# Presentation: 174203

## What’stheDifference?

***What’s******the******Difference******?***

- Geoffrey Bruce
- Aug. 19,  2005

## Outline

**Overview**
- Description of WTD
- Features, educational standards, partnerships
- User tests
- Teacher focus groups results
- Student user test results
- Extending WTD - Recent funding and proposals
**Demo**
- WTD comparison tool and authoring tool
**Sneak peek**
- NLT tools integration
- Sustaining the tool though field research projects.
- Based on field research in the Pilbara - an analog to Mars

## Overview

**Overview**

*What’s the Difference?* (WTD) is a cross platform **interactive software application** that facilitates scientific analysis by allowing any content to be examined in a
** ****side-by-side**
** ****comparison**.

## Features

**Features**

- WTD **engages students** in scientific discovery, research, and exploration by drawing on students’ natural curiosity.

- It allows the teacher or curriculum developer to incorporate:
- Graphical, animated, interactive, textual and audio-formatted content
- Customized multiple choice and summary assessment tests
- Hypotheses for presenting inquiry-based questions.

## Authoring

- The overall flexibility of the product’s authoring component **lets anyone use its capabilities.**

- It provides a robust and flexible **in-depth authoring component** so that educators and curriculum developers to populate templates with virtually any set of NASA science content or datasets.
- It is **built for the non-technical developer**, permitting anyone to build their own learning experience based on:
- Categories (i.e. planets)
- Associated attributes (i.e. composition, diameter, temperature, etc.)

## Content

**Content**

- The **open-ended nature** of WTD allows a wide variety of content to be used to expose students to a diverse range of scientific areas. It also opens the possibility for career information to be incorporated and compared.

## Standards

- WTD addresses and meets metrics set forth within major **educational standards** entities including:

- National Science Education Standards (NSES)
- National Council of Teacher Mathematics (NCTM)
- American Association for the Advancement of Science, Science for All Americans (SFAA)

## Partnerships

**Partnerships**

- The **Australia Center for Astrobiology and the ICT Center at Macquarie University** focusing on comparing geologic data from the Pilbara region of Earth to Mars from within WTD.

- Leveraging COTF’s independent evaluation and **Virtual Design Center** training is used to verify and ensure effective instructional processes.

**NASA Explorer Schools** and the Collaborative for Higher Education focusing on Pre-Algebra Math Concepts using Solar system datasets within WTD.

## Teacher Focus Groups

- The product was **field tested** using local educators to thoroughly evaluate its performance.

- From 7 public, 1 private, and 1 home school,
- From Mountain View, San Jose, Cupertino, Los Gatos, East Palo Alto and San Mateo
- From 2 science multiple grades / 7 multiple subject
- 17.1% of students were on free or reduced lunch
- 14.8% of students were “Limited English Proficient”

## Student User Tests

**Student User Tests**

- WTD has been tested with diverse schools having demographics of over 50% underrepresented students. The visual nature of WTD makes it very effective by ensuring that the product is **easily accessible to students of all backgrounds**.

## Student User Tests

**Student User Tests**

- Evaluation and student testing of WTD found a statistically **significant change in students science self confidence** and attitudes toward STEM careers. WTD can also be disseminated across multiple platforms to reach a wide audience.

## Student User Tests  Survey Results for Use of What’s The Difference? in the Pilbara Curriculum.

- The NASA Education software application *What’s The Difference?* is being **used to help teach Astrobiology** – the search for extraterrestrial life – to tenth-year students in Sydney, Australia.
- Students used *What’s The Difference?* for this purpose **in the classroom** and were asked to express their opinions of the application’s usefulness and appeal.
- Data was collected by Carol Oliver and Jenny Fergusson at the **Macquarie University ICT Innovations Center, Sydney, Australia.** (August 2 & 9, 2005) The report was prepared by Tom Gaskins.

## Data was helpful because you could compare the two side by side it showed the composition and other facts about the areas that were in an easy to read and fun to use format.

It explained a lot about the similarity and difference between Mars and Pilbara.

The information was easy to find and understand fun to use format.

It was helpful because it compared to two and gave easy reference to the similarities and differences which makes individual study of the area easy.

it was really helpful as it showed us what mars is like by comparing it to something we know and helped me understand the terrain and all 
the work that goes into finding more out about Mars 
and the rest of the Universe.

The information was easily accessible and grouped
 together in clear categories. I found that it was fairly 
interesting as you could interact with the program
(rotate pictures, click on things, have word definitions 
etc) so it captured my attention and kept it. I think it 
would be useable by a large number of people
throughout high school.  It was fun and interesting 
and I enjoyed playing around and learning from it.

