what is breakthru?

What is BreakThru?

Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation Research in Disabilities Education Number 1027655. BreakThru is a collaboration between Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Georgia.

www.georgiabreakthru.org

What is BreakThru?

• Unique online learning community• Connects students and mentors virtually• Promotes accessibility achievement in

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) courses


What is BreakThru?


Tools

• Electronic mentoring (e-mentoring)• virtual training• social networking• video analysis• and personalized virtual learning communities are

integrated as ways to enhance accessibility of adolescents and adults interested in pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers.


Changing Focus

• Further emphasis on virtual mentoring.• Increased focus on contact time with mentors

over retention in majors.• Wider range of communications technologies.


What Else is BreakThru?

• [Pics of text message, IM chat, phone call]


Original Goals

1. Increase the number of secondary students with disabilities enrolling in STEM postsecondary classes and majors

2. Increase the retention and graduation of postsecondary students with disabilities in STEM majors

3. Increase the successful entry of postsecondary students with disabilities into graduate programs or the workforce enrolling in STEM postsecondary classes and majors


BreakThru Foci

1. Access Through Social Networking and Virtual Environments

2. Persistence Incentives 3. Electronic Mentoring (E-mentoring) 4. Universal Design Principles


In Brief: Benefits of Virtual Worlds

• Mediated consequences• Individualization• Creative Solutions• Immersion• Collaborative & Constructivist Learning• Access to Mentors


BreakThru Mentor Islands

• A primary tool for the project – virtual world of Second Life• Mentors and students meet virtually on BreakThru “islands”

to seek assistance, share knowledge and assist each other to overcome barriers


Two Mentor Islands


Mentoring ChallengesGuidance on mentoring process, for both

mentors and students. What does each need to know? How to get started?– Learning modules to help mentors and students

communicate and share meaningfully– Address topics important– Mentors: http://georgiabreakthru.org/mentors– Students: http://georgiabreakthru.org/students


Account and Login ChallengesCreation of Second Life accounts and initial login

procedures can be confusing to any new user, regardless of disability or lack thereof.

BreakThru created a Registration API that allow us to create and monitor all user accounts.


Accessibility Challenges

Universal Design for Learning - is a set of principles for curriculum development that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn.

Crucial principles - http://www.cast.org/udl/


Accessibility Challenges

• Vision• Hearing• Mobility• Dexterity• Learning Disability• Autism Spectrum and Asperger Syndrome


Learning Disability

• LD barriers are typically a result of software complexity and difficulty learning virtual world skills.

• The learning curve for Second Life is already significant for users without cognitive disabilities, creating an even larger barrier for those with cognitive disabilities.

• But experience has shown that these users can and do compensate for these issues, and given time they can become proficient.

• In-world tutorials can assist LD users


Summary

• Mentoring in Second Life and other virtual worlds holds great promise

• Careful development of environment with disability-related tools is essential

• Concentrate on Universal Design of VW spaces• Supplement with additional communication

methods


Recruitment and Retention

• Imperative that students and mentors form a lasting mentoring relationship.

• Retention starts early by choosing the right participants.


Recruitment

• Targeted recruitment materials for each of our audiences.– Mentors– Secondary SwD– Postsecondary SwD


Recruitment• Emphasize what makes us unique– Virtual world– Long-distance mentoring

• Attract secondary audiences who encourage participation of primary audience members.– Parents– Teachers– Friends


Dealing with Churn

• Prepare a plan for the inevitable• Maintain contact with prior applicants• Make material as public as possible


So Far, So Good


Revised Primary Goal

Support high school and undergraduate students with disabilities (SwD) in attaining

STEM certificates and degrees.


Mentoring Subgoals

• Retain participants in BreakThru Virtual Mentoring and STEM Majors at a year-to-year persistence rate of 50% or more.

• Enroll 105 high school SwD, 65 two-year SwD, and 55 four-year SwD


Questions?


BreakThru Project Directors

University of GeorgiaNoel Gregg ([email protected])Gerri Wolfe ([email protected])

Georgia Institute of TechnologyRobert Todd ([email protected])

Chris Langston ([email protected])Nathan Moon ([email protected])


BreakThru Contacts

Virtual World Builders for BreakThruThe Vesuvius Group LLC – www.thevesuviusgroup.com/

The Vesuvius Group, LLC is an international collaborative of creatives specializing in developing online environments for community-building


Why Second Life?

• Well-documented, active support community• Extremely rapid prototyping• Significant third-party development– TextSL– Radegast, Metabolt, etc.

• Extensive user customization• Marketplace


what is breakthru?

Documents

virtual mentoring

breakthru islands

stem postsecondary classes

stem majorsincrease

virtual learning communities

number of secondary

mentoring process

learning modules