SBIR Phase I: Digital Microscopy with Collaborative Learning

Digital Blue Incorporated, Marietta GA

Investigators

Abstract

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project plans to use digital microscopy to allow students seamless integration between digital image collection, storage, analysis, and sharing over the Internet, combining features of digital microscopy with the power of collaborative learning. Digital Blue will foster development of students' virtual learning communities with shared digital tools, uniformed microscopic techniques, and common goals to explore the invisible world around them. Such explorations will be integrated with AAAS, NRC and state education standards for Earth Science and Biology. By developing four instructional units on the study of: (1) water, soil and minerals; (2) microorganisms; (3) plant growth; and (4) invisible animal features, the project will foster implementation of affordable, yet accurate digital microscopy into science exploration in both formal classrooms and home settings. The project will build an infrastructure allowing individual student and classroom participation. The cornerstone of the infrastructure will be a web site with tools to support the virtual learning community. The web site design includes collaborative workspaces allowing a class to propose and launch an investigation. Each project will be supported by the Tapestry database, allowing easy uploading of an inlay of stored digital images supplemented with student commentaries. The database allows the recognition of unique unusual observations that pose a challenge questioning, motivating further investigations and analysis, mimicking the investigative nature of real science. In additional to the broader educational benefits widely recognized to accrue to collaborative learning, this project has the potential to initiate a new realm of innovation in educational technology; namely, web-enhanced devices.