SBIR Phase II: Digital Microscopy with Collaborative Learning

This SBIR Phase II project seeks to provide a model for integrating digital microscopy and web-based on-line collaborative learning in order to improve science education. In Phase I, Digital Blue developed a collaborative worksite, www.planetmicro.com and enrolled +400 students. In Phase II Digital Blue proposes to further this inquiry by building, in conjunction with the Concord Consortium, a state-of-the-art website where students use common digital microscopes and engage in a true collaborative educational experience. Digital Blue will undertake this work by scaffolding the website to improve interaction between members; improving the work flow in which users "tag" their digital images thus optimizing search engine productivity; developing common curriculum modules; developing an online professional development utility to empower teachers to use this technology in their coursework; and adding thousands of members to foster an innovative and successful collaborative community. Digital Blue proffers an innovative product and service for the education market, namely Planetmicro.net, a collaborative workspace that is fully integrated with a proprietary digital microscope. The site would be the first collaborative workspace that interacts seamlessly with affordable digital laboratory equipment in each classroom. Other collaborative learning environments offer common methods and processes but fail to integrate uniform tools, creating a gap between the hands-on activity of the lab and the virtual activity. In contrast, Planetmicro.net would make it easy to integrate collaborative learning with traditional science pedagogy.