Investigating Issues and Needs of Dyslexic Students at University: Proof of Concept of an Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality-Based Supporting Platform and Preliminary Results

Bibliographic Details
Title: Investigating Issues and Needs of Dyslexic Students at University: Proof of Concept of an Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality-Based Supporting Platform and Preliminary Results
Authors: Andrea Zingoni, Juri Taborri, Valentina Panetti, Simone Bonechi, Pilar Aparicio-Martínez, Sara Pinzi, Giuseppe Calabrò
Source: Applied Sciences, Vol 11, Iss 10, p 4624 (2021)
Publisher Information: MDPI AG, 2021.
Publication Year: 2021
Collection: LCC:Technology
LCC:Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
LCC:Biology (General)
LCC:Physics
LCC:Chemistry
Subject Terms: specific learning disorders, dyslexia, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, adaptive learning, inclusive teaching, Technology, Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General), TA1-2040, Biology (General), QH301-705.5, Physics, QC1-999, Chemistry, QD1-999
More Details: Specific learning disorders affect a significant portion of the population. A total of 80% of its instances are dyslexia, which causes significant difficulties in learning skills related to reading, memorizing and the exposition of concepts. Whereas great efforts have been made to diagnose dyslexia and to mitigate its effects at primary and secondary school, little has been done at the university level. This has resulted in a sensibly high rate of abandonment or even of failures to enroll. The VRAIlexia project was created to face this problem by creating and popularizing an innovative method of teaching that is inclusive for dyslexic students. The core of the project is BESPECIAL, a software platform based on artificial intelligence and virtual reality that is capable of understanding the main issues experienced by dyslexic students and to provide them with ad hoc digital support methodologies in order to ease the difficulties they face in their academic studies. The aim of this paper is to present the conceptual design of BESPECIAL, highlighting the role of each module that composes it and the potential of the whole platform to fulfil the aims of VRAIlexia. Preliminary results obtained from a sample of about 700 dyslexic students are also reported, which clearly show the main issues and needs that dyslexic students experience and these will be used as guidelines for the final implementation of BESPECIAL.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 2076-3417
Relation: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/10/4624; https://doaj.org/toc/2076-3417
DOI: 10.3390/app11104624
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/922c83b291944481a18edb415c3f7c09
Accession Number: edsdoj.922c83b291944481a18edb415c3f7c09
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
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More Details
ISSN:20763417
DOI:10.3390/app11104624
Published in:Applied Sciences
Language:English