1. What is the final outcome/aim of this project?
AHA project will check if the Augmented Reality (AR) solution will make an impact in terms of literacy skill development for the students in primary school that will participate in the study.
2. My child is repeating the class, can he/she participate?
Yes, he/she can as long as he/she is currently in 3rd, 4th or 5th class (starting 4th, 5th or 6th class in September 2018).
3. What kind of technology do we need to have home/school?
It will depend on the user and on which scheme they participate in. If the student is assigned within the WWL intervention group, the standard computer, laptop or IPad is fine. If the user is assigned within the AR-WWL intervention group, the student will need any computer/tablet/phone with a camera. The Web browser application will support iPhone and most Android devices. The users do not need to install any apps as AHA solution is web-based.
4. Do teachers need to be trained?
The teachers do not need to be trained beforehand. The Teachers/Parents will receive step by step on-line training, using videos, audio-scripts, PowerPoint and interactive graphics. They just need to be marginally ahead of the students to assist with the learning process.
5. How long does the project last/how long to I commit to the project for?
Pre-assessments would begin ASAP as the parents/teachers sign up for the project and the actual programme will start in September 2018. The full programme will spread out over the academic year and will be delivered according to the student’s assessed needs and individual pace of learning. Ideally the student should engage in daily 15 minute sessions on the programme. The evaluation will start in May 2019 and the project will be closed by end of October 2019. Each user will receive a report of findings before the end of the project.
6. Are my personal data protected?
Yes, the project has followed the UCD Research Ethics Committee guidelines and policy. The information gathered (Consent forms and Pre-Assessments) from HADD Ireland and WWL is confidential. Each student will receive a Student ID and the Teacher/Partner will receive a unique identifier associated with their students/children involved in the study.
7. How many devices would it be put on?
It is a web browser application, the user can log in on different devices using their individual email address and password. Each student will receive one WWL year-long licence only.
8. I have more than one child with ADHD. Can they participate?
Yes, they can. But they have to registered as a different user. They must have a diagnosis of ADHD and be currently in 3rd, 4th or 5th class Primary School (starting 4th, 5th or 6th class in September 2018).
9. If the school does not have phone or tablet for a student in the Augmented Reality (AR) group, what can they do?
The school also can use a desktop with a camera.
10. If the school is not on board, can the student still participate?
Yes, the ideal scenario is to have the school on board, but if this is not viable the parents can take on the ‘teachers’ role at home.
11. What is the duration of the programme?
The WWLP licence is available for one calendar year, the ‘project’ runs from September to June 2019. The student will be expected to complete 10-15 minutes interactive exercises most days, over a minimum period of 16 weeks, depending on their assessment profile of needs.
12. Does it have to be the same teacher in School?
No, but it is recommended for the teacher(s) to have done the relevant WWLP training so that they can support the students learning and have the specific knowledge to answer their questions.
13. If there are two students in the same class, can they do it together with same teacher?
Of course, the teacher can supervise the students as a group, but students have to log onto the system as a different user, using their own individualised password and the teacher has to report on observations for each student.
14. If the student does not have difficulty with literacy skills, is it still beneficial for him/her to participate?
Yes. It would be most unusual for a student within this age group to have complete adult level literacy skills so no matter how bright and able they are, they will still gain from the programme, advancing their literacy skills to another level. Following the 1:1 assessment, the WWLP will be tailored to meet each child’s specific needs The programme aims to enhance learning, promote language skills and assist students to stay focused and subsequently make fewer mistakes.
15. If the student has ADHD with low academics, can the student still participate?
This project is aimed at students who are functioning within the ‘average range’ of intellectual ability. If their overall IQ is very low then it is not advisable to participate as the materials would be too challenging for the student. If it is just the case that their reading and /or spelling skills are weak or they have a diagnosis of a Specific Learning Difficulty / Dyslexia, then it is ideal for them. If unsure please contact Rita Treacy (rita@wordsworthlearning.com), Speech & Language Therapist for clarification.
16. If the student is not diagnosed with ADHD, but parents think the student has ADHD, can this student still participate?
Please contact Ken Kilbride (ken@hadd.ie), CEO of HADD for further information regarding the possibility of ADHD screening.
17. Can the users choose which group they want to participate in?
No. It will be randomly selected once all the students have had their initial assessment. But every student participating will be given a 1 year WWL licence either at the start of the study in September 2018 (if in the WWL or AR-WWL group) or in October 2019 if in the ‘control group’.
18. Can you explain what are the three groups for the project?
One group of users will have access the WWL intervention, one group of users will access to AR-WWL intervention and the control group won’t have access to any specialist intervention other than the normal school curriculum work provided by the school. The control group will avail of pre and post 1:1 assessments and they will be given a 1 year WWL licence for the programme when the project is completed.
19. Where will the pre-assessments take place?
For the students who live outside the Dublin area, Rita Treacy will travel to the students and ideally cluster the students in groups to minimize the travel needs. Unless there are a number from one school, students in the Dublin area will be invited to attend the WWL office in Stillorgan, Co. Dublin for their assessment. Pre-assessments would begin ASAP once the parents/teachers sign up for the project.
20. How long is the programme for? Is there any support after the project closes as the control group will only get access the programme then?
It will take about 10-15 minutes per day, ideally 5 days per week and the average completion time is about 4 months. If there is any problem with delivering the programme, please contact Rita Treacy (rita@wordsworthlearning.com).
21. Is it okay for the non-native English-speaking student?
Yes, as long as they have sufficient grasp of English to understand the concepts being taught.
22. If the student is taking medication during the academic year and discontinues it during the summer, will it affect the concentration of the student and their progress on the programme?
The study will not interfere with the medication of the student and students should proceed as recommended by their doctor. However it is important to note daily if medication has been taken or not, as it may noticeably affect their daily performance.
23. Can you explain a little more about the Augmented Reality (AR) intervention?
The AR intervention will have the same learning content as WWL intervention but many icons and rules will have AR features, which animate the pictures! We want to investigate whether this animation improves student engagement and if it enhances their understanding, learning and retention of information.
27. Do you think too much animation / movement will make it difficult for the student to process information?
The AHA project aims to keep the user interface as simple as possible to engage rather than distract the student and keep them focused and interested for longer periods.
28. Can the School Principal instead of the teacher sign the School consent forms?
Yes.
29. Do you expect that the effects of medication will have an impact on the programme?
Can not say at the moment, once we collect the anonymised data we will be able to extract this information.
30. Does every user start the same time? Can the user start the programme in summer?
No. The free licences and teacher training will only be available from September 2018. We expect that all (except for the control group) will have started by the end of September 2018. We would like the teachers to be involved for the academic year.
31. Is the teacher programme different than the home programme?
Yes. The teacher WWL training programme is teaching the teacher the WWL methodology and will have additional materials to give the students at the appropriate times. If the teacher does not get involved, the parents will be given access to the teacher programme in order to administer it at home. However the ideal is to follow the collaborative model – working between home and school.
32. Does it have to be the class teacher supervising the student?
No. It can be done in Learning Support or with the students SNA. But remember the intervention will have most impact if it is delivered in short intervention sessions (10-15 minutes), 5 days per week.
33. Are any school using WWL at the moment?
Yes, a lot of schools countrywide are using the WWL programme in learning support or are aware that their students are doing it at home.
34. If the student is doing the programme regularly with the teacher do the parents continue on or revise what has been done at home?
Ideally school and home should work together and dovetail the work. The teacher having done the training programme should introduce any new concepts, but the parents could do the related exercises at home to consolidate what has been taught. When the student logs into the programme there is a ‘resume where you left off’ button so the student knows where exactly they are on the programme. Students can repeat anything by going into the ‘levels’ section, but they cannot jump forward unless it is ‘opened’ by WWL.
35. If I did not participate in this project, how much would a literacy assessment and WWL licence cost?
A 1: 1 literacy assessment, consultation and summary report would cost in the region of €300 per student. A student ‘single user’ 1 year licence costs €100 and a teacher / professional 1year licence costs €150.
36. Is the WWL programme only for students with ADHD?
No. The WWL programme is designed to promote competent reading and spelling skills for students from 6 years of age to adults, who either have difficulty with reading and spelling or want to advance their skills. It is also used for students who are learning English as a second language. But AHA project will only assess the efficacy of using WWL and AR-WWL for students with ADHD.
37. Can students who will only be entering 3rd class in September 2018 participate the project?
No. AHA will only recruit students who will be in 4th, 5th and 6th class from September 2018.
38. Why did AHA choose to focus on students in this age group only?
This age group was chosen because they would be old enough to complete the WWL programme within the time scale and are also of an age where no matter how bright or able they are they would most likely not have yet acquired an adult level of literacy. So all students participating would benefit and gain academically from engaging with the WWL programme.