SBIR Phase I: Interactive Podcast Platform For Listening Comprehension

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目旨在通过创新的互动学习平台来提高听力理解技能，该平台符合听力理解的共同核心国家标准，并在基于游戏的学习中使用最佳实践。2017年，63%的美国四年级学生的阅读水平低于熟练程度。提高小学生的听力理解水平是影响其阅读理解能力的最大因素。共同核心国家标准现在包括从幼儿园开始的听力理解指导方针。然而，大多数听力活动涉及教师大声阅读，然后进行需要解码和编码的书面评估。叙事音频内容模拟流畅性和韵律，并帮助弥合单词识别和理解之间的差距，而不依赖于解码和编码文本。没有其他的听力平台专为小学，因此有一个巨大的机会，这个计划有显着的商业成功。该项目的长期目标是在孩子一生中最重要的时候提高听力技能。通过利用引人注目的音频内容，突出了科学，技术和创新的最新发现，该项目也符合美国国家科学基金会的“促进科学进步”的使命。该项目将采用创新的互动学习平台，将传统的游戏元素应用于听力理解，从而开创听力理解教学和评估方式的新局面活动（即词汇，流利性和理解）。更具体地说，每个音频故事将嵌入音频线索，导致音频/视觉理解问题，游戏和民意调查。该平台将包括账户管理、学生花名册、学生进度监控、管理仪表板和互动式教师指南，以便在课堂上使用音频。研究表明，基于游戏的学习和音频内容都能提高学生的学习动机，但没有研究同时使用基于游戏的学习和音频。为这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目进行的研究将使用定性设计，以最好地理解和描述课堂教师和学生如何使用和参与互动音频平台。目标是与教师进行访谈，并与学生进行可用性测试，以确保平台功能具有吸引力，可行性，易于集成，并展示预期教育成果的潜力。从第一阶段获得的经验教训将应用于第二阶段，届时将开发和商业化一个更强大的平台。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project intends to enhance listening comprehension skills via an innovative interactive learning platform that aligns with Common Core State Standards for listening comprehension and uses best practices in game-based learning. In 2017, 63% of U.S. 4th graders were reading below proficiency. Improving a students' level of listening comprehension in elementary school is the single greatest influence on his or her reading comprehension. Common Core State Standards now include guidelines for listening comprehension starting in kindergarten. However, most listening activities involve teachers reading aloud followed by written assessments that require decoding and encoding. Narrative audio content models fluency and prosody and helps bridge the gap between word recognition and comprehension without relying on decoding and encoding text. There are no other listening platforms designed for elementary schools and therefore there is a tremendous opportunity for this program to have significant commercial success. The project's long-range purpose is to improve listening skills at the time in a child's life when it matters the most. By utilizing compelling audio content that highlights the latest discoveries in science, technology and innovation, this project also meets the National Science Foundation's mission of 'promoting the progress of science'.This project will break new ground and modernize the way listening comprehension is taught and assessed with an innovative interactive learning platform that takes traditional elements of game play and applies them to listening comprehension activities (i.e. vocabulary, fluency and comprehension). More specifically, each audio story will have embedded audio cues that lead to audio/visual comprehension questions, games and polls. The platform will include account management, student rostering, student progress monitoring, administrative dashboards and interactive teacher guides for using audio in the classroom. Studies show that both game-based learning and audio content increase motivation in students, however no studies examine the use of both game-based learning and audio together. The research conducted for this Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will use a qualitative design to best understand and describe how classroom teachers and students use and engage with the interactive audio platform. The goal is to conduct interviews with teachers and usability testing with students to ensure that platform features are engaging, feasible, easily integrated and demonstrate potential for intended educational outcomes. Lessons learned from this Phase I award will be applied during Phase II, when a more robust platform will be developed and commercialized.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.