I-Corps: Visual Learning Studios

这个项目关注的是为可视化学习者提供的工具。在被认定为学习障碍的儿童中，有很大比例将从高中辍学。残疾学习者往往自尊心低，自信心低，因为他们经常难以用传统的教学方法进行学习。因此，他们经常放弃，而没有意识到自己以不同方式学习的内在优势和能力。另一方面，当阅读障碍、自闭症和多动症患者得到很好的教育并坚持下去时，社会会受益良多。该项目的技术“视觉学习研究”(VLS)为有学习差异的学习者增加了机会；使更多的人完成他们的教育，成为社会和国家经济发展的富有成效的贡献者。视觉学习工作室(VLS)是一个在线互动和差异化教育平台，针对自闭症、ADD和阅读障碍儿童的学习需求和差异。这些学习者通常在视觉处理方面具有优势，但同时他们的语言处理能力较弱。由于语言处理方面的挑战，他们很难通过被认为是“传统”的阅读和听力手段进行学习。传统教科书和网络教科书都是为普通大众编写的，语言密集。相比之下，VLS通过使用视频和图像的丰富视觉图像以及对有这些障碍的学习者更容易处理和理解的“精益”语言来交流内容。在i-Corps计划期间，i-Corps团队进行市场调查，以验证其进入市场的战略与潜在客户。该小组计划与学校系统管理员、普通教育教师、特殊教育教师、言语和语言病理学家、社会工作者、职业治疗师和教材设计师会面，以探索VLS技术的可行性。

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.