Research has evidenced the adaptability and plasticity of our cognitive functioning and the constructive and interactive character of learning processes. Nonetheless, schooling practice often emphasises the use of static-type diagnostic tests by adopting an evaluation model to assess only the product of learning. This is particularly relevant for evaluating special educational needs (SEN). In these cases, static testing offers very limited information that centres on execution deficits. This information does not allow specific difficulties that students display while performing activities to be specified and scarcely helps to identify the optimising conditions of the learning process. Accordingly, an evaluation is not often linked to educational interventions to optimise development and learning. One of the main challenges of inclusive education in Europe consists precisely in providing teachers with tools and adaptive resources that serve as effective supports to care for the education of students with SEN. In line with this, teachers perceive that support materials are lacking, as is guided access to such material, which is one of the most significant weaknesses of education systems in relation to inclusive education. We believe it is most relevant to deal with this challenge by a transnational approach that contemplates quality education for all everyone and caring for diversity as the fundamental and shared principles of socio-education policies. To respond to this situation, the objective of this project consists of developing and validating a device for computerised dynamic assessment and optimisation of the executive functions in students with SEN derived from neurodevelopmental and learning disorders (C-DAOEF). Executive functions (EF) constitute a set of skills involved in controlling and regulating cognitive functioning that is determining factors for learning, flexible conduct adjustments, social functioning and academic success, especially in children with SEN. The C-DAOEF device will contemplate several levels of difficulty and graduated prompts related to each item. Its essential characteristic consists in the dynamic adaptation of these elements to the level of students’ progressive competence. The system will allow the sequence of performed actions and execution times. Its application will help obtain information about (a) the levels of difficulty shown while dealing with different activities; such as (b) the type and degree of support required to successfully solve them. The consortium that will develop and validate this tool is formed by six organisations. The UNIZAR Research Group (RG), which is the Project Coordinator, which will provide its experience related with computerised dynamic assessment (DA) and applied research in the field of EF, language and SEN. DYS-centrum, and the RGs of the Universities of Seville and Presov, which will contribute their experience in the research field and in intervening in neurodevelopment and learning disorders, and also in relation to implementing cognitive improvement programmes and DA models. CY.M.S. will contribute with its experience in designing materials in the specific area of mathematics. In the technology field, the Team of Research and Artificial Intelligence Applications of the University of Málaga will contribute its knowledge of constructing and implementing computerised adaptive testing. Finally, the Inthecity Project Development will contribute its experience in designing web platforms, and in designing games and interactive applications. The sequence of activities to be performed contemplates 1. Initially designing both the content and structure of assessment and intervention activities; 2. Establishing the graduated prompts system; 3. Designing the web platform with all its functionalities; 4. Computerising the set of items and designing interactive games; 5. The application and the initial validation; 6. Calibrating and assembling the items according to the results; 7. Configuring the C-DAOEF device; 8. Configuring the database to be used to record and store information. 9. Preparing the manual of application, and establishing diffusion channels and teacher training. The expected results should include designing games and activities for DA and optimising EF; a web platform with specific functionalities; software containing the C-DAOEF device; the database to allow professionals and researchers to make inquiries; the application manual and interpreting the results. The project offers high transfer potential according to the requirements detected in relation to the population group it addresses. The project intends to contribute to bringing about significant changes in assessment and intervention processes that, in turn, allow optimised learning. It is expected to particularly allow students with neurodevelopment and learning disorders to participate and learn by contributing to their socio-educational inclusion process.
The project aims to contribute to the development of evidence-based psycho-educational assessment and intervention tools, which allow us to obtain useful information aimed at improving the teaching-learning process, especially in children with neurodevelopmental and learning disorders. The aim was also to provide teachers with tools that allow for the adaptability of assessment and intervention processes. The overall objective of this project consists in developing and validating a device for computerised dynamic assessment and optimization of the executive functions in students with SEN derived from neurodevelopmental and learning disorders (C-DAOEF). We include Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Intellectual Disability (ID), Specific Learning Difficulties (SLD) and Specific Language Impairments (SLI). Executive functions (EF) constitute a set of skills involved in controlling and regulating cognitive functioning (Acosta-Rodríguez et al., 2017) that are determining factors for learning, flexible conduct adjustments, social functioning and academic success, especially in children with SEN. Specific Objectives: 1. Design the web platform from which games and adaptive applications of assessments and interventions will be developed. 2. Design the content and structure of the items making up each game and the device’s applications in a physical format. 3. Establish the mediation system (graduated prompts, metacognitive guide and feedback) associated with each item or set of items. 4. Design/computer development as interactive games with the set of assessment/intervention items that will make up the C-DAOEF device. 5. Apply and validate the applications on a small scale while developing and finishing them. 6. Quantitatively and qualitatively analyse the applications in terms of their validity in relation to the results and evaluations made by teachers and users. 7. Calibrate and assemble the items according to the results and the configuration set for the set of assessment/intervention activities. 8. Obtain the final C-DAOEF device configuration. 9. Obtain the configuration of the database that will allow the information obtained from applying games and activities to be recorded and stored. 10. Prepare an application manual and decide the channels to diffuse the results and training for teachers.
Based on the problems related to the use of static assessment in the school context for special educational needs, the purpose of this project is to configure a set of dynamic assessment applications in the format of interactive games for the assessment and intervention of students with special educational needs associated with intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities (Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Intellectual Disability, Specific Learning Disability, and Development Language Disorder). These games will address different cognitive processes involved in learning, different levels of difficulty associated with each item of the tasks, as well as different mediation guidelines depending on the responses that students offer during the execution of the tasks.