Adapting Mathematical Pen-Computing for Classroom Use on Interactive Whiteboards

描述(由申请者提供)：该项目的目标是通过将FluidMath应用于交互式白板(IWB)来改进数学和科学教育，FluidMath是我们新的数学草图概念的体现。使用FluidMath，学生和教师可以自然地通过IWB屏幕上的触笔使用自己的手写输入符号数学表达式和支持图。通过自动识别这些手写符号并推断相关关联，FluidMath使用户符号成为交互动画、虚拟操作和动态图形。在展示早期原型时，一组试点教师一致宣称，FluidMath可以改变数学在课堂上的呈现方式，并可能在吸引学生注意力和加深学生理解方面发挥关键作用。特别是，他们观察到，FluidMath提供了快速有效地探索2D和3D函数的潜力，学生们经常难以掌握这些函数，而他们认为现有技术无法实现这些函数。作为NSF STTR项目的一部分，FluidMath的底层识别技术的可行性已经成功地用于平板电脑。由于Tablet PC屏幕和IWB屏幕之间的传感和显示技术不同，因此必须为当前版本的FluidMath开发软件扩展，以便为IWB提供与为Tablet PC提供的相同功能。第一阶段SBIR提案的研究挑战是开发所需的软件扩展，构建包括这些扩展的原型，并不仅在实验室中测试原型，还在与教师一起进行的试点研究中评估其在课堂环境中的功能和影响。在第二阶段，我们将利用第一阶段的发现，为IWB建立一个强大的商业版本的FluidMath(FMWB)，适合广泛销售和用作教学干预。此外，在第二阶段，我们将进行深入研究，以便将FMWB适当地融入数学和科学课程。公共卫生相关性：该项目进行的研究将有助于为数学教育开发有效的教学技术，并将为改善学习过程提供基础，最终不仅有利于那些有数学天赋的人，也有利于那些努力理解数学基本原理的人。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this project is to improve math and science education by adapting FluidMath, an embodiment of our novel concept of mathematical sketching, for use on Interactive Whiteboards (IWBs). Using FluidMath, students and teachers can naturally enter symbolic mathematics expressions and supporting diagrams by employing their own handwriting via a stylus on the screen of the IWB. By automatically recognizing these handwritten notations and inferring relevant associations, FluidMath makes user notations come alive as interactive animations, virtual manipulatives, and dynamic graphs. When presented with early prototypes, a pilot group of teachers uniformly professed to a vision that FluidMath could transform the way mathematics is presented in their classrooms, and could be pivotal in both engaging student attention and deepening student comprehension. In particular, they observed that FluidMath offered a potential for rapidly and effectively exploring 2D and 3D functions, which students often have difficulty grasping, that they did not feel was attainable with existing technologies. The feasibility of FluidMath's underlying recognition technology has been successfully demonstrated for use on Tablet PCs as part of an NSF STTR project. Since sensing and display technologies differ between Tablet PC screens and IWB screens, software extensions will have to be developed for the current version of FluidMath in order for it to provide the same functionality for an IWB as it provides for a Tablet PC. The research challenge of this Phase I SBIR proposal is to develop the required software extensions, build a prototype including these extensions, and test the prototype not only in the lab but also in pilot studies conducted with teachers evaluating its functionality and impact in classroom environments. In Phase II, we will utilize the findings of Phase I to build a robust commercial version of FluidMath for IWBs (FMWB) suitable for widespread sale and use as a teaching intervention. Furthermore, in Phase II, we will perform in-depth studies in order to properly integrate FMWB into math and science curricula. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The research conducted in this project will help to develop effective instructional technologies for mathematics education and will provide a foundation for improving the learning process ultimately benefiting not only those who have an aptitude for math but also for those who struggle to understand its basic principles.