Recipient Organization
SOFTWORTHY LLC
5900 BALCONES DR
AUSTIN,TX 78731
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
With growing awareness of the adverse and disparate health impacts of air pollution, there is a need for increasing the diversity and number of qualified environmental engineers in the workforce, dedicated to protecting air quality, while maintaining optimal farm productivity and profitability. In this regard, adopting educational approaches that go beyond the dissemination of theoretical content (such as a 'virtualized' learning environment that provides exposure to experiences moving from 'learning about practical application', to 'learning for practical application' to 'learning through practical application') can offer significant benefits while training the next generation of STEM professionals.SoftWorthy's Interactive Virtual Environment Laboratory (SWIVEL) would serve as such a simulation-based framework that supports learning experiences through different pedagogical models (e.g. 'project-based' and 'problem-based' approaches) to encourage innovative thinking, with a focus on 'learning while doing', rather than on 'learning then doing'. By combining 'serious simulation' technology (e.g. physics-based air pollutant emission and dispersion models) with game-technology (e.g. realistic, interactive multimedia visualization techniques), the framework would allow the creation and exploration of systems and scenarios for the real-time development, verification, and validation of environmental conservation concepts, associated with air quality, weather conditions and agricultural activity, in an enriched, virtual world.The adoption of SWIVEL is expected to result in impactful STEM educational and training experiences for diverse learners, and offer unique value propositions, associated with (i) increased interest in STEM education, as well as environmental science and engineering careers, (ii) improved comprehension of knowledge related to air quality and agricultural activity, and (iii) promotion of 'serious gaming' technologies in delivering STEM content to enhance learning among graduate-level students.
Animal Health Component
45%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
5%
Applied
45%
Developmental
50%
Goals / Objectives
This project aims to develop an innovative simulator that employs 'serious gaming' techniques to introduce STEM concepts associated with air quality, weather conditions and agricultural activity within the context of a real-time, virtual environment. The technology would deliver a combination of air pollutant emission and dispersion models, a robust physics-engine, high-resolution graphical representations, and interactive control, in conjunction with high-quality multimedia visualization techniques. It would serve as a standard yet modular base-platform that provides a controlled and repeatable test-bed for advanced simulations, for the real-time validation of environmental conservation concepts, in an enriched, virtual world. The research and development efforts would focus on:(i) Formulating physics-based air quality models, and NAAEE/NGSS-aligned lesson modules, as well as conducting participatory design sessions to inform responsive gaming framework and engagement mechanisms aimed at a variety of learner demographics. The milestone would be the design of a simulator architecture that adopts cognitive psychology concepts to deliver STEM content, to enhance learning and develop research skills in the discipline of environmental science and engineering.(ii) Developing assessments using item response theory, as well as devising dynamic delivery mechanisms to support adaptive learning. The milestone would be the implementation of an evaluation and dissemination framework that utilizes artificial intelligence / machine learning techniques for analyzing user involvement and performance in real-time, to dynamically offer personalized STEM content in the context of environmental science and engineering, and provide engaging, visual feedback.(iii) Implementing simulator front-end (real-time rendering, and graphic user interface design), and simulator back-end (content delivery network, and application programming interface), as well as testing the simulator on mobile and desktop devices (for both on-premise and cloud access). The milestone would be development of a modular software for STEM learning that is cost-effective and scalable.
Project Methods
Employing user-centered design thinking philosophy and participatory development approach, SWIVEL would adopt a practice-based learning approach to serve as an effective STEM training tool that empowers learners with self-direction, intrinsic engagement and ownership of practically-relevant STEM education, in the discipline of environmental science and engineering. The simulation framework would incorporate appropriate air pollutant emission and dispersion models, which would serve as the essential underlying aspect of many applications of the simulator. The technology would include a physics-engine for simulation of the rigorous air quality models, to ensure accuracy of the predictions when investigating environmental conservation concepts and air quality control scenarios. This would be coupled with the multimedia visualization systemto render the virtual landscape using high-resolution graphical representations,as well as the windowed development environment. Further, the user-input system would allow a variety of controllers to be used.The P-III Framework would be utilized to conduct participatory design sessions (that focus on aspects such as immersion, control, challenge, purpose, and interest) to inform responsive gaming framework and engagement mechanisms, and the data collected from survey questionnaires would be analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. SWIVEL would also employ artificial intelligence / machine learning algorithms for adapting STEM content to reflect each learner's expertise and preferences, and offer a dynamic, personalized learning path. Learning analytics would gather details of user performance to build better pedagogies, empower active learning, and assess factors affecting user motivation and engagement as well as progress.The measures of performance corresponding to project implementation would focus on development and evaluation of SWIVEL in compliance with ISO/IEC/IEEE Standards. The preliminary technical assessment would focus on the numerical simulation and analysis of pollution dispersion in a virtual landscape, and a post-development pilot study would be conducted to assess feasibility and promise of the innovation, in collaboration with partnering institutions. The study would focus on performing scientifically valid assessments among users, relying on the following validated instruments to help improve simulator effectiveness: Game Experience Questionnaire (which measures player experience based on sensory and imaginative immersion, tension, competence, flow, negative effect, positive effect, and challenge), Immersive Experience Questionnaire (which measures game-related factors based on challenge and control, and player-related factors based on real-world dissociation, cognitive and emotional involvement), Technology-Enabled Active Learning Inventory (which measures users' perceptions of active learning in a technology-enabled learning context, based on interactive engagement, problem-solving skills, interest and feedback), and STEM Career Interest Questionnaire (which measures perception of supportive environment for pursuing a career in science, interest in pursuing educational opportunities that would lead to a career in science, and perceived importance of a career in science).