Innovative Software Engineering Partners with Foundations in Learning and the University of Iowa on Reading Research Project
Iowa City, Iowa (PRWEB) March 07