I-Corps: Acoustical and Electronic Musical Instruments and Educational Materials

这个I-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是探索教育创新的商业潜力，通过一套定制乐器的构建、分析和表演，可以在正式和非正式的环境中改变科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）和艺术教育的各个方面。通过将严格的STEM学习与音乐概念结合起来，这项技术可以吸引不同群体的学生参与STEM，否则他们可能不会表达出兴趣。这项技术可能以多种方式商业化，从家庭市场的工具包到学校项目的完整课程。该技术的商业化对于改善这些重要STEM领域的教育成果具有巨大的潜力。这个I-Corps项目建立在定制声学和电子乐器的技术基础上，最初是为一个教育项目而开发的，已经有10个州的学校、博物馆和表演艺术中心的2000多人参加了这个项目。这项工作的智力价值源于音乐内容与国家K-12数学，科学和工程标准之间的紧密耦合。一项针对三年级学生的为期6周的课后试点项目利用该技术将音乐与分数、几何、声音物理、工程材料和工程设计联系起来，这些都是该年级教育标准中的主题。为较高年级水平的原型仪器说明代数，微积分预科，电子学和计算机编程的概念。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to explore the commercial potential of an educational innovation that can transform aspects of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and arts education in both formal and informal settings through the construction, analysis, and performance upon a set of custom musical instruments. By coupling rigorous STEM learning with musical concepts, the technology can engage a diverse group of students in STEM who may otherwise not express an interest. The technology may be commercialized in a variety of ways, ranging from kits for the home market to complete curricula for school programs. Commercialization of the technology has significant potential to improve educational outcomes in these important STEM areas.This I-Corps project builds upon a technology base of custom acoustical and electronic musical instruments that was initially developed for an educational program that has been attended by over 2,000 people in 10 states at schools, museums, and performing arts centers. The intellectual merit of the work derives from the close coupling between musical content and state K-12 standards in mathematics, science, and engineering. A pilot 6-week after school program for third grade students used the technology to draw connections between music and fractions, geometry, the physics of sound, engineering materials, and engineering design, which are all topics in the educational standards for that grade level. Prototype instruments for higher grade levels illustrate concepts in algebra, pre-calculus, electronics, and computer programming.