Interactive, Educational Exhibits Powered by AI
The problem: Traditional science education often fails to engage children because it focuses on reciting scientific facts, not on the engaging process of scientific inquiry.
The solution: With support from the National Science Foundation, a team of 麻豆村 researchers have created a series of interactive, hands-on exhibits and learning stations for museums and schools.
- The AI system, known as NoRILLA and named after a virtual gorilla, guides children through the full cycle of scientific inquiry—from forming a hypothesis to testing it—ensuring play is purposeful.
- By offering just-in-time feedback on children's real-world actions, the system shifts the focus from remembering facts to understanding how science works.
The impact: Studies show NoRILLA improves children's learning by five times compared to equivalent tablet or computer games while also increasing their interest and enjoyment.
- It also kept children engaged for up to four times longer than traditional exhibits, confirming the power of inquiry-based learning.
- Additional NSF funding is helping to expand NoRILLA from museums and science centers to intelligent science stations in schools.
- NoRILLA has been disseminated to more than 40 schools and museums around the US and Europe, reaching millions of children.
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