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It provide students with opportunities to develop their critical thinking skills by working on real research questions, using real objects, and facilitated by real scientists.
About
Invention Summary Research Quest is a novel program framework designed to promote students’ development of critical thinking. Specifically, the aim is to provide students with authentic opportunities to develop their critical thinking skills by working on real research questions, using real objects, and facilitated by real scientists – delivered via technology-based tools. The program currently works closely with the Natural History Museum of Utah, and therefore its investigations are rooted in archaeology using resources such as fossils from the museum. Extensive prototyping has resulted in three online investigations – designed for use by 7th graders in their classrooms – that use a combination of technologies to give students access to these three components. Using 3D viewer software, simulation software, and a range of other digital tools (videos, online maps, photos, text, user interface) students work in collaborative groups to analyse evidence and construct well-supported claims/ideas/hypotheses/theories to answer their research questions. Along the way, they are guided and supported through videos from scientists and digitally provided instructional support material (reference photos, documentation, notebooks). Value Proposition Designed to help teachers meet Next Generation science standards Improves critical thinking skills by requiring students to evaluate evidence regarding real world problems and create informed claims/theories/hypotheses Provides teachers and students with unparalleled access to real research, objects, and scientists for use in learning Market Opportunity Research Quest could be applied throughout K-12 science programs. With over 98,000 public schools and 48 million students in the United States, the total market for this technology is large. As the modules are most relevant for elementary and middle schools classes, the market would target these grades. There are roughly 33 million students in public schools from kindergarten to 8th grade. If the program were sold on a subscription basis for $20 annually per student, the market could reach $652 million to $666 million. The initial investigations target 7th grade science requirements. Given this, the initial target market will only encompass 7th grade classrooms. In 2010, there were approximately 3.6 million students enrolled in 7th grade. Assuming the same price, this represents a target market of $72 million per year. Even a 10% adoption of this market would result in annual revenue of $7.2 million.