Stottler Henke Associates in collaboration with Teachers College, Columbia University, proposes to build a software system for teaching scientific inquiry in the context of nutrition science, The goal of the proposed research is to develop a computer based instructional system - called LiFESim - that teaches accurate and detailed information about food and the food system -- from production of food on the farm through food processing and transportation, to impacts of food on personal health and on the natural environment in terms of waste and pollution. The software will complement an existing health science curriculum, developed at Teachers College for 4th-6th graders, called """"""""Linking Food and the Environment"""""""" or LIFE, developed from an NIH Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) RR 12374 (1997-2004). Our system will be based on the paradigm of role-playing simulation used in such popular computer games as SimCity and The Sims: students using the software assume roles in a simulated environment and learn from the consequences of the decisions that they make in those roles. Using the simulation paradigm students will be able to explore the dynamics of large-scale systems, such as those the food transportation system in ways that are not possible with the existing curriculum. For example, the simulation would allow students to explore the impact of changes in transportation patterns on food delivery. Our system will provide explicit coaching in applying scientific methods for investigation. We will also explore learning strategies that will encourage students to critically examine - and hopefully improve - their dietary choices. We will complement simulation-based learning with two other artificial intelligence based methodologies - the use of lifelike pedagogical agents, and the use of case-based reasoning. During Phase I, we will develop a set of detailed instructional goals, use these to develop an initial system design, develop a limited prototype of the system, and then develop and perform an informal pilot study to evaluate the viability of our design. The pilot study will be conducted over a one-month period at schools in Hayward, California and New York City. Our Phase II effort will focus on developing an extensive design and performing detailed use testing of the system developed during Phase I. ? ?
