SBIR-STTR Award

Inadequate student performance and'a lack of qualified teachers have been identified as problems in science and math education. Microcomputer-Based Laboratories (MBLs) were developed to give students a hands-on learning method, and have been shown to improve student performance. Electronic advancements now allow for the research of integrating existing, state-of-the-art, low-cost, palm-sized, portable data acquisition equipment into a Portable Microcomputer-Based Laboratory (PMBL). A PMBL could be used in the classroom, but would also offer portability, allowing students to apply the MBL approach to the world beyond their classroom, thereby stimulating their interests and enhancing their learning. The feasibility assessment is based on two experiments performed by sixth-graders: (1) a real-time, classroom exploration of heat and energy; and (2) a study of local weather by using the PMBL as a weather station. It is anticipated that students can benefit from the use of the PMBL and that teachers can easily incorporate and use it. Conceivably, the PMBL approach could be applied to benefit science and math education at all grade levels. Student exposure to the te( hnology, and an improved understanding of math and science, can enhance their economic worth; and the country's economic and competitive position will benefit.The potential commercial application as described by the awardee: A low-cost and proven PMBL system would have a wide commercial application in the educational market-K-12 schools as well as universities and colleges. Every computer in every school science room is a potential market for the PMBL system.

A strategy for stimulating student interest in and commitment to science is to engage them in active discovery of reality by taking them out of the classroom into the field. Microcomputer- Based Laboratories (MBLs), which typically consist of a computer, sensors, graphing software, and instructional materials, were developed to give students a hands-on learning method and have been shown to improve student performance. Results of the Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) study establish the technical basis for going beyond the conventional MBL by integrating existing, state-of-the-art, low-cost, palm-sized, portable data acquisition equipment into a new educational tool, Earth Explorer, a Portable Microcomputer-Based Laboratory (PMBL), which will allow students to collect data without being directly connected to the computer yet permit them to download that data after collection. The objectives of the Phase II study focus on (1) creating Earth Explorer courseware for additional sixth grade science education units; (2) modifying and expanding the Earth Explorer hardware; (3) improving and enhancing the Earth Explorer software and related materials; (4) creating teacher education materials for understanding and effectively using the Earth Explorer system; (5) designing and implementing an effective evaluation process; and (6) conducting a national field test involving schools representing socioeconomic and racial diversity in their student populations. By providing an instructional system, the Earth Explorer, that is compatible with and usable in a broad range of curriculum frameworks, the project will aim to provide an opportunity for students to benefit from instructional strategies which capitalize on student interest through active hands-on participation.