School of Information Science & Learning Technologies

University of Missouri

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uSucceed

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Empowering Special Education Students for the Future Technology Workforce

Overview

uSucceed is a groundbreaking project aimed at equipping  neurodiverse adults with the skills they need to join the future technology workforce. Developed in response to the Research on Emerging Technologies for Teaching and Learning (RETTL) program, uSucceed combines advancements in virtual reality (VR) and intelligent agents to create an accessible and individualized learning environment.

Why uSucceed?

The Challenge

  • Over 26% of adults in the U.S. have some type of cognitive disability.
  • Employment-to-population ratio for individuals with disabilities is significantly lower than for those without.
  • Neurodiverse individuals are among the most marginalized in the workforce.
  • STEM careers provide an opportunity for growth and employment.

The Opportunity

  • Increasing diversity in STEM is crucial for innovation and employment.
  • Neurodiverse strengths align naturally with many STEM careers.
  • Virtual Reality offers a unique, immersive learning environment beneficial for neurodiverse learners.

How Does uSucceed Work?

Three-Phase Pedagogy

  • Learn: Foundational concepts in cybersecurity and computational thinking.
  • Apply: Real-world problem scenarios with known solutions.
  • Create: Novel solutions to open-ended problems.

Curriculum Highlights

  • Cybersecurity scenarios involving attacker-defender games.
  • Data collection, visualization, and manipulation.
  • Computational problem-solving using a sandbox of computational tools

Who Can Benefit?

  • Transition-aged adults with neurodevelopmental and learning disabilities such as autism, ADHD, and dyslexia.

Project Team

Our research team is composed of experts in various fields related to the project’s focus. For more information, please contact us.

Funding Statement

This project is funded by the National Science Foundation under Award Abstract #2302596, “Social Virtual Reality enabled Learning to Empower Special Education Students in Gaining Competence to Join the Future Technology Workforce.” For more details, visit the NSF Award Page.