EQUITYENGINE PROJECT UPDATES

Latest updateS:

The focus of our study has recently been refined to concentrate on post-secondary engineering students with attention disorders, who represent the largest population among students with disabilities in U.S. higher education. We are currently engaged in user studies, which include survey questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. These studies aim to explore the factors influencing students' engagement, focus, and motivation, and to assess variations across different student profiles. Additionally, we are investigating how AI technologies could support these students in maintaining engagement and motivation. Meanwhile, we are collaborating with partners from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) to examine how different educational settings might influence these factors and their impacts.

Attended events:

I had the incredible opportunity to attend the CoNECD 2025 conference in San Antonio, Texas, where I presented our systematic literature review paper titled "Bridging Educational Equity Gaps: A Systematic Review of AI-Driven and New Technologies for Students Living with Disabilities in STEM Education." Alongside two undergraduate ECE students, Eric Cho and Hanlin Ma, we shared insights on AI-driven learning technologies tailored for college STEM education. The experience was enriching, providing a platform to connect with many individuals who share similar research interests. We gained deeper insights into how students, researchers, and educators perceive AI-driven technologies, such as using mixed-reality approaches to create online spaces that enhance social learning and foster a sense of belonging within academic programs. This experience offered a glimpse into the transformative potential of these technologies in reshaping educational experience.