AN INTELLIGENT TUTORING GAME TO TEACH SCIENTIFIC REASONING

TODAY'S WORKFORCE REQUIRES EVER INCREASING COMPETENCE IN MATH, SCIENCE, AND ENGINEERING SKILLS. UNFORTUNATELY, RECENT SURVEYS SUGGEST THAT THE U.S. RANK AT THE BOTTOM OF INDUSTRIALIZED NATIONS IN SCIENTIFIC COMPETENCE OF ITS STUDENTS. THIS JEOPARDIZES OUR LONG TERM OUTLOOK FOR LEADERSHIP IN A HIGH TECH WORLD. ONE EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGE TO REMEDY THIS IS TO TEACH SCIENCE MORE THE WAY SCIENTISTS VIEW IT, NAMELY AS AN EVOLVING PROCESS OF INQUIRY, RATHER THAN AS A BODY OF FACTS AND "TRUTH" AS MOST PEOPLE COMMONLY VIEW IT. FURTHER, SCIENCE AND MATH SHOULD BE TAUGHT IN AN ENJOYABLE CONTEXT TO INCREASE INTEREST. ONE SOLUTION TO MEET BOTH OF THESE CRITERIA LIES IN A MARRIAGE OF INTELLIGENT TUTORING SYSTEM (ITS) AND ELECTRONIC GAME TECHNOLOGIES. THIS PROJECT WOULD CREATE & INTELLIGENT TUTORING GAME (ITG) TO TEACH THE TECHNIQUES OF SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY THAT SCIENTISTS HAVE, WHILE DELIVERING AN INDIVIDUALIZED PROGRAM OF INSTRUCTION THAT IS BOTH ENJOYABLE AND TAILORED TO THE SPECIFIC LEARNING NEEDS OF EACH PLAYER. PHASE I WILL BE DEVOTED TO TESTING THE FEASIBILITY OF THIS APPROACH BY: (1) DEFINING THE TOPICS AND SKILLS TO BE TAUGHT, (2) DEVELOPING AN INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACH, (3) DEVELOPING AN ITG FRAMEWORK, (4) DEVELOPING A PROOF-OF-CONCEPT ITG, (5) EVALUATING THE ITG, AND (6) PREPARING AND DELIVERING THE FINAL REPORT. PHASE II WILL BE DEVOTED TO DEVELOPING AND TESTING A FULL-SCALE ITG. PHASE III WILL BE DEVOTED TO COMMERCIALIZING THE PHASE II ITG.