Project Website: www.attainmentcompany.com

Video Demonstration of the Phase I Prototype: https://youtu.be/s3rZpq1wN9Y

Purpose: The research team  will develop a prototype of GoManage, a self-management app for students with disabilities to choose a target goal, track progress towards that goal, and earn virtual tokens as they go. For all students, including those with or at risk for disabilities, success in school requires well-developed self-management skills, and these demands accelerate as student's progress through the school system.

Project Activities: During Phase I in 2020, a prototype app was developed for student populations with extensive language support needs (for example, students with autism or an intellectual disability) as well as with less extensive language support needs (for example, students with learning disabilities or ADHD). The prototype included a user-interface that presented game-based goal setting activities with target behaviors, avatars to guide gameplay, and a progress tracking mechanism. At the end of Phase I, pilot research with three students with less extensive support needs and two students with extensive support needs demonstrated usability as the app operated as intended, and initial feasibility as the teachers were able to integrate the tool within standard practice. The students reported that the app was engaging, and teachers reported that the app would likely be efficient as a behavior change intervention.

In Phase II, the team will add additional game-based activities and components to fully develop the product, including a reward structure to enhance gameplay, an adaptive engine that adjusts and guides instruction for individual students as they progress, and features to customize the goal training materials including a mechanism for students to upload personalized photos or video clips. After development concludes, a final pilot study will include 16 students with a range of disabilities, half of whom will be randomly selected for intervention. Students in the control group will be provided with the intervention at the end of the study. Analyses will compare pre- and post-test self-management skills and behaviors using researcher developed measures. The team will gather cost information using the "ingredients method" and will include all expenditures on things such as personnel, facilities, equipment, materials, and training.

Product: GoManage will be an adaptive self-management and game-based app for students in Kindergarten to grade eight with disabilities with extensive support needs (e.g., students with intellectual disability) or less extensive support needs (e.g., students with learning disabilities) to choose a target goal and track progress towards that goal.  The game will include levels, adaptive supports, student avatars, gameplay features, and examples and nonexamples of the target behavior. The research team will develop a user guide to facilitate setup, to customize student settings, add photos or icons for sign-in, change default highlighting or page turning, to create passwords, and collect data and view student information on student progress.

Related IES Project: GoManage (91990020C0074)