SBIR Phase I: Project Near-Earth Object

这项小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段的创新解决了许多小学教师在科学内容知识方面的不足。Project Near-Earth Object是一款基于游戏的专业发展产品，教师也可以将其作为自我评估工具来评估他们的科学内容知识。它使用快节奏迷你游戏形式的互动科学实验，以提高职前和在职小学教师教授科学主题的能力。研究表明，教师在内容领域的能力对小学生有很大的影响。对科学的兴趣和成功。这一创新不仅依赖于游戏，还依赖于一种叙事，即玩家被一个科学家联盟“招募”，以帮助地球为即将到来的小行星碰撞做准备；他们必须阻止一个决心摧毁地球反小行星防御的恶棍。在交互式科学实验中，教师：使用模拟来收集与问题相关的信息；测试假设以解决科学问题；以及使用社交网络进行协作。这项创新使用了计算机适应的差异化教学，这意味着每个迷你游戏有六个难度级别，计算机根据学习者的表现调整难度级别。其他功能包括脚手架教学、即时反馈、视频教程、移动访问和用于查看性能数据的后端管理仪表板。Project近地对象的更广泛/商业化影响在于其独特的设计和巨大但有针对性的利基市场。这种产品没有直接的竞争对手。近地天体项目是市场上唯一一款面向教师的科学学习游戏，可在网络和移动平台上使用，符合公认的国家标准，具有基于社区的社交组件，以及用于查看和跟踪成绩的易于使用的仪表板。美国大约有300万名教师和1200个教师教育项目，对小学教师的需求正在增长。研究表明，小学教师对科学的兴趣和学科知识水平较低。教师认识到，内容知识对于良好的教学至关重要。99%的小学教师表示，绩效评估应该包括学科知识。这款游戏可以很容易地集成到现有的教师培训课程中，也可以作为独立的专业开发产品提供。其可扩展的在线设计有利于通过多种渠道进行分销，并有利于具有竞争力的定价结构。近地天体项目可以显著影响教师对科学内容的理解，更重要的是，这将有助于改善对科学的态度，并最终有助于更好的教师在课堂上。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I innovation addresses deficiencies in science content knowledge exhibited by many elementary school teachers. Project Near-Earth Object is a game-based professional development product that teachers can also use as a self-assessment tool to evaluate their content knowledge in science. It uses interactive science experiments in the form of fast-paced mini-games to increase pre-service and in-service elementary teachers' ability to teach science topics. Research indicates that teacher competence in the content area greatly affects elementary students? interest in and success in science. The innovation relies not only on gaming, but also on a narrative in which players are "recruited" by a league of scientists to help Earth prepare for a pending asteroid collision; they must stop a villain determined to destroy the Earth's anti-asteroid defense. In the interactive science experiments, teachers: use simulations to gather information related to the problem; test hypotheses to solve to science problems; and collaborate using social networking. The innovation uses computer-adapted differentiated instruction, meaning that each mini-game has six levels of difficulty and the computer adapts difficulty levels according to the learner's performance. Other features include scaffolding of instruction, instant feedback, video tutorials, mobile access, and a backend administrative dashboard for viewing performance data.The broader/commercialization impact of Project Near-Earth Object lies in its unique design and large but targeted market niche. There is no direct competition for this product. Project Near-Earth Object is the only intervention on the market that is a science learning game for teachers, available on both Web and mobile platforms, aligned with recognized national standards, featuring a community-based social component, and an easy-to-use dashboard for viewing and tracking performance. There are approximately 3 million teachers and 1200 teacher education programs in the U.S., and demand for elementary teachers is growing. Research indicates that elementary teacher interest and subject matter knowledge in science is low. Teachers recognize that content knowledge is essential for good teaching. 99% of elementary teachers say that performance evaluations should include knowledge of subject matter. This game can be easily integrated into existing teacher training curricula or offered as a stand-alone professional development product. Its scalable online design is conducive to distribution through multiple channels and to competitive pricing structures. Project Near-Earth Object can significantly impact teacher understanding of science content and more importantly how to "do science," which will contribute to better attitudes about science and ultimately to better teachers in the classroom.