Press Releases
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Al Renshaw
Phone: 1-800-577-9040
e-Mail: Al Renshaw
QUANTUM® RECEIVES $250,000 FROM THE
OHIO BOARD OF REGENTS TO DEVELOP ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TUTORING
AND ASSESSMENT SOFTWARE FOR MIDDLE-SCHOOL MATHEMATICS
$1.4 million in grant funding
planned for Quantum's AI technology over five years to help improve
annual yearly progress requirements as defined by the federal No Child
Left Behind Act.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - May 31, 2006,
Quantum Simulations, Inc. has announced a five-year plan with The
Ohio Board of Regents to develop artificial intelligence (AI) tutoring
and assessment software for mathematics to help schools in Ohio, California,
Kansas and New Mexico not meeting their annual yearly progress goals
for at least two years. The funding provided to Quantum® is part of
the MATRIX Project (Middle school Achievement through Technology-Rich
Interventions), a $15 million federal grant initiative led by The
Ohio Board of Regents to improve middle school mathematics and reading
achievement for underperforming urban and rural schools.
The MATRIX Project will integrate Quantum's
AI tutoring and assessment technology into interactive games and learning
resources accessed through PDAs and other mobile technologies to engage
and excite students about mathematics and reading. Teachers at a series
of Intensive Sites across the four states will receive professional
development training to provide after-school programs for students
not meeting targeted achievement goals.
"I am excited to work with partners
like Quantum® who are developing strategies and resources to meet the
needs of the learners of our future," commented Tim Best, Project
Director at The Ohio Board of Regents. "It is critical for us to do
a better job with math and science in middle schools, and Quantum®
understands and shares this important MATRIX mission."
The Quantum Tutors® provide personal,
real-time help and instant feedback related to ANY problem assigned
to the student. Just like working with a human tutor, students can
view detailed explanations of each step in a problem, request hints
and ask questions. The formative assessment data provided by the Quantum Assessment Advisors® instantly analyzes student work and provides teachers
with real-time data measuring how their classes performed by concept
and problem with drill-down detail to each student's work. This process
would normally take teachers several hours a night to provide grading
and detailed feedback for every student by hand. Now, Quantum's AI
technology can instantly complete the administrative task of grading,
giving teachers more time to work with struggling students on targeted
areas of improvement identified by the assessment software.
"The scaffolding techniques and pedagogy
of Quantum's AI software inspires students not just to answer a question
correctly, but to understand the concepts behind why an answer is
right or wrong," commented Dr. Benny Johnson, President and CEO at
Quantum®. "Students gain the confidence to attempt problems without
fear of failure or embarrassment - and teachers and parents receive
specific, immediate feedback to develop action plans for improving
student performance."
Wexford, Inc., the external evaluator
for the MATRIX Project, will conduct scientifically-based research
to determine the extent to which the program improves mathematics
and reading achievement for students over the five-year program. If
successful, similar programs could be developed to include other states
including Texas, Mississippi, Massachusetts and the territory of Puerto
Rico.
The MATRIX Project is a partnership
between The Ohio Board of Regents (http://www.regents.state.oh.us/index.html)
and several outstanding educational partners including:
-
Quantum Simulations, Inc.
-
Center for Research on Learning
at the University of Kansas
-
Advanced Learning Technologies
in Education Consortia (ALTEC)
-
New Mexico State University -
Learning Games Lab
-
Alliance for Distance Education
in California
-
Ohio Resource for Mathematics,
Science and Reading
-
Instructional Technology Services
of Central Ohio, Inc.
-
-
-
YES Learning and Computer Center
About Quantum®
Quantum Simulations, Inc. develops artificial intelligence (AI) tutoring,
assessment and professional development software that empowers teachers
and inspires students from middle school through college to improve
their knowledge and appreciation for the sciences. Teacher tested
and approved by educators across the United States, Quantum's AI software
is proven in research studies to improve comprehension, problem solving
skills and test scores by as much as 50%. Quantum's intelligent tutoring
engines are integrated with existing web-based learning products,
providing a strong competitive edge for distributing partners. A "technology
think tank," Quantum® is funded and supported by the U.S. Department
of Education, the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes
of Health. For more information, please visit www.quantumsimulations.com.
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