SBIR Phase I: A STEM curriculum platform using augmented reality for real-time collaboration and problem solving

该SBIR第一阶段项目开发了一个协作式增强现实(AR)学习平台，通过早期、动手设计科学系统来构建下一代科学标准所针对的知识和技能。故障排除-诊断、解释和修复错误-是设计过程中经常从教育活动中缺失的一个元素，因为它很难在大群学生中执行，但AR可以优雅地解决问题。此外，专家讲师和同行不需要在同一个房间内协作解决以交互式三维系统模型呈现的问题。协作式AR只需要普通设备，将大大提高人们在正式和非正式以及课堂和家庭学习环境中获得实质性和有吸引力的科学、工程、技术和数学(STEM)的能力和机会。在没有昂贵设备、危险材料或训练有素的辅导员的障碍下，教育AR有望大幅增长，到2020年全球AR估计将达到120亿美元。更早和更有效的STEM教育提供基础知识，激励未来的科学家和工程师渴望并为前沿发现和创新做出贡献。在最高层面，这项工作将通过增加合作、精通STEM、批判性思想家的供应而造福社会，这些人准备在未来的劳动力中蓬勃发展。协作增强现实必须跨越图像识别、整合和教学方面的技术障碍，才能在基础教育中获得认可。现有AR技术的能力在使用普通设备实时识别三维空间所需的功能方面存在缺陷，包括相机、图像投影和处理方面的问题。新的方法需要技术创新，以确定目标并将其置于统一的学习环境中。在多用户环境中实施实时协作的额外挑战需要围绕各种设备的无缝集成进行技术创新，以及从学生和教师的角度开发和测试直观的用户界面。这些问题包括如何衡量行为，如何处理相互冲突的行为，以及如何给予、接收和回应教师的动态反馈。在实施技术工具时，不能忽视了解、衡量和报告在不同学习环境中激励和发展不同学习者方面的教育优势和不足。必须进行有意义的教学创新，以有效地利用AR的新力量，同时又不忽视对学生或他们的教育结果的意外影响。这些规范需要新颖的课程设计，既要通过日益复杂的问题实现跨学科的理解，又要实现教育AR承诺的全面影响。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This SBIR Phase I project develops a collaborative augmented reality (AR) learning platform to build knowledge and skills targeted by Next Generation Science Standards through early, hands-on design of scientific systems. Troubleshooting - diagnosing, explaining and fixing errors - is an element of the design process often missing from educational activities as it is difficult to execute with large groups of students, but AR can address elegantly. Furthermore, expert instructors and peers need not be in the same room to collaboratively solve problems presented as interactive three-dimensional system models. Collaborative AR, requiring only common devices, will substantially increase affordability and access to substantive and engaging science, engineering, technology and math (STEM) within formal and informal, as well as classroom and home learning environments. Without the barriers of expensive equipment, dangerous materials or trained facilitators, educational AR is poised for dramatic growth, commanding an estimated $12B globally by 2020. Earlier and more effective STEM education provides fundamental knowledge to motivate the scientists and engineers of tomorrow to aspire and contribute to leading-edge discoveries and innovations. At the highest level, this work will benefit society by increasing the supply of collaborative, STEM-proficient, critical thinkers who are poised to prosper in the workforce of the future. Collaborative AR must surmount technical hurdles in image recognition, integration and pedagogy to achieve acceptance in elementary education. Capabilities of existing AR technologies suffer shortcomings in the functionality required for real-time recognition of three-dimensional space with common devices, including issues with the camera, image projection, and processing. Technical innovations are required for new methods to identify and place targets within the uniformity of learning environments. The additional challenge of implementing live collaboration in a multi-user setting requires technical innovations around the seamless integration of various devices as well as the development and testing of intuitive user interfaces from both student and instructor perspectives. These include how to measure behaviors, handle conflicting actions, and how to give, receive and respond to the dynamic instructor feedback. Understanding, measuring and reporting the educational advantages and shortcomings in motivating and developing diverse learners in distinct learning environments cannot be overlooked in implementing technology tools. Meaningful pedagogical innovations must occur to effectively leverage the new power of AR without overlooking unintended impacts on students or their educational outcomes. These specifications require novel curriculum design both to achieve the cross-disciplinary understanding through increasingly complex problems and to deliver the full impact promised by educational AR.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.