| NSF Org: |
TI Translational Impacts |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | January 13, 2016 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | January 13, 2016 |
| Award Number: | 1620055 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Steven Konsek
TI Translational Impacts TIP Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships |
| Start Date: | January 15, 2016 |
| End Date: | December 31, 2016 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $50,000.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $50,000.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
5801 S ELLIS AVE CHICAGO IL US 60637-5418 (773)702-8669 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
1225 E. 60th Street Chicago IL US 60637-2801 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | I-Corps |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): | |
| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.084 |
ABSTRACT
This project focuses on tools for learners who are visual learners.
Of children identified with a learning disability, a large percentage will drop out of high school. Learners with disabilities often have low self-esteem and low self-confidence because they have frequently have difficulty learning with traditional teaching methods. As a result, they often give up without realizing their inherent strengths and abilities to learn in different ways. On the other hand, society benefits greatly when people with dyslexia, autism, and ADD are taught well and persist. This project's technology, "Visual Learning Studies" (VLS), increases the opportunities for learners with learning differences; bringing more of them to complete their education and become productive contributors to society and to advancing our nation's economy.
Visual Learning Studios (VLS) is an online interactive and differentiated educational platform targeting the learning needs and differences of children with autism, ADD and dyslexia. These learners typically have strengths in visual processing, while at the same time, their language processing is weak. As a result of the language processing challenges, they have difficulty learning through what are considered "traditional" means of reading and listening. Written for the general population, traditional textbooks and online textbooks are language dense. In contrast, the VLS communicates content through rich visual imagery using videos and images as well as through "lean" language that is easier for learners with these impairments to process and understand. During the I-Corps program, this I-Corps team conducts market research to validate its go-to-market strategy with potential customers. The team plans to meet with school system administrators, general education teachers, special education teachers, speech and language pathologists, social workers, occupational therapists and instructional materials designers to explore the viability of the VLS technology.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The purpose of this I-Corps project was to: 1) Conduct in-person customer discovery interviews to better understand the needs of teachers and administrators for online math programs in K-8 public and private schools; 2) Conduct market research to better understand potential competitors’ online math program products; 3) Conduct a review of the literature on the neuroscience of learning mathematics; and 4) Determine the feasibility and viability of creating a new online math program that addresses the needs of children with language learning differences, including learning disability, low socioeconomic status, and English as a second language.
The interviews revealed that teachers and administrators across the country have a great need for more support in teaching mathematics to those who struggle to learn math, particularly for those who are challenged by language for a variety of reasons. Current mathematics instruction and Common Core State Standards place a very heavy emphasis on language, including reading, writing, story problems, and explaining answers from the earliest grades. Many children quickly fall behind, and teachers and administrators consistently reported that the range of math ability within one classroom can cross several grade levels.
Teachers also reported that they do not have the time, training, or resources to teach to the full range of ability in their class. Once a student falls behind, it is extremely difficult for the teacher to go back, understand the holes in a student’s learning, and fill in those holes. Administrators and teachers in private and public schools alike expressed a great need for better tools to teach mathematics in their classrooms, and they consistently expressed a desperate need for an online tool that provides differentiation for children who have fallen behind and struggle to learn.
As a result of this project, we are currently investigating and negotiating an opportunity to provide differentiation for an already existing online math program that is being used in classrooms across the country. The original idea going in to ICorps was to create a new online math program, however the work undertaken during ICorps revealed that doing so is very difficult and not necessarily the best approach to serve learners. After completing the work of this project including looking at potential competitors, it became clear that the fastest and most effective way to provide differentiation through an online math program would be to partner with an existing program. At the time of this writing, we are in the process of negotiating a proposal to a specific company. If successful it is expected that many students will have the opportunity to learn mathematics in a way that better fits their learning style and teachers will have help in trying to teach to students with a broad range of abilities in their classrooms.
Last Modified: 01/30/2017
Modified by: Jeanne Century
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