The National Science Foundation is funding a number of grants through its INCLUDES program to catalyze the formation of alliances aimed at leveraging collective action to address challenges in broadening participation in STEM. Our team at the Landmark College Institute for Research and Training has been invited to submit a full proposal to this solicitation, and we would like to partner with you!
As many of you know, a well-established body of research shows that despite localized areas of challenge primarily related to language processing, individuals with dyslexia are otherwise cognitively quite capable. In fact, there is growing evidence that individuals with dyslexia often exhibit strengths in spatial reasoning, complex visual processing, creativity, and entrepreneurship, and yet they remain significantly underrepresented in STEM fields. One reason that students with dyslexia are often unfairly excluded from STEM opportunities is because typical assessments used throughout K-16 education rely heavily on language processing and symbolic decoding skills. This form of assessment imposes a significant cognitive processing load on students with dyslexia that severely impacts their ability to demonstrate their full cognitive ability. This often prevents them from qualifying for more advanced STEM courses and accessing STEM internships and training opportunities--and can lead educators and, more importantly, the students themselves to question their ability to pursue a STEM career.
To address this challenge, we are seeking to work with secondary and postsecondary institutions, game designers, researchers, government policy makers, and industry partners to bring together a unique alliance focused on game-based assessment of students with dyslexia. The immediate goal is to build an alliance that can shape and better inform assessment practices that mitigate barriers to performance for students with dyslexia. Digital games engage learners in complex problem solving activities that do not rely on text and formal modes of communication. Using the latest tools in our neurocognitive lab, including eye tracking, EEG, and fNIRS, Landmark College has been working with academic and industry partners to look at non-traditional markers of learning among students with dyslexia and other learning differences. The work of this alliance will be informed by our prior NSF sponsored work exploring the use of digital games and tools to support these students (HRD-1128948, DRL-1417456, DRL- 1417967), as well as our research on game-based cognitive training with our partners at Akili Interactive.
Game-based learning assessments (GBLAs) use game data logs along with educational data mining (EDM) to develop valid STEM learning assessments that do not require textual tests. STEM GBLAs that measure knowledge demonstrated through behaviors rather than language mediated responses allow researchers and educators to capture implicit knowledge from learners who may have trouble expressing their knowledge in other ways. By catalyzing the development and adoption of GBLAs of STEM, this alliance aims to encourage the use and acceptance of these implicit methods of assessing learning as a means of allowing learners to more accurately express their STEM knowledge.
We will eventually be expanding this alliance to a national audience, but during this launch phase, we are looking for partners in New England, Florida, and California. If you would like to partner with us in this alliance or if you would like to be kept updated on the alliance’s activities, please let us know.