Technology enhanced science education

There is a troubling decline in the number of US citizens training to become scientists and engineers. There are insufficient numbers of qualified science teachers in the middle schools, where interest in science must be kindled. Technology enhanced learning environments (TELEs), which could improve science education, are not being widely deployed. This Phase I project will customize a TELE to a) provide science lessons for middle school students while increasing comprehension; b) that allow less qualified teachers to feel comfortable using the materials; and c) that reduces the barriers to implementation among teachers. To develop, test, and evaluate the product, Advanced Fuel Research will use the open source software of the Concord Consortium. The platform will be built using one of the most advance TELE systems, SAIL, which is currently under development. The product will deliver lessons in atomic behavior underlying real world physical and chemical phenomena.