A Virtual Project-Based Learning Sandbox for Mimetics and Medically Inspired Classroom Engineering (MiMICRE)

用于模仿和医学启发课堂工程的基于虚拟项目的学习沙盒 (MiMICRE)

• 批准号: 10696661
• 负责人: Christopher Eldon Whitmer
• 金额: $ 88.33万
• 依托单位: PARAMETRIC STUDIO, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-09-01 至 2025-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10696661
• 关键词: 3D Print; Achievement; Address; Adoption; Attitude; Biological Sciences; Biomedical Engineering; COVID-19 pandemic; COVID-19 pandemic effects; Code; Collaborations; Color; Communities; Competence; Computer software; Critical Thinking; Custom; Degree program; Development; Devices; Educational Curriculum; Elements; Employment; Engineering; Environment; Future; Game Based Learning; Goals; Health Sciences; Healthcare; High School Student; Industry; Instruction; Investments; Knowledge; Lead; Learning; Libraries; Link; Low income; Marketing; Mathematics; Medical; Modeling; Occupations; Operating System; Outcome; Performance; Phase; Private Sector; Problem Solving; Qualifying; Research; STEM career; STEM field; Science; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education; Small Business Innovation Research Grant; Students; Surveys; System; Test Result; Testing; Time; Training; Training and Education; Underrepresented Populations; Validation; Woman; Work; college; commercialization; cost; design; educational atmosphere; essays; experience; high school; improved; innovation; instructor; instrumentation; interest; learning materials; mathematical difficulties; mathematics content; mimetics; novel strategies; pilot test; programs; project-based learning; prototype; recruit; response; simulation; simulation game; skills; student participation; success; teacher; tool; undergraduate student; usability; virtual

Project Summary/Abstract: The U.S. has more health science STEM jobs available than qualified workers to fill them and lags other OECD nations in math and science, with major achievement gaps and STEM workforce under-representation among women and students of color. Improved STEM education is needed in high school and early collegiate settings that engages, prepares, and inspires all students—and especially under-represented groups. 21st-century STEM jobs require not only STEM content knowledge but also problem-solving, critical thinking, and teamwork. Research has shown that team collaboration and application of STEM to problems in communities are effective at improving STEM outcomes in under-represented groups. Downstream, the follow-on effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated STEM degree program recruitment and retention issues (especially among under-represented groups). Parametric Studio Inc. (PSI) believes collaborative game-based project learning experiences have the potential to address STEM deficiencies and under-representation while better preparing the future health science STEM workforce. However, innovations to project-based learning to add better connections to industry tools, improve engagement, ease implementation issues, reduce cost, and enhance authenticity or realism are needed. The overall goal of this multi-phase SBIR project is to develop, validate, and commercialize MiMICRE, a game-based STEM project learning platform that can address current deficiencies in project-based learning (PBL). MiMICRE utilizes applied math and science in the design, analysis, and simulation of bioscience, engineering, and biomimicry-focused STEM projects. In MiMICRE, users collaboratively design product solutions, apply math and science models to evaluate them, and then 3D-print and test results in the real world. Ultimately, MiMICRE will be sold to high school, post-secondary, and informal Ed. markets. This Phase II SBIR project is based on Phase I proof-of-concept success that demonstrated the functionality of key MiMICRE components and showed that platform elements are usable by students and teachers. Deployment in the classroom was validated: Phase I prototype testing produced several early indicators of improved student engagement, efficacy, and STEM content knowledge. Phase II work will thus focus on the following Aims: 1) develop Phase II enhancements to the MiMICRE Phase I prototype that will promote widespread adoption in high school and early collegiate settings; 2) show that third-party MiMICRE projects can be quickly defined for customers; and 3) conduct larger pilots to evaluate improvements in STEM knowledge, STEM interest and efficacy, and perceived connection of skills and knowledge to future STEM employment. Phase II will result in a completed, tested solution for improved STEM project-based learning in high schools and colleges. Phase II success is critical in terms of product validation, attracting follow-on private-sector investors/partners, and ultimate product commercialization.

项目摘要/摘要：美国的健康科学 STEM 工作岗位多于合格的工人 填补这些空白，并在数学和科学方面落后于其他经合组织国家，在成绩和 STEM 方面存在重大差距 女性和有色人种学生的劳动力代表性不足，需要改进 STEM 教育。 在高中和早期大学环境中，吸引、准备和激励所有学生，尤其是 21 世纪的 STEM 工作不仅需要 STEM 内容知识，还需要 STEM 知识。 研究表明，解决问题、批判性思维和团队合作是团队协作和应用的关键。 STEM 解决社区问题可有效改善代表性不足群体的 STEM 成果。 下游，COVID-19 大流行的后续影响加剧了 STEM 学位项目 招聘和保留问题（特别是在代表性不足的群体中）。 相信基于协作游戏的项目学习体验有潜力解决 STEM 问题 缺陷和代表性不足，同时更好地为未来的健康科学 STEM 劳动力做好准备。 然而，基于项目的学习的创新可以增加与行业工具的更好连接，提高 需要参与、实施来缓解问题、降低成本并增强真实性或现实性。 这个多阶段 SBIR 项目的总体目标是开发、验证 MiMICRE 并将其商业化，MiMICRE 是一种 基于游戏的STEM项目学习平台，可以解决当前基于项目的学习的缺陷 (PBL)。MiMICRE 在生物科学的设计、分析和模拟中利用应用数学和科学， 在 MiMICRE 中，用户协作设计产品。 解决方案，应用数学和科学模型对其进行评估，然后 3D 打印并真实测试结果 最终，MiMICRE 将销往高中、高等教育和非正规教育市场。 第二阶段 SBIR 项目基于第一阶段概念验证的成功，证明了 关键 MiMICRE 组件的功能，并表明平台元素可供学生使用 课堂部署得到验证：第一阶段原型测试产生了几个早期产品。 因此，第二阶段工作的学生参与度、效率和 STEM 内容知识的改善指标将得到提高。 重点关注以下目标： 1) 开发 MiMICRE 第一阶段原型的第二阶段增强功能 将促进高中和早期大学环境的广泛采用 2) 表明第三方； 可以为客户快速定义 MiMICRE 项目；3) 进行更大规模的试点来评估 STEM 知识、STEM 兴趣和功效以及技能和技能之间的联系的感知提高 第二阶段将产生一个完整的、经过测试的解决方案，以改进未来的 STEM 就业。 高中和大学基于 STEM 项目的学习第二阶段的成功对于产品而言至关重要。 验证、吸引后续私营部门投资者/合作伙伴以及最终产品商业化。