SBIR Phase I: A Personalized Search Engine for Educational Resources

This SBIR Phase I project proposes to support the development of a web-based, mobile-friendly search engine that optimally matches educational content and lesson plans available on the Internet with a student's needs and unique learning goals. The project will provide the optimal resources given the profiles, academic history and other variables collected from the intended users of those resources. The project seeks to answer the following questions: 1) How to successfully characterize and define attributes of educational content and lesson plans found on the internet; 2) How to successfully characterize and define attributes of students; and 3) How to optimally match educational content and lesson plans to the students and teachers that seek to use it. A model for characterizing lesson plans, educational content and student profiles will be conducted with the support of teachers and partners. Research results will support the development of a search engine that provides links to individual educational resources and lessons plans, optimized to the individual needs of the users. The broader/commercial impact of the project will potentially have a large impact on society. It will save teachers from wasting valuable time on finding resources and will enable them to find more effective teaching and learning tools and materials to use in their classrooms that fit the individual needs of their pupils. Students will be able to directly access materials and technologies that have been created to address their specific needs, enabling and empowering them to improve their educational performance. Underserved populations will particularly benefit, as they will be able to find content that fits their need at no cost. Schools will be able to use their limited financial resources more efficiently by focusing professional development hours on more practical tasks and will be able to acquire better technologies and educational content that is free of charge on the Internet. In summary, the project will help uncover the potential of the Internet as an efficient support system for schools, teachers and parents. Finally, the project has potential for significant commercial value. Revenue will originate from optimally matching the large number of firms selling educational content and technology with the schools and teachers that need them.