SBIR Phase II: Digital Media Synchronization, Performance and Urban Education Enhancement

The broader impact of this SBIR Phase II project will be achieved through further development of a novel physical music media platform with advanced instrumentation that is designed to promote deeper engagement in education for underrepresented youths. The platform will provide much needed educational support for youths' STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) learning. The technology's relevance and attractiveness to adolescents have important implications for promoting social resilience of the learners given the salience of STEAM as the "career supporting language of the 21st century". Initially the sensor embedded platter units will be offered for use in after-school programming. By engaging and educating inner city students with their own musical interests, an increased pipeline of diverse STEM learners is expected. The proposed product may also help counteract maladaptive coping patterns (such as truancy) among inner-city youths and inspire them to pursue personally and socially impactful goals. The intellectual merit of this SBIR Phase II project lies in the development of unique sensor embedded turntable designed for delivering entertainment to simultaneously deliver educationally enriching content. Specifically, the project will provide SensorTable platters, software, and STEM curricula. The proposed Turntable Lab will be a school-based program to enhance STEM learning in underserved urban youth communities. To promote effective immersion, the proposed Turntable Lab not only will integrate known musical and visual content but also enable the student to actively manipulate the content. This immersion will keep the students engaged while producing desired educational outcomes. With appropriate curriculum lessons, these advancements will facilitate development of programs designed to instruct students in STEM subjects via the art of DJing and Music. Used in practice, DJs will benefit from learning techniques via the unique instrumentation, while students will benefit from the data collected during live performances. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.