Press Releases
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Al Renshaw
Phone: 1-800-577-9040
e-Mail: Al Renshaw
WESTED PARTNERS WITH QUANTUM® ON $2.8
MILLION GRANT FROM THE INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES (IES) TO RESEARCH
THE EFFICACY OF ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE TUTORING SOFTWARE FOR SCIENCE EDUCATION
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — June
11, 2008, WestEd, a national non-profit research and development agency,
and Quantum Simulations, Inc., a developer of artificial intelligence
tutoring, assessment and professional development software, have been
awarded a $2.8 million grant from the Institute of Education Sciences
(IES) of the U.S. Department of Education to evaluate the impact of
Quantum’s artificial intelligence tutoring software for chemistry
on student learning.
The four-year WestEd study will examine
traditional learning methods in schools and hypothesizes that students
who are taught chemistry using the Quantum Tutors® 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 twelve Chemistry Tutors, which
include difficult topics and concepts students struggle with the most.
Approximately 70 schools from the state of California will participate
in this regional study with future plans to expand nationally as part
of a larger initiative.
“The findings from this study,
to be released in 2012, will not only tell us about 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,” commented Dr. Steve Schneider, Director
of WestEd’s Mathematics, Science & Technology Program.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, chemistry is taught to more than 54 percent of students
in U.S. high schools. Now that States have implemented science course
requirements for high school graduation, an increasing number of schools
are forced to rely on new and out-of-field teachers to fill the gap
for teaching science and mathematics. As a result, the National Center
for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that high schools are experiencing
a substantial decline in the quality, depth and individual attention
students receive. To help meet the increased demand, the U.S. Department
of Education is exploring the use of technology, including the Quantum Tutors® and Assessment Advisors, 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 Dr. Benny Johnson, President and CEO
at Quantum®. “The Quantum Tutors® can help teachers meet that
need by providing one-on-one assistance to students when the teacher
in unavailable to help or 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 that struggle the most. For more information,
visit: http://www.quantumsimulations.com/research.html.
About Quantum®
Quantum Simulations, Inc. develops artificial intelligence (AI) tutoring,
assessment and professional development software for science, mathematics
and accounting that empowers teachers and inspires students from middle
school through college to achieve more. Quantum's intelligent learning
software is available stand-alone or integrated with our partners’
web-based homework products and Learning Management Systems. 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 http://www.quantumsimulations.com.
About WestEd
WestEd, a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit research, development and
service agency, works with education and other communities to promote
excellence, achieve equity and improve learning for children, youth
and adults. The agency’s Mathematics, Science and Technology
Program is a national leader in promoting science and mathematics
literacy for all students, operating two dozen large to medium scale
research, development and technical assistance projects each year
in the area of mathematics and science education. WestEd has 16 offices
nationwide, from Washington and Boston to Arizona and California.
Its corporate headquarters are in San Francisco. More information
about WestEd is available at http://www.WestEd.org.
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