SBIR Phase I: Intelligent Learning Objects for Science Education

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to investigate the design of learning objects that are intelligent, activity-based, accessible and reusable. Intelligent tutoring systems have been shown to be instructionally effective in mathematics, science, and writing instruction. Intelligent tutoring systems, however, are often not practical due to the costs and resources required to design, develop, and evaluate them. The goal of this effort is to enhance the capability of instructional developers by creating intelligent learning objects that can be used in intelligent tutoring systems across domains in multiple science education learning environments. The plan is to analyze skill-based science instruction to determine functional requirements for reusable learning objects; to design and develop one intelligent, activity-based learning object; to demonstrate its application in two science domains; and to develop preliminary design and use guidelines. The long-term goal of the project is to improve science education by making instructionally effective, intelligent technologies more commercially feasible. Commercialization plans are to market an Internet-based tutoring system for biology/microbiology high school and community college science departments; reuse the intelligent learning objects in the development of other intelligent learning environments; and license the intelligent learning objects to other educational software developers.