SBIR Phase I: Use of Multimodal Interactive Storytelling to Create Interest in STEM in Prekindergarten and Kindergarten Children

这个SBIR第一阶段项目旨在在年轻时产生对科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）的基本兴趣。 根据2007年国际数学和科学趋势研究（TIMSS），美国四年级学生在36个国家中数学排名第十一，科学排名第七。 STEM兴趣的持续下降导致STEM学位的授予减少。 根据2008年国家数学和科学计划，美国4%的学士学位授予工程，而中国为31%。职业发展的基本性质发生了变化，对技术技能的要求越来越高，这使问题更加严重。 该项目旨在让儿童在更小的年龄参与，并建立对STEM教育的兴趣基础。 这种参与加强了国家科学基金会的基本使命的教育，为所有领域的科学和工程。 在微观层面上，该项目旨在通过创建应用程序和内容在美国创造软件和创意开发工作。 SBIR第一期项目旨在测试多模态讲故事玩具和软件应用程序的可行性，并将其商业化，以培养年轻人对科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）的基本兴趣和增强学习能力。 尽管市场上有许多针对老年儿童的玩具和教育产品，但专门针对幼儿STEM教育的教育玩具仍然存在空白。 该项目将涉及开发一个课程沿着原型应用程序，以促进在课堂环境中尽早采用STEM教育。该应用程序将具有学术健全的故事为中心的科学概念特色的儿童沿着与同伴字符作为他们的指导，通过故事。玩具角色和故事个性化旨在在儿童和故事中的STEM概念之间建立情感联系。除了故事本身，互动元素将促进STEM概念的重复使用和保留。第一阶段活动的目的是证明该平台可以增强现有的STEM课程，并在幼儿园前和幼儿园课堂环境中产生对基本科学和工程概念的兴趣。

This SBIR Phase I Project seeks to generate fundamental interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) at a young age. According to the 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), U.S. fourth grade students ranked eleventh in math and seventh in science out of 36 countries. A continued decrease in STEM interest is leading to a decrease in the awarding of STEM degrees. According to the 2008 National Math and Science Initiative, in 4% of US bachelor's degrees were awarded in engineering compared to 31% in China. Exacerbating the problem is a change in the fundamental nature of career development toward more technical skills requirements. This project aims to engage children at a younger age and create a foundation of interest in STEM education. This engagement reinforces the National Science Foundation's fundamental mission of education for all fields of science and engineering. On the micro level, the project aims to create software and creative development jobs in the US through the creation of the application and content. The project also aims to create a new generation of engaged young people with enthusiasm to pursue careers in STEM-related fields, thereby creating a more technical and science-minded workforce.This SBIR Phase I Project seeks to test the feasibility and commercialize a multimodal storytelling toy and software application to generate fundamental interest and augment learning in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) at a young age. Although there are a number of toys and educational products on the market targeted toward children at an older age, a void exists for educational toys that provide a dedicated focus on STEM education for younger children. This project will involve the development of a curriculum along with a prototype application to promote early adoption of STEM education in a classroom environment. The application will feature academically sound stories centered on scientific concepts featuring the child along with a companion character to act as their guide through the stories. The toy character and story personalization aim to create an emotional connection between the child and the STEM concepts in the stories. In addition to the story itself, interactive elements will promote repeat use and retention of STEM concepts. The objective of this Phase I activity is to demonstrate that the platform can augment existing STEM curriculum and generate interest in basic science and engineering concepts in the prekindergarten and kindergarten classroom environment.