August 2008 — News/In Brief
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Technology + Online + Industry + Partnerships
WestEd, Quantum Receive $2.8 Million Grant for AI Research
Organizations plan a four-year study to evaluate the impact of chemistry tutoring software on student achievement.
WESTED, a nonprofit research
and development agency, and Quantum
Simulations, a
developer of artificial intelligence tutoring,
assessment, and professional development software,
have been awarded a $2.8 million grant
from the US Department of Education’s Institute
of Education Sciences to evaluate
the impact of Quantum’s chemistry tutoring
software on student learning.
The four-year WestEd study will examine traditional learning methods in schools, and hypothesizes that students who are taught chemistry using Quantum’s Chemistry Tutors cognitive tutoring software in conjunction with their regular classroom studies will exhibit greater improvement and understanding than students who are taught the same curriculum without the use of the Chemistry Tutors. This will be the first study to test the entire suite of Quantum’s 12 Chemistry Tutors, which include difficult topics and concepts that students struggle with most. Approximately 70 schools in California will participate in this regional study, with future plans to expand nationally as part of a larger initiative.
The findings from this study, which will be released in 2012, will not only reveal the efficacy of the Quantum Tutors, but will also contribute to a better understanding of the effects of the use of intelligent tutoring software on student learning in general.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, chemistry is taught to more than 54 percent of students in US high schools, forcing an increasing number of schools to rely on new and out-of-field teachers to fill the gap for science teachers. To help meet this increasing demand, the US Department of Education is exploring the use of technology, including Quantum’s Tutors, to supplement student learning and teacher training for science and mathematics.
“There simply are not enough experienced teachers to help every student achieve real understanding in science and mathematics,” stated Benny Johnson, president and CEO of Quantum. “The Quantum Tutors can help teachers meet that need by providing one-on-one assistance to students when the teacher in unavailable to answer individual questions, particularly in the evening, when students are working on a homework assignment or preparing for a test.”
Prior performance-based research studies conducted by independent evaluators indicate that the Quantum Tutors can improve test scores by as much as 50 percent, with the greatest improvement among students who struggle the most. For more information, visit here.
