Purpose: Research supports the claim that benefits can occur when students engage in collaborative projects done in a real-world context. These benefits include improved cognitive task analysis, motivation and effort, evaluation and reflection, help seeking, and problem-solving teaching.  With a prior NSF SBIR award, the research team developed a platform to engage groups of students in simulated missions to solve real-world problems on STEM topics.  This project will develop and add a new component to the intervention that will be designed to support individual students in reading, writing, and speaking.

Project Activities: In this project, the research team will develop a prototype of a new component to be added to an existing platform that engages students in simulated STEM projects. The prototype will have  prompts and will formatively assess how well students read, write, and speak during and after the missions. At the end of Phase I, a pilot study will occur in 3 middle school classrooms. The researchers will examine if the prototype functions as intended, if educators are able to implement the intervention as a part of classroom practice, if students are engaged and experience a change in their attitudes toward reading, writing, and speaking, and if educators perceive that students have increased engagement in reading, writing, and speaking activities.

Company Website: https://infinidlearning.com/