SBIR Phase I: The Curio Classroom: A Software Toolkit to Spark Engagement in STEM Through Hand-drawn Art and Tangible User Interfaces

SBIR第一阶段项目提出创建一个独特的，以艺术为中心的电子学习平台，旨在激发年轻学习者对科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）的兴趣。这个可扩展的软件平台实现了一个新的电子学习类别，该类别基于教育心理学和技术的大量研究，倡导使用艺术和引导游戏来教授STEM。本项目将检验一个假设，即基于科学插图的电子学习系统激发了年轻学生的参与并提高了他们的学习能力。随着学生越来越多地脱离STEM，为教师提供更多将学生与STEM联系起来的工具至关重要。STEM相关领域将在未来几十年内推动我们经济的创新;开辟新的途径以广泛扩大STEM的参与对我们的经济未来至关重要。该项目还建议通过该平台创建一个支持STEM教育的在线社区和市场。这将连接教师与教师，分享使用艺术教授科学的最佳实践，并对STEM的教学方式产生深远而广泛的影响。这个电子学习平台以科学插图为基础，结合一套模仿科学仪器的有形用户界面（TUI）设备，将学生手绘艺术带入生活，创建与下一代科学标准相关的互动课程。由于这个系统将是可扩展和可定制的，研发工作的主要部分将是创建一个易于使用的模板工具包，任何教师都可以利用它来开发STEM中的自定义课程。第一阶段的目标将是创建一个功能齐全的产品，并在小学课堂上评估该系统。该工具包将与Curio Interactive合作开发。的教育合作伙伴，以及太平洋科学中心，其中Curio互动是一个启动在驻地，以快速开发这个系统，不断迭代的软件与真实的测试，以下敏捷开发方法。其中一个项目？的目标是吸引历史上在STEM中代表性不足的群体。由于这个平台将是视觉和动态的，高度负担得起的，并通过网络普遍可用，拟议的平台将提高学习科学的公平性和可访问性。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

This SBIR Phase I project proposes the creation of a unique, art-centric e-learning platform aimed at sparking the interest of young learners in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). This extensible software platform implements a new category of e-learning based on the ample body of research in educational psychology and technology that advocates the use of art and guided play to teach STEM. This project will test the hypothesis that an e-learning system based on scientific illustration sparks engagement and enhances learning in young students. With students disengaging from STEM at an increasing rate, it is critical to make more tools available to teachers that connect student with STEM. STEM-related fields will drive innovation in our economy for decades to come; opening new pathways to vastly broaden participation in STEM is critical to our economic future. This project also proposes the creation of an online community and marketplace supporting STEM education through this platform. This will connect teacher-to-teacher for sharing best practices in teaching science using art and can make a deep and broad impact on the way STEM is taught.Built on scientific illustration and coupled with a set of tangible user interface (TUI) devices that mimic scientific instruments, this e-learning platform brings student hand-drawn art to life, creating interactive lessons that correlate to Next Generation Science Standards. As this system will be extensible and customizable, a major part of the R&D effort will be to create an easy-to-use templating toolkit that any teacher can leverage to develop custom lessons in STEM. The Phase I goal will be to create a fully functioning product and assess this system in elementary school classrooms. This toolkit will be developed in collaboration with Curio Interactive?s educational partners, as well as the Pacific Science Center, where Curio Interactive is a startup in residence, to rapidly develop this system, continuously iterating the software with real testers, following agile development methods. One of this project?s objectives is to appeal to groups historically underrepresented in STEM. Because this platform will be visual and kinetic, highly affordable, and universally available via the web, the proposed platform will improve the equity and accessibility of learning science.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.