Developing a Digital Sketching Application That Delivers Personalized Feedback to Improve Student Learning and Engagement in Micropaleontology

该项目旨在通过改善本科地球科学教育来服务于国家利益。 它侧重于微体古生物学，即研究岩石、沙子和其他地质样本中的微观化石。 关于样品中微体化石的类型和数量的信息对于了解地球的历史是有用的。 它还应用于石油，工程，采矿和其他行业。 该项目将开发新的教学材料和互动软件应用程序，以帮助学生学习如何识别微体化石。这款名为FossilSketch的应用程序将帮助学生在触摸屏设备上绘制微体化石的精确数字草图。 一旦学生使用FossilSketch绘制了微体化石的初步草图，该软件将使用人工智能算法对草图提供自动化的即时反馈。通过努力提高他们的草图的准确性，学生将发展的知识和观察技能，需要在真实的样本中识别微体化石。 这种掌握不仅有助于学生学习微体古生物学，而且还提高了他们在本科研究项目中使用微体古生物学的能力。因此，该项目有可能在不增加教师工作量的情况下加强地球科学教育。 此外，通过支持学生的成功，它还可以扩大学生在地球科学专业和职业的参与。FossilSketch将是微体古生物学的第一个教学工具，将笔和触摸技术与草图识别原理相结合，以培养本科生。 应用程序将侧重于有孔虫和介形虫，这两个分类群体在地质和环境研究中最活跃。本计画旨在探讨此以素描辨识为基础的教学系统对学生微古生物学概念理解与记忆的影响。它还将衡量该系统对学生对地球科学的兴趣和自我效能的影响。FossilSketch系统将基于网络，独立于平台，因此它可以在所有设备上工作，并可供广大受众使用。将开发新颖的微体化石特定草图识别算法，以适应微体化石的独特形态多样性，支持提高草图识别的准确性和速度，并为学生和教师提供改进的反馈机制。FossilSketch的课堂使用将在德克萨斯A M大学的几门地球科学课程中进行评估。项目成果和FossilSketch软件将通过项目网站、专业开发研讨会和出版物分享。 该项目由NSF改善本科STEM教育计划：教育和人力资源计划支持，该计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。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 project aims to serve the national interest by improving undergraduate geoscience education. It focuses on micropaleontology, which is the study of microscopic fossils in rocks, sand, and other geological samples. Information about the type and number of microfossils in a sample is useful for understanding the history of the earth. It also has applications in oil, engineering, mining, and other industries. This project will develop new teaching materials and an interactive software application to help students to learn how to identify microfossils. This application, called FossilSketch, will help students make accurate digital sketches of microfossils on touch-screen devices. Once a student has made an initial sketch of a microfossil using FossilSketch, the software will use an artificial intelligence algorithm to provide automated, instantaneous feedback on the sketch. By working to improve the accuracy of their sketches, students will develop the knowledge and observational skills needed to identify microfossils in real samples. This mastery will not only help students learn micropaleontology, but also enhance their ability to use micropaleontology in undergraduate research projects. Thus, the project has the potential to enhance geosciences education without increasing faculty workload. In addition, by supporting student success, it can also broaden participation of students in geosciences majors and careers.FossilSketch will be the first teaching tool in micropaleontology that combines pen-and-touch technology with principles of sketch recognition to train undergraduate students. The application will focus on Foraminifera and Ostracoda, the two taxonomic groups most actively used in geological and environmental studies. This project aims to examine the impact of this sketch-recognition based tutoring system on students' comprehension and retention of micropaleontological concepts. It will also measure the impact of the system on students' interest and self-efficacy in geosciences. The FossilSketch system will be web-based and platform independent, so that it can work on all devices and be accessible to a wide audience. Novel, microfossil-specific sketch recognition algorithms will be developed to accommodate the distinct morphological diversity of microfossils, support increased sketch-recognition accuracy and speed, and provide improved feedback mechanisms for students and instructors. The classroom use of FossilSketch will be assessed in several geoscience courses at Texas A&M University. Project outcomes and the FossilSketch software will be shared through the project website, professional development workshops, and publications. This project is supported by the NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education Program: Education and Human Resources Program, which supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.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.