SPONSORING OFFICE:
Office of Educational Research and Improvement

Abstract:
History and social studies learning outcomes are below standard. A clear understanding of history is vital for our students to become effective citizens. Tutoring can help individual students raise their academic results. However, competent tutors are expensive and often unavailable. Virtual Tutor is an innovative project that proposes to further Phase I's successful feasibility study of linking tutors and students at a distance through a three-dimensional virtual world on the Internet. We will expand the world's capabilities and develop tutoring as cybernetic content to quantify its accuracy, increase the number of students, augment student interest, and expand its commercial potential. The cybernetic aspect of the project means that student interaction with the program will sometimes be with the computer and other times with a human being. This cybernetic approach is the linchpin of the Phase II research and development. Another fertile area for research and development is the pedagogical use of game theory for instructional purposes, and the use of "prizes" from business partners as awards for academic progress. The project goals are to positively impact learning outcomes in history/ social studies and promote commercialization.

Summary of Anticipated Results and Implications:
Phase I proved that students liked and learned through tutoring in a three-dimensional world with tutors at a distance. Phase II will prove out whether students can effectively learn through a cybernetic presentation of instructional material. It win also test out an expanded 3D world with "historical sites" created with three-dimensional software, Internet telephony, and desktop videoconferencing. The potential market is huge. There are 50,000,000 students in K-12 in the United States. U.S. History is generally offered at 5th, 8th and 11th grades. This translates to over 11 million enrolled in American History at any one time. The Virtual Tutor has a two-pronged approach to commercialization: year one's Live Tutoring Model to link tutors to small groups of students for live tutoring on the web, and year two's Cybernetic Model to automate elements of the tutoring to reach a larger school audience. Markets for year one are primarily homes, and for year two primarily schools. Marketing will include charter schools, home schools, after-school programs, foundations, associations, and organizations. An innovative aspect of the commercialization process is to hire a grant writing team year two to assist schools in writing for funds to support the Virtual Tutor . One group of charter schools has already written a federal grant to include purchasing the Virtual Tutor . Their letter of support expresses a contractual relationship with Distance Education Consultants . Other letters of support are from Wendy's, McDonald's, and a history expert.

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