Data Downloads Available In Digital Dashboard

A new update of IMMEX has just been released. The update is automatically applied when you log in. You will not have to do anything to take advantage of this new update.

This new update brings you the ability to download QuadScore data when using the Digital Dashboard. For a brief overview and tutorial of the IMMEX Digital Dashboard, please click on the icon on the left or use this link

PROBLEM SET OF THE MONTH - November 2008

Which Plasmid is It?
Each month IMMEX will highlight a problem set that has significant research data and/or potential.
You need to use molecular biology techniques to determine which plasmid is in the container. From your lab book and invoices you know what the possible plasmids are.
While using the provided "Student Guide", the student takes notes on the various characteristics of the particular plasmid, including antibiotic resistance and restriction sites. Using data from the digests the student puts together a profile of the plasmid and uses an elimination strategy to determine the solution to the problem.
To see the Prolem Profile, Statistics, Interactive Data, and more click here.

PROBLEM SET OF THE MONTH - October 2008

HAZMAT
Each month IMMEX will highlight a problem set that has significant research data and/or potential.
This month's selection is designed for high school, and freshman level chemistry students.
Hazmat, is a qualitative analysis problem, in which the student must identify an unknown compound based on the results of the physical and chemical tests that s/he requests within the problem space.
A volume of research findings has been published and/or presented on the data collected from this versitle problem set.
To see the Prolem Profile, Statistics, Interactive Data, and more click here.

Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 52nd Annual Meeting

Ron Stevens, Director of the IMMEX Project presented findings at the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 52nd Annual Meeting in New York.
The session titled: FOUNDATIONS OF AUGMENTED COGNITION was chaired by Joseph Cohn, DARPA; & cochair: Sherry Ogreten, U. of Central Florida Inst. for Simulation and Training.
The following authors contributed to the manuscript: Stevens, R. H., Galloway, T., Berka, C., Johnson, R. & Sprang, M.
The manuscript published in the meeting's proceedings; Assessing Student’s Mental Representations of Complex Problem Spaces with EEG Technologies can be found under our list of publications or click here.

New Version of IMMEX

A new version of IMMEX is now available to the general public immediately at the time of this announcement. The IMMEX Research and Development team has been hard at work to bring some new features and enhancements to our users. The most notable feature is our new Digital Dashboard that will enable teachers to view an instant snapshot of how the students are progressing in each class. Other enhancements include improved performance, more flexible Staging, and even more robust security.
A handout is available to guide you in the use of the Digital Dashboard

PROBLEM SET OF THE MONTH - September 2008

Paul's Pepperoni Pizza
Each month IMMEX will highlight a problem set that has significant research data and/or potential.
This month's selection is designed for 3rd grade math students but is often used as an introductory problem for more advanced students.
There are nine cases in the problem set which ask the student to determine how many pizzas were ordered for the Stinger's baseball team. Sometimes you're given the size of the pizzas, sometimes not, which adds a degree of difficulty. Other factors must be considered in order to calculate a solution.
Also note our first look at the IMMEX Digital Dashboard which is availalbe for preview ...more

IMMEX Data Visualizations Reviewed at Tableau Customer Conference

Tableau Software publishers of powerful analytic and visualization software held their first ever customer conference in Seattle, WA. The sold-out conference features industry experts, hands-on training sessions, and customer case studies. As part of the sessions featuring Best Practices, the IMMEX Project provided a challenging assortment of complex data for experts to review and improve upon. The goal is to recognize good visual analysis techniques and to offer constructive real-time advice on how to improve and enhance data visualization. Trysha Galloway from the IMMEX Project attended the conference.

Distinguished Visitors from Shanghai

The Shanghai Principal Delegation consisting of ten outstanding school principals from China's largest city, traveled to California in June to study innovative educational practices. Their itinerary brought them to the IMMEX Software Development Lab for morning presentations and hands-on problem-solving simulations. Following the exercises the group analyzed each other’s performances using IMMEX reporting tools. The group performed well on their problem simulations and their analysis was very productive. Other stops on the three week tour included UCLA's campus and the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena.

Journal of Chemical Education

Journal of Chemical Education has published the manuscript entitled An Assessment of the Effect of Collaborative Groups on Students' Problem-Solving Strategies and Abilities in their June 2008, (Volume 85, No. 6, pp. 866-872) issue. This paper reports the use of a suite of software tools and pedagogies to probe the effectiveness of using small group interaction to improve problem solving. Data modeling using artificial neural nets (ANN), hidden Markov modeling (HMM), and item response theory (IRT) is discussed. Authors: Cooper, Melanie M.; Cox, Charles T., Jr.; Nammouz, Minory; Case, Edward; Stevens, Ronald.

Beta Testing of Rapid Sequence Strategies

Students at Esperanza High School in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District were the first to sample a new experimental approach designed to measure students' understanding of content in complex problem spaces. Students with experience solving the HAZMAT chemistry simulation were shown rapid sequences of test results from the problem and asked whether or not the sequence represents a successful approach to a particular solution. Each image is displayed for only 1.5 seconds and each stack of test results contained between six and 22 images. The sequence repeats until the student makes a decision. Students were generally able to make dozens of decisions in the time allotted. Results showed that the groups became faster with each stack and accuracy increased.

Pedagogical Agents Introduced in IMMEX Problem-sets

In a partnership with K12@USC, IMMEX has updated a number of problem sets with pedagogical agents developed in the K12@USC program. These agents provide strategy advice to assist learners to develop successful strategies for solving problems. Teachers can choose animated text or audio-visual animated agents. See the PDF Handout for more information.

New Substance Abuse Problem Sets Added

IMMEX has added four additional SOS Problems brining the total to six. SOS problems deal with substance abuse and are set in the form of a reality TV show which proposes to expose an individuals underlying problems and assist the featured guest toward recovery. During "the show" you have access to the subject's behavior, employment, medical, academic, and personal records including email, voicemail and statements from friends and family. A scrolling timeline allows you to view and compare the content for up to a dozen events. SOS problems are the most complex IMMEX problems developed to date and are designed for students of behavioral and neuroscience.