Assessing cognitive flexibility: Quantitative insights into the impact of adaptive learning technologies in special education (original) (raw)
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1985
A federally sponsored project was designed to incorporate a memory-assessment task and a memory strategy into a computer-based instructional system for assessing and assisting in remediating basic memory-processing and metacognitive deficiencies. The project resulted in an instructional system for school-aged children and youth with mild to moderate mental retardation as well as those with learning disabilities. The computer-based system is based upon an ordered recall task with a circular recall strategy. The system breaks the circular recall memory strategy into its component parts, trains each separdtely, and then chains the components together. The project involved substantiation of the useability and design of the inrtructional system, creation of the system, field testing and refinement, and preparation of a marketing plan. This final report describes activities carried out to complete project tasks. The report's appendices comprise the bulk of the document. Appendixes A and B provide the final design report and an addendum, outlining the significance of the problem, the population to benefit from the system to be developed, project timeline, computer screen layouts, plans for testing, commercial publishers' feedback, and other project information. Other appendices provide a user's manual, field test plan, final marketing plan, field test report, preliminary marketing plan, and software coding documentation. (Approximately 120 references in Appendix A) (OM)
2010
Target audiences for this paper include researchers, cognitive scientists, instructional design and technology experts, test developers, and practitioners. Researchers with expertise in the cognitive sciences will be needed to help increase understanding of cognitive pathways. Instructional design experts can help translate what is known about the cognitive pathways into learning progressions. Instructional technology experts can help design learning environments that maximize the effective implementation of learning progressions.
Journal of Global Information Management, 2021
The studies targeting cognitive training via computerized applications focused on suggesting varied types of Working Memory's (WM) tasks rather than offering those tasks in a user-friendly way or suggesting practical guidelines targeting the end-user. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to adopt the design based-research method (DBR) to design, develop, and evaluate a cognitive training application in the light of a set of proposed guidelines. This developed application is targeting children with LDs at primary schools. The current study focused on end-user testing by evaluating the children's perceived experience during and after engagement in the application. The results showed that most of the children (86.5%) perceived a good experience with the application as well as their verbal and no-verbal WM performance improved significantly after the training period. A set of theoretical and practical implications derived from the study was embedded for future research.
IJMRAP, 2021
This study aimed at exploring the level of cognitive flexibility of students with learning disabilities in English language in Irbid Governorate and its relationship with the variables of gender and school grade. The study sample consisted of (380) male and female students in the elementary stage. The study used the descriptive approach and developed the cognitive flexibility scale as an instrument to collect data. The content validity and reliability of the instrument were ensured using the Cronbach Alpha and repetition methods. The results revealed the existence of statistically significant differences in the level of cognitive flexibility among those with learning disabilities due to the gender variable in favor of males, and to the school grade variable in favor of the second primary grade.
Individualized special education with cognitive skill assessment
British Journal of Educational Technology, 2000
AHMED is a learning environment which-in addition to supporting openness in learning materials and adaptivity in learning events-supports evaluation of a learner's cognitive skills. The intended learners in the environment are disabled children. We present a justification of the system by comparing it to previous intelligent tutoring systems. Despite some shortcomings in AHMED's philosophy, it provides a usable addition to the computer-aided special education.
Cognitive flexibility training intervention among children with autism: a longitudinal study
Autism is defined by persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction in multiple contexts as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior. There are also reported difficulties in the dynamic activation and modification of cognitive processes in response to changes in tasks' demands. Such difficulties are believed to be due to poor flexible cognition. This research aimed to assess and intervene in cognitive flexibility in subjects with autism. Ten subjects diagnosed with autism by psychiatrists, aged 5 years to 13 years and 5 months, were assessed in non-verbal intelligence through Raven's Progressive Matrices in pretest. They were also assessed in cognitive flexibility through Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and in patterns of social interactions, behaviors, and communication through Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). An intervention program of 14 to 21 sessions was established to enhance cognitive flexibility. In posttest, they were assessed in WCST and ADI-R. All measures of cognitive flexibility improved in posttest except for failure to maintain set. Among the measures improved in posttest, perseverative errors and responses improved in posttest with statistical significance as well as categories completed. Total scores on ADI-R were lower in posttest as well as scores on communication abilities. The qualitative improvement showed by the individuals of this research concerning cognitive flexibility and also patterns of restricted behavior, social interaction, and communication abilities suggests that individuals with autism can benefit from the development of strategies for the enhancement of cognitive flexibility. Nevertheless, more research is suggested with a larger sample among subjects on the autism spectrum.
Language Value, Volume 11, 2019
Assistive Technology in Special Educationby Joan L. Green (2018) delves into technology, i.e. apps, websites and devices, to boost learning in students with special needs. With the rise of new technologies in the field of education, many students with disabilities areleft behind. Thus, this book intends to show how to use those technologies to make learning easier for physically and mentally challenged students to help them overcome learning difficulties and improve their quality of life. Not only does this book suggest cutting-edge technology, but also everyday gadgets and apps which were not originally created with therapy goals in mind, but end up being so if used correctly, along with state-of-the-art solutions
National Center on Educational Outcomes University of Minnesota, 2006
We hope this report provides a useful framework to inform discussion about flexibility in assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities that will: a. permit clarification of values and goals so fundamental policy decisions can be made regarding desired comparability, b. support research and development work to improve assessment for this population of students, with the long-term goal that such assessment will support improved achievement, c. help the discussion of alternate assessment approaches move beyond simply using nominal labels of familiar assessment formats (e.g., portfolio, performance, checklist or rating scales) and recognize that most alternate assessments are a blend of multiple formats with varying degrees of flexibility for different components of the system, and d. assist in the evaluation of the technical quality of alternate assessment systems.