SBIR Phase I: Game-enhanced Interactive Physical Science

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将通过一个物理科学游戏来提高历史上成绩不佳的中学生的学习效果，该游戏与基于标准的印刷课程相一致，并利用通用学习设计（UDL）框架的原则。1100万名学生，包括那些有阅读缺陷、残疾和英语学习者的学生，正在努力朝着国家科学标准取得足够的进步。最新的国家教育进展评估报告显示，73%的八年级残疾学生和85%的英语学习者在？以下基本吗?科学水平，相比之下38%的同龄人。传统的课程材料主要以文本为基础；它建立在复杂的词汇和抽象的理论概念上，有特殊需要的学生在很大程度上无法理解。游戏增强互动物理科学（GIPS）解决了这个问题。这个项目吗?S的长期目标是开发新一代创新的、以研究为基础的视频游戏，专门用于提高学生对传统印刷教材的科学学习和评估结果。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发创新的学习技术，以满足大量服务不足和弱势美国学生日益增长的需求。该项目通过认识和解决对战略定位和基于研究的电脑游戏的需求来实现这一目标，这些游戏也是可访问的、可用的、负担得起的、吸引人的和有效的。教育类电子游戏市场尚处于起步阶段，代表着高风险、高回报的机遇。2290万家长和教师的潜在市场是巨大的，但由于技术要求高，学习效果肤浅，或两者兼而有之，现有的少数商业游戏大多失败了。相比之下，GIPS将易于获取、使用简单且具有成本效益。它的技术要求很低，可以通过网络浏览器在线玩，这使得它非常适合在全国各地的公立学校和家庭使用。GIPS将首先设计为教授反映关键科学概念的具体学习目标。通过瞄准中学，GIPS将吸引学生在他们通常退出科学的时候。最终，GIPS是创建完整的中学科学游戏系列的第一步，这些游戏直接与国家科学基准保持一致。从第一阶段获得的经验教训将应用于第二阶段，届时将开发为期一年的物理课程并将其商业化。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will enhance learning gains among historically underachieving middle school students via a Physical Science game that aligns with a standards-based print curriculum and utilizes principles from the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. Eleven million students, including those with reading deficiencies, disabilities, and English Language Learners, are struggling to make adequate progress toward national science standards. The latest National Assessment of Educational Progress report indicated that 73% of eighth grade students with disabilities and 85% of English language learners performed at the ?below basic? level in science, compared to 38% of their peers. Traditional curricular materials are largely text-based; built on complex vocabulary and abstract theoretical concepts that are largely inaccessible to students with special needs. Game-enhanced Interactive Physical Science (GIPS) addresses this problem. The project?s long-range purpose is to develop a new generation of innovative, research-based video games that are specifically designed to enhance science learning and assessment outcomes among students who struggle with traditional print curricular materials.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to develop innovative learning technology that responds to the growing needs of a large community of underserved and disadvantaged American students. The project does this by recognizing and addressing the need for strategically-placed and research-based computer games that are also accessible, usable, affordable, engaging, and effective. The educational video game market is in its infancy, and represents a high-risk, high-reward opportunity. The potential market of 22.9 million parents and teachers is significant, but the small number of existing commercial games have largely failed due to high technical requirements, superficial learning outcomes, or both. In contrast, GIPS will be easy to access, simple to use, and cost-effective. It will have low technical requirements and be playable online via a web browser, making it ideal for use in public schools and homes across the country. GIPS will be designed first and foremost to teach specific learning objectives that reflect critical science concepts. By targeting middle school, GIPS will engage students at a time when they typically withdraw in science. Ultimately, GIPS is the first step toward the creation of a complete line of middle school science games that directly align with national science benchmarks. Lessons learned from this Phase I award will be applied during Phase II, when a yearlong physics curriculum will be developed and commercialized.