| NSF Org: |
DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | September 20, 2012 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | September 2, 2014 |
| Award Number: | 1205113 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Stephanie August
DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
| Start Date: | October 1, 2012 |
| End Date: | September 30, 2017 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $899,360.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $899,360.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
765 NEWMAN SPRINGS RD LINCROFT NJ US 07738-1599 (732)224-2224 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
765 Newman Springs Road Lincroft NJ US 07738-1543 |
| 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): | Advanced Tech Education Prog |
| 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): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
A rapidly increasing number of students have strong connections with their mobile devices. To leverage this connection, this project is creating a generic framework for the development of e-books and mobile applications in STEM education. The framework is initially used to create e-books and mobile apps for Photonics and Networking courses in conjunction with content experts at two National ATE Centers of Excellence. The framework consists of templates, sample code, documentation and other materials that are enabling faculty and institutions to create their own e-books and mobile apps. The framework development is broad-based, covering iOS, Android, and web-based platforms for maximizing adoption. The two ATE Center partners work closely with the project's team to ensure the optimal integration of the best pedagogical approaches and technology to benefit student learning and to support faculty teaching using these new tools. Evaluation of the deliverables includes testing by both end users (students and faculty) and developers interested in using the project framework (other institutions), as well as assessing potential gains in student learning. The broader impact of the work is potentially substantial since users can download the e-books and mobile apps from the respective market places such as Apple's App Store, the Android Market, and amazon.com at much reduced costs than for traditional textbooks. Additional dissemination of the materials and framework is broad through the OP-TEC and ICT Centers, as well as a website and workshops, forums, and presentations at national conferences.
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 E-MATE, E-books and Mobile Apps for Technician Education grant at Brookdale Community College (BCC) developed two complete interactive e-textbooks. Both e-textbooks are available through the Apple iBooks Store in iBooks format accessible on Apple devices and computers and also as interactive PDFs accessible on any device or computer capable of viewing a PDF. The interactive content (so-called interactives) for both e-textbooks was developed using modern web (HTML5) technology. With this approach, interactives can be embedded in the iBooks version of the e-textbook, hosted online as part of the PDF version and provided as standalone activities, online or offline.
The e-textbooks were developed in collaboration with two ATE National Centers: the National Center for Supply Chain Technology Education, since renamed as the National Center for Supply Chain Automation or SCA (Introduction to the Automated Warehouse) and OP-TEC, the National Center for Optics and Photonics Education (Course 1: Fundamentals of Light and Lasers). The SCA e-textbook was developed to fill a void. The OP-TEC e-textbook was developed using an existing, printed textbook as a starting point. Targeted interactive content for both e-textbooks was developed to enhance student learning and understanding of “muddiest points” or concepts students typically have difficulty grasping. Muddiest points were identified by the ATE center subject matter experts (SMEs), based on their teaching experiences and content knowledge. The SMEs then collaborated with the team to develop interactives.
The SCA e-textbook is available as a free download, worldwide, which means its rich, interactive content can potentially improve student learning outcomes in multiple disciplines. Total downloads from inception 7/15/15 through 8/21/17: 425 PDF; 422 Apple iBooks Store.
OP-TEC opted to sell the PDF and iBooks versions of the Course 1: Fundamentals of Light and Lasers interactive e-textbook, but at a lower cost ($59.99 each) than the printed version ($75). Total iBooks downloads since inception 7/1/15 through 8/24/17: 19 (16 free; 3 paid). Total PDF downloads during this same time period: 91 (61 free; 30 paid).
In both cases, the lower or no-cost e-textbooks lessen the financial burden on students.
Access to e-textbooks remains challenging since there is still no single development tool or platform standard to create an e-textbook that can be used on all devices and platforms. Perhaps the most powerful project outcome was learning through evaluation efforts that the interactive learning content, not the e-textbook container alone, can impact student learning and understanding. This finding was used as the foundation to develop a second ATE funded project to develop interactive HTML5 learning content that can be accessed on a broad range of devices and platforms and used in a lesson, module, online course, learning management system, or included in an e-textbook.
A framework, or resources any educator from any discipline can reference to develop their own interactive learning content, is available on the project website e-mate-bcc.org, which furthers the intellectual merit of the project and broadens impact.
As intended, each ATE center is now responsible for its own interactive e-textbook updates and revisions. SCA has already published a second edition and is developing a lab manual and instructor manual to accompany the e-textbook. The E-MATE project team integrated closed captions into the OP-TEC e-book before handing it off for continued update and development. OP-TEC used project framework resources to develop a second interactive e-textbook on its own, Essential Math for Engineering Technicians. This e-textbook is available in the iBooks Store and as an interactive PDF.
Last Modified: 09/20/2017
Modified by: Michael Qaissaunee
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