SBIR Phase II: Intelligent Language Learning Environment

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目的更广泛影响和商业潜力将创造一个基于学习科学的新型语言学习平台，使语言学习更容易获得和包容，建立国内外的人际联系，利用人工智能（AI）学习解决方案更符合教育机构的需求。并举例说明去中心化社交媒体通过语言学习实现社会联系的潜力。该项目引入了一种独特的方法，让学生“在给朋友发短信的同时学习一门语言”，利用人工智能的创新来创造可扩展、有趣和社交的语言学习体验。该项目的竞争优势在于其专有的人工智能算法的新颖应用，该算法促进了社会学习，并旨在连接教育者和学生的广泛网络。旨在解决全球12亿美元的语言学习者市场，到商业化的第三年，年收入估计为250万美元。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目提出了一个智能语言学习环境，在点对点即时通讯对话的背景下促进“边做边学”。该项目将人类和人工智能（AI）结合起来，在促进学习和支持教育实践的同时，立即增强学生的沟通能力。技术目标由即时通讯平台和人工智能工具的隐私和安全、学生参与度、教育效率以及扩展到其他语言的产品目标组织和评估。该产品将被验证为私有的、安全的，并与大学市场保持一致。与直接竞争对手相比，该产品每学期将吸引学生进行20倍以上的对话练习。功效研究将展示在发展语言能力的关键指标上的收益。这些目标的实现将使该产品以清晰客观的核心价值主张为依据，满足美国大学语言教育者的需求。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will create a novel language learning platform grounded in learning science to make language learning more accessible and inclusive, build human connections at home and abroad, utilize artificial intelligent (AI) learning solutions into stronger alignment to the needs of educational institutions, and exemplify the potential of decentralized social media for social connectedness through language learning. The project introduces a unique approach where students ‘learn a language while texting their friends,’ leveraging innovations in AI to create scalable, playful, and social language learning experiences. The project's competitive edge lies in its novel application of proprietary artificial intelligence algorithms which promote social learning and the expansive network of educators and students it aims to connect. Engineered to address the $1.2B global language learner market, by year three of commercialization, annual revenues are estimated at $2.5M. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project proposes an intelligent language learning environment which facilitates “learning by doing” within the context of peer-to-peer instant messaging conversation. The project integrates human and artificial intelligence (AI) to immediately augment student communicative abilities while fostering learning and supporting educator practices. Technical objectives are organized by and assessed according to the product goals of privacy and security of the instant messaging platform and AI tools, student engagement, educational efficacy, and scaling to additional languages. The product will be verified private, secure and aligned for the university market. The product will engage students in 20x more conversation practice per semester than direct competitors. Efficacy studies will demonstrate gains across key metrics for developing language proficiency. Achievement of these goals will position the product to address the needs of US university language educators with clear and objective evidence of core value propositions.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.