RDE-FRI: Supporting Math Access for Middle and High School Blind Students Through Adaptive Math Tutoring Technology (STEM Access)

RDE-FRI项目：通过适应性数学辅导技术（STEMAccess）支持初中和高中盲人学生的数学学习，是一个为期24个月、价值30万美元的项目，由残疾教育研究（RDE）项目的重点研究倡议（FRI）项目资助。该项目的主要目标是解决初高中盲人学生数学成绩相对较差的问题，这些学生有学术能力参与STEM领域。这一目标是通过一系列实验来研究三个主要目标：研究盲人学生解决数学问题的认知过程，重点关注与成功问题表征相关的单词问题特征；盲生数学动机对数学学习的贡献评价——以自我调节行为如求助和坚持为重点以及如何适应以技术为基础的教学来帮助盲人学生提高数学问题的解决能力。该项目建立在PI目前和以前的工作的基础上，该工作是由美国国家科学基金会（DRL-0411886）和美国教育部教育科学研究所（R305K050086）资助的，研究非残疾学生数学辅导技术的认知和动机结果。这个来自南加州大学（USC）的经验丰富的团队由一位专家研究心理学家领导，他们对失明的初高中学生进行了三个实验，使用准实验设计来比较盲人学生之间的数学成绩，以及与正常学生的数学成绩。这些实验涉及60名初中和高中的盲人学生，他们是通过与洛杉矶联合学区（LAUSD）视障学生项目的现有合作伙伴关系招募的。视力正常学生的数据包括来自60名视力正常的同龄人的比较数据，以及来自500多名视力正常学生的现有数据集的表现数据。该项目主要解决FRI轨道目标之一：调查STEM中残疾人的有效教学方法和实践。有一个形成性和总结性的项目评估计划，由经验丰富的独立外部评估员Valerie Shute进行，她来自佛罗里达州立大学。额外的形成性项目输入由专家顾问团队提供，他们在盲人学生的STEM教育，空间认知和工作记忆以及学习技术的使用方面经验丰富。还有一个传播计划，其中包括与RDE社区共享信息，并在同行评审的专业期刊上发表。

The project RDE-FRI: Supporting Math Access for Middle and High School Blind Students Through Adaptive Math Tutoring Technology (STEMAccess) is a 24-month, $300,000 dollar award funded by the Research in Disabilities Education (RDE) program's Focused Research Initiatives (FRI) track. The primary goal of this project is to address the relatively poor math achievement of middle and high school students who are blind and who have the academic ability to participate in STEM fields. This goal is addressed through a series of experiments to study three (3) primary objectives: The investigation of math problem solving cognitive processes in blind students with a focus on characteristics of word problems associated with successful problem representation; the evaluation of the contribution of mathematics motivation to math learning in blind students with a focus on self-regulated behaviors such as help-seeking and persistence; and the adaptation of technology-based instruction to help improve math problem solving in blind students. This project builds on the prior success of the PI's current and previous work on the cognitive and motivational outcomes of tutoring technology for non-disabled students in mathematics that was funded by NSF (DRL-0411886) and the US Education Department's Institute of Educational Sciences (R305K050086).This highly experienced team from the University of Southern California (USC), which is lead by an expert research psychologist, is conducting three (3) experiments with blind middle and high school students using quasi-experimental designs to compare the mathematics performance of the blind students to each other and to the mathematics performance of sighted students. The experiments involve 60 middle and high school students who are blind and recruited through an existing partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District's (LAUSD) Program for Students with Visual Impairments. The data for the sighted students includes comparison data from 60 sighted peers as well as using an existing dataset with performance data from over 500 sighted student subjects. The project primarily addresses one (1) of the FRI track goals: To investigate effective instructional methods and practices for people with disabilities in STEM. There is a formative and summative project evaluation plan being conducted by an experienced independent external evaluator, Valerie Shute, from Florida State University. Additional formative project input is provided by a team of expert advisors who are experienced in STEM education for blind students, spatial cognition and working memory, and the use of technologies for learning. There is also a dissemination plan which includes sharing information with the RDE community and publishing in peer-reviewed professional journals.