- It explained a lot about the **similarity and difference** between Mars and Pilbara.
- The information was **easy to find** and understand fun to use format.
- It was helpful because it compared to two and gave easy reference to the similarities and differences which **makes individual study of the area easy.**
- it was really helpful as it showed us what mars is like by **comparing** it to something we know and **helped me understand** the terrain and all
- the work that goes into finding more out about Mars
- and the rest of the Universe.
- The information was **easily accessible** and grouped
-  together in clear categories. I found that it was fairly
- interesting as you could interact with the program
- (rotate pictures, click on things, have word definitions
- etc) so it **captured my attention and kept it**. I think it
- would be useable by a large number of people
- throughout high school.  It was fun and interesting
- and I enjoyed playing around and learning from it.

**Student User Tests****  Survey Results for Use of *****What’s The Difference?***** in the Pilbara Curriculum.**

## I found it easier to learn it was clear and direct.

It is interactive and lets you explore it by yourself and it is easier to take in rather than a text book.

I found this was far more interesting than the normal way that we are taught. Mainly because it's different from textbooks and more interactive. 

The program was simple and effective in 
communicating the differences of the two 
planets.

I would like to learn this way because 
it feels more interactive and hands on 
making it easier to understand.

- It is interactive and **lets you explore** it by yourself and it is easier to take in rather than a text book.
- I found this was **far more interesting** than the normal way that we are taught. Mainly because it's different from textbooks and more interactive.
- The program was **simple**** ****and effective** in
- communicating the differences of the two
- planets.
- I would like to learn this way because
- it feels **more interactive** and hands on
- making it **easier to understand**.

**Student User Tests****  Survey Results for Use of *****What’s The Difference?***** in the Pilbara Curriculum.**

## I find it more interesting because of the hands on approach aspect and all the visual support it used.

It is more interesting because the program is interactive and displays information in a way that is fun to use.

You could see images and virtual reality when you were comparing two planets.

It engages students more readily and is an easy medium to use.

The visual effects and graphic helped to relate 
the text to the actual facts.

The visual aid helped a lot and sparked more 
interest than if it was only stationary photographs 
in a textbook. 

It had pictures and diagrams to help you 
understand. It was interactive and it was 
also easy to find what your looking for.

- It is more interesting because the program is interactive and displays information in a way that is **fun to use**.
- You could see images and virtual reality when you were **comparing** two planets.
- It **engages students** **more readily** and is an easy medium to use.
- The **visual effects** and graphic helped to relate
- the text to the actual facts.
- The visual aid helped a lot and **sparked more**
**interest** than if it was only stationary photographs
- in a textbook.
- It had pictures and diagrams to **help you **
**understand**. It was interactive and it was
- also easy to find what your looking for.

**Student User Tests****  Survey Results for Use of *****What’s The Difference?***** in the Pilbara Curriculum.**

## Customer focus

- “What’s the Difference?” is focusing on the teaching of NCTM and NSES standards identified by NES schools as **high need areas**.
- WTD was recently selected for funding by the **NASA Explorer Schools (NES)** to be used in a math investigation product that will use NASA solar system data to **engage students in NASA’s Human Exploration Mission.**

## NASA Explorer Schools Pre-Algebra (NESPA)

- 2-year NES grant in collaboration with the Collaborative for  Higher Education to **develop 3 math investigations**
**Focus**: NASA’s human exploration mission. Where in our solar system should we send humans?
**Use WTD to analyze solar system bodies** as human destinations based on mass, distance and mission costs
**WTD augmentations**: data sets, comparison benchmarks, graphing tool, orrery
**Math skills**: calculating and converting ratios, fractions and percents, making measurements, data analysis, problem solving and communication.

**Notes:**
A sample comparison benchmark might be the number of school buses that make up Pluto’s mass or the number of trips from NY to LA that make up the distance from the Earth to the Moon. 

## Moon Math Interactive Investigations

- 1-year extension to NESPA proposed to ESMD to **develop 2 additional investigations and WTD datasets**
**Focus**: Lunar Exploration: What size and shape are ideal for a lunar habitat?
- Use WTD to **compare characteristics of 3-D shapes** in terms of surface area, volume and ability to withstand radiation and pressure on the Moon.
- Based on mission length, students will **calculate the mass and volume** of their habitat and will draw a proportional scale model.
- WTD **augmentations**: data sets, comparison benchmarks, graphing tool additions
**Math skills**: geometry, calculating and converting ratios and proportions, making measurements, data analysis, problem solving and communication.

## “What’s the Difference?”