Mobile Dyslexic Specialized Digital Game-based Learning Object for Learning Letters (DOLL)

Ability to read is a unanimous privilege we have as human. Therefore, research and development on Learning Object (LO) specially built for learning disabilities children is crucial. The issues for this project are the problem encounter by dyslexic students in output generation and information processes; and the factors that affect the effectiveness of mobile learning specially built for dyslexic. The focuses of this project are to propose guidelines and to facilitate student with visual dyslexia, or/and auditory dyslexia or/and dysgraphia; specifically in learning basic Malay language letters with interactive teaching method. Research has been made to identify the focused type of dyslexia, determine the needs of dyslexic; and the effect of graphic and animation on the efficiency of teaching technique. New multimedia-based learning object is being proposed to attract interest of dyslexic children to learn letters in fun approach and improve their recalling skills in recognizing name, shape and sound of letters. The main elements of the proposed learning object are animation, oral narration and digital gamebased. The theoretical framework proposed in this study is based on Principles of Teaching Program for Dyslexics, Stansfield Instructional Strategies, and Game-based Learning Object Framework. This project is carried out using ADDIE Instructional Design Model using Adobe Flash Professional cs5.5. A user experience testing is conducted with the dyslexic children. The result of the user experience testing showed more than half of the students would like to use the LO repeatedly. In addition, teachers agreed that DOLL act as a good new teaching tool in facilitating teaching process for dyslexic students

Current Understanding, Support Systems, and Technology-led Interventions for Specific Learning Difficulties

In January 2019, the Government Office for Science commissioned a series of 4 rapid evidence reviews to explore how technology and research can help improve educational outcomes for learners with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs). This review examined: 1) current understanding of the causes and identification of SpLDs, 2)the support system for learners with SpLDs, 3)technology-based interventions for SpLDs 4) a case study approach focusing on dyscalculia to explore all 3 theme

The words of the body: psychophysiological patterns in dissociative narratives

Trauma has severe consequences on both psychological and somatic levels, even affecting the genetic expression and the cell\u2019s DNA repair ability. A key mechanism in the understanding of clinical disorders deriving from trauma is identified in dissociation, as a primitive defense against the fragmentation of the self originated by overwhelming experiences. The dysregulation of the interpersonal patterns due to the traumatic experience and its detrimental effects on the body are supported by influent neuroscientific models such as Damasio\u2019s somatic markers and Porges\u2019 polyvagal theory. On the basis of these premises, and supported by our previous empirical observations on 40 simulated clinical sessions, we will discuss the longitudinal process of a brief psychodynamic psychotherapy (16 sessions, weekly frequency) with a patient who suffered a relational trauma. The research design consists of the collection of self-report and projective tests, pre-post therapy and after each clinical session, in order to assess personality, empathy, clinical alliance and clinical progress, along with the verbatim analysis of the transcripts trough the Psychotherapy Process Q-Set and the Collaborative Interactions Scale. Furthermore, we collected simultaneous psychophysiological measures of the therapeutic dyad: skin conductance and hearth rate. Lastly, we employed a computerized analysis of non-verbal behaviors to assess synchrony in posture and gestures. These automated measures are able to highlight moments of affective concordance and discordance, allowing for a deep understanding of the mutual regulations between the patient and the therapist. Preliminary results showed that psychophysiological changes in dyadic synchrony, observed in body movements, skin conductance and hearth rate, occurred within sessions during the discussion of traumatic experiences, with levels of attunement that changed in both therapist and the patient depending on the quality of the emotional representation of the experience. These results go in the direction of understanding the relational process in trauma therapy, using an integrative language in which both clinical and neurophysiological knowledge may take advantage of each other

Dyslexia Child Aide – a Mobile Application to Aid in Learning for Children with Dyslexia Utilizing the Orton-Gillingham Approach

The Dyslexia Child Aide is a mobile application that is developed in order to serve as a platform in which can help children with dyslexic condition in learning especially language learning. The children with dyslexic condition have learning disabilities in which they find it hard to distinguish between similar forms of letters. For example, they cannot differentiate the letter ‘b’ and ‘d’. This condition occurs not because of sight impairment but because of genetic disorder. The Dyslexia Child Aide mobile application will be developed utilising the Orton-Gillingham approach. The approach is a very famous and successful approach and it has been practice by teachers around the world for almost 50 years. The approach is not a technique but merely act as a guideline for the teachers to develop their teaching plan. The Dyslexia Child Aide mobile application has been developed on iOS platform. This is because the iOS devices, issued by Apple Inc. are known for their quality in graphics display. The good and sharp images in the mobile app will help the student more. The testing has been done with the help from special education student and also from the special education teachers that specializes in teaching the dyslexic children. Their reactions and feedback has been recorded and the collected data has determined that the mobile app is a success in achieving its objectives

Motivation Modelling and Computation for Personalised Learning of People with Dyslexia

The increasing development of e-learning systems in recent decades has benefited ubiquitous computing and education by providing freedom of choice to satisfy various needs and preferences about learning places and paces. Automatic recognition of learners’ states is necessary for personalised services or intervention to be provided in e-learning environments. In current literature, assessment of learners’ motivation for personalised learning based on the motivational states is lacking. An effective learning environment needs to address learners’ motivational needs, particularly, for those with dyslexia. Dyslexia or other learning difficulties can cause young people not to engage fully with the education system or to drop out due to complex reasons: in addition to the learning difficulties related to reading, writing or spelling, psychological difficulties are more likely to be ignored such as lower academic self-worth and lack of learning motivation caused by the unavoidable learning difficulties. Associated with both cognitive processes and emotional states, motivation is a multi-facet concept that consequences in the continued intention to use an e-learning system and thus a better chance of learning effectiveness and success. It consists of factors from intrinsic motivation driven by learners’ inner feeling of interest or challenges and those from extrinsic motivation associated with external reward or compliments. These factors represent learners’ various motivational needs; thus, understanding this requires a multidisciplinary approach. Combining different perspectives of knowledge on psychological theories and technology acceptance models with the empirical findings from a qualitative study with dyslexic students conducted in the present research project, motivation modelling for people with dyslexia using a hybrid approach is the main focus of this thesis. Specifically, in addition to the contribution to the qualitative conceptual motivation model and ontology-based computational model that formally expresses the motivational factors affecting users’ continued intention to use e-learning systems, this thesis also conceives a quantitative approach to motivation modelling. A multi-item motivation questionnaire is designed and employed in a quantitative study with dyslexic students, and structural equation modelling techniques are used to quantify the influences of the motivational factors on continued use intention and their interrelationships in the model. In addition to the traditional approach to motivation computation that relies on learners’ self-reported data, this thesis also employs dynamic sensor data and develops classification models using logistic regression for real-time assessment of motivational states. The rule-based reasoning mechanism for personalising motivational strategies and a framework of motivationally personalised e-learning systems are introduced to apply the research findings to e-learning systems in real-world scenarios. The motivation model, sensor-based computation and rule-based personalisation have been applied to a practical scenario with an essential part incorporated in the prototype of a gaze-based learning application that can output personalised motivational strategies during the learning process according to the real-time assessment of learners’ motivational states based on both the eye-tracking data in addition to users’ self-reported data. Evaluation results have indicated the advantage of the application implemented compared to the traditional one without incorporating the present research findings for monitoring learners’ motivation states with gaze data and generating personalised feedback. In summary, the present research project has: 1) developed a conceptual motivation model for students with dyslexia defining the motivational factors that influence their continued intention to use e-learning systems based on both a qualitative empirical study and prior research and theories; 2) developed an ontology-based motivation model in which user profiles, factors in the motivation model and personalisation options are structured as a hierarchy of classes; 3) designed a multi-item questionnaire, conducted a quantitative empirical study, used structural equation modelling to further explore and confirm the quantified impacts of motivational factors on continued use intention and the quantified relationships between the factors; 4) conducted an experiment to exploit sensors for motivation computation, and developed classification models for real-time assessment of the motivational states pertaining to each factor in the motivation model based on empirical sensor data including eye gaze data and EEG data; 5) proposed a sensor-based motivation assessment system architecture with emphasis on the use of ontologies for a computational representation of the sensor features used for motivation assessment in addition to the representation of the motivation model, and described the semantic rule-based personalisation of motivational strategies; 6) proposed a framework of motivationally personalised e-learning systems based on the present research, with the prototype of a gaze-based learning application designed, implemented and evaluated to guide future work

GlyphReader App: a support game for the application of the Orton- Gillingham method with DataMining Techniques

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, known by its Spanish acronym as ADHD, is a topic of great interest to professionals in psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience in general, due to the negative impact it has on social functioning, personal, work, academic and family of those who suffer from it. This research aims to become a new contribution to the problems that ADHD represents in the world. Regarding its structure, this study starts from a detailed review of the existing theory about ADHD (from a historical perspective, neurobiology, neuropsychology, etiology, epidemiology, treatment, prognosis, among others) and reviews about cognitive development in the stage of childhood, to move to a methodological approach that allows obtaining data on the prevalence of ADHD symptoms in a sample of children, as well as analysis of results that establish the usefulness and reliability of different scales and / or diagnostic criteria in exploring symptoms adjusted to current definitions of this disorder

Initiating e-learning by stealth, participation and consultation in a late majority institution

The extent to which opportunities afforded by e-learning are embraced by an institution can depend in large measure on whether it is perceived as enabling and transformative or as a major and disruptive distraction. Most case studies focus on the former. This paper describes how e-learning was introduced into the latter environment. The sensitivity of competing pressures in a research intensive university substantially influenced the manner in which e-learning was promoted. This paper tells that story, from initial stealth to eventual university acknowledgement of the relevance of e-learning specifically to its own context

The Effect of Using Mobile Applications in Treating Learning Difficulties Among Students in Jordan

In today’s digital era, interactive learning media is the right solution to improve the quality of effective and efficient learning. An active engagement between students and learning media using iSpring Suite can enhance student understanding and enthusiasm and motivate students in teaching and learning. This research aims to create Android-based interactive media using iSpring Suite for electric lighting installation learning materials. This research uses the Research and Development (R&D) method with a 4-D development model. This research consists of several stages: defining, designing, developing, and disseminating, and was conducted using validation sheet instruments. The results of this study indicated that the learning media experts confirmed that it was 93.8% valid. At the same time, the materials experts confirmed that it was 90.8% valid. Based on the validity percentage, Android-based interactive learning media using iSpring Suite is highly recommended for electric lighting installations subject. It has been well-tested and effectively applied as an Android-based interactive learning medium