| NSF Org: |
TI Translational Impacts |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | December 11, 2014 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | December 11, 2014 |
| Award Number: | 1447270 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Glenn H. Larsen
TI Translational Impacts TIP Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships |
| Start Date: | January 1, 2015 |
| End Date: | June 30, 2015 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $150,000.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $150,000.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
PO Box 948002 Maitlando FL US 32794-0000 (469)708-7626 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
110 E Reading Way Winter Park FL US 32789-6046 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | SBIR Phase I |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.084 |
ABSTRACT
This SBIR Phase I Project seeks to generate fundamental interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) at a young age. According to the 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), U.S. fourth grade students ranked eleventh in math and seventh in science out of 36 countries. A continued decrease in STEM interest is leading to a decrease in the awarding of STEM degrees. According to the 2008 National Math and Science Initiative, in 4% of US bachelor's degrees were awarded in engineering compared to 31% in China. Exacerbating the problem is a change in the fundamental nature of career development toward more technical skills requirements. This project aims to engage children at a younger age and create a foundation of interest in STEM education. This engagement reinforces the National Science Foundation's fundamental mission of education for all fields of science and engineering. On the micro level, the project aims to create software and creative development jobs in the US through the creation of the application and content. The project also aims to create a new generation of engaged young people with enthusiasm to pursue careers in STEM-related fields, thereby creating a more technical and science-minded workforce.
This SBIR Phase I Project seeks to test the feasibility and commercialize a multimodal storytelling toy and software application to generate fundamental interest and augment learning in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) at a young age. Although there are a number of toys and educational products on the market targeted toward children at an older age, a void exists for educational toys that provide a dedicated focus on STEM education for younger children. This project will involve the development of a curriculum along with a prototype application to promote early adoption of STEM education in a classroom environment. The application will feature academically sound stories centered on scientific concepts featuring the child along with a companion character to act as their guide through the stories. The toy character and story personalization aim to create an emotional connection between the child and the STEM concepts in the stories. In addition to the story itself, interactive elements will promote repeat use and retention of STEM concepts. The objective of this Phase I activity is to demonstrate that the platform can augment existing STEM curriculum and generate interest in basic science and engineering concepts in the prekindergarten and kindergarten classroom environment.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The US faces a growing deficit in scientists, engineers and mathematicians to fill future careers. While STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education is drawing increased attention in both the home and school markets, STEM educational tools aimed at early learners (pre-K and Kindergarten) are few and far between.
Storytelling is a key component in early learning. Children are bombarded by stories teaching them about princesses and pirates. While science and engineering exist all around us (bees making honey, lightning, gravity, etc.) engaging story content to explain these phenomena are in short supply. By developing tools and stories that focus on early learners, it is possible to foster life long learning in STEM fields while addressing key developmental milestones.
This grant established the feasibility of designing, developing and commercializing a multimodal educational platform for early childhood STEM education. The resulting product is TROBO the Storytelling Robot. The innovation is a connected plush toy plus storytelling application platform that addresses early interest in STEM through a framework aligned curriculum. The platform utilizes existing educational constructs to support development of early learning. It also provides supplementary materials for educators to present a comprehensive early learning enrichment tool.
The combination of the toy plus application platform fosters early learning by combining engaging, interactive, scientifically accurate content with a connected toy that fosters an emotional connection between the toy, the character and the STEM content.
Skookoo’s successful Phase I research effort, through the Phase I SBIR project, included:
- Prototype Development: Design and iteration of a proof of feasibility for the software platform.
- Content development of multiple stories and teacher guides.
- Evaluation and testing of hardware.
- Product Testing: Interviews/Demonstrations with pre-k and kindergarten teachers, administrators and technology coordinators to design a comprehensive multimodal interactive tool for early STEM learning.
- Commercialization Plan: Development of a business plan for successful deployment of TROBO in the home and institutional education market.
Last Modified: 07/13/2015
Modified by: Jeremy Scheinberg
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