SBIR-STTR Award

A tool that makes appropriate use of interactive video technology to teach science to K- 12 students is being designed. The software design links important aspects of science learning, analysis of events which can be presented in video or other media, to other important cognitive activities-writing and calculation. By linking science to visual events and to other nonscience curriculum skills, the software design addresses-the learning styles of a variety of students. Researchers are creating a tool which enables students to review, analyze, and evaluate information presented in different media formats. The software program is an analysis tool which can be used by elementary or secondary teachers as a presentation tool. It links video events with a word processing program that provides outline and writing capability. Students are able to add their own video events for analysis and compare their results with the comments and findings of scientific experts. The software has the potential to enable students to search for evidence, sharpen analytical skills, consult with national experts, and use strengths in writing and creative expression as motivation in science. Special attention is being paid to female and minority students in its creation.The potential commercial application as described by the awardee: Research will result in the provision of a set of video interactive software for use in science education to be sold to elementary and secondary schools nationally.

Computer technology can increase student interest in science topics by allowing students to become more involved in the analytic process of problem solving and, at the same time, freeing them from getting mired in highly technical procedures and repetitive mathematical computations. Yet despite the advantages of new technologies, including interactive software, teachers have found it difficult to integrate existing products into their teaching plans. Results of the Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) study establish the technical basis for the creation of a new software tool Science Analysis Multimedia ( SAM) to facilitate turning the promise of computer technology in K-12 science instruction into reality. SAM will consist of a shell (video playback and analysis capabilities as well as features for data gathering, computation, and presentation) and learning modules (video and text data organized in subtopics and groups according to major scientific themes); it is unique in that it is designed to function both as a content- neutral tool and as a modular science program. The objectives of the Phase II research focus on (1) developing and testing the prototype of the SAM software tool; (2) developing and testing prototype classroom materials; (3) developing and testing model teacher workshops; (4) assessing attitudes and achievement among various students who use SAM; and (5) developing means of making SAM available to the broadest spectrum of students. The project will contribute to the creation of a software tool employing state-of-the-art digital video technology and advanced programming techniques and combining many of the most useful computer applications to assist teachers in the delivery of the new science curriculum.