SBIR Phase II: Game-Based Learning for Organic Chemistry Using Mechanisms

这个小企业创新研究第二阶段项目响应了理科生超越记忆事实的号召，在更深层次上理解概念层面的内容。在化学中，这一目标尤其难以实现，因为基本概念描述的是学生无法直接观察到的粒子行为。大学教师也面临着更大的压力，他们需要改变教学方法，以确保学生的保留和成功。在有机化学学科领域，这种转变更为重要，因为这门课的不及格率相对较高，尤其是对少数族裔和第一代学生来说。这个项目中的移动学习工具和数据收集平台将有助于解决这两个问题，通过一种创新的直观学习和评估方法，帮助基于游戏的移动应用程序使分子和反应变得生动。所有年龄段的学生都可以玩这些游戏应用程序，所以有机化学的概念，以及其他科学课程，早在中学就变得熟悉和容易上手。更广泛的愿景是为学生打开进入STEM职业的渠道，这在过去是很难达到的。该项目通过构建基于机制的移动游戏学习工具，使有机化学的学生能够接触到理论，这是一个用于教学课程的关键潜在概念。该项目将制作游戏应用程序的机制套件，并为学习化学带来直观的触觉界面。本阶段项目的研发将从第一阶段的用户交互模型扩展到面向学生的多个内容模块。来自移动学习工具的数据将与机器学习技术合成，以创建一种自适应方法，以确保应用程序为学生学习者提供适当水平的挑战。随着游戏模块的开发和发布，临床和纵向疗效研究将成为研究工作的一部分。数据平台将进行优化，与多个学习管理系统集成，并易于扩展到有机化学以外的学科。该平台的仪表板将允许教师和学生访问数据，并告知学习过程，以实现更好的理解和成功的课程。商业化将通过直接面向学生的下载、机构对数据平台的订阅以及将技术授权给课件提供商来实现。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project answers the call that science students go beyond memorizing facts to understand content on a deeper, conceptual level. In chemistry, this goal is particularly difficult to achieve because the underlying concepts describe the behaviors of particles that are not directly observable to students. College instructors are also under added pressure to transform their teaching methods to help ensure student retention and success. In the subject area of organic chemistry, this transformation is even more important, due to the relatively high fail-rate in the course, especially for under-represented minorities and first generation students. The mobile learning tools and data collection platform in this project would help to solve both of these issues with an innovative method for intuitive learning and assessment which helps to make molecules and reactions come alive with game-based mobile applications. The game apps are playable by students of all ages, so the concepts of organic chemistry, as well as other science courses, become familiar and accessible as early as middle school. The broader vision is to open the pipeline for students to progress into STEM careers which have been difficult to reach in the past.This project makes the theoretical touchable for organic chemistry students by building mobile game-based learning tools based on mechanisms, a key underlying concept used to teaching the course. This project will produce the Mechanisms suite of game apps, and bring an intuitive, tactile interface to learning chemistry. The research and development of this phase of the project will expand the user interaction model from Phase I to multiple modules of content for students. The data from the mobile learning tools will be synthesized with machine learning techniques to create an adaptive method to ensure the applications provide the appropriate level of challenge to the student learner. Clinical and longitudinal efficacy studies will be part of the research effort as the game modules are developed and released. The data platform will be optimized to integrate with multiple learning management systems and to be readily expandable to subjects beyond organic chemistry. The dashboard of the platform will allow both instructors and students to access the data and inform learning processes to achieve greater comprehension and success in the course. Commercialization will be achieved through direct-to-student downloads, subscriptions of the data platform by institutions, and licensing the technology to courseware providers.