface and an open application program interface (API) for custom control from any platform - PC, Mac, and Raspberry Pi. The current version is easy and safe for beginners, yet powerful enough for experts. The versatility makes nScope a potent educational tool for all types of STEM learners. This I-Corps for Learning project will investigate ways to increase the impact of this innovative project so that more STEM students can benefit from the capabilities of nScope. Possible paths to be explored include partnerships and collaborations with universities, community colleges, and engineering licensure boards. Tutorials or modules will be tailored to the user needs. The scaling of the innovation will investigate means of sustaining the project including potential commercial outlets. Research has established that the learner-centered, knowledge-centered, assessment-centered, and community-centered aspects of a course enhance student learning. Aspects of hardware improvement, tutorial development, learning module customization, and the way that the users interact with the products play roles in whether the education innovation embodies principles of effective learning. Broader adoption outside the classroom where end users are much more diverse provides an opportunity to consider more demographic factors in assessing the education innovation and in designing materials that take those factors into account. The customizable features and low cost of nScope have the potential to make some types of STEM instruction more interactive and effective for a variety of students. The project will help advance knowledge regarding how to support successful adaptation of experiential modules across different curricula, multiple engineering disciplines, and a range of institutional cultures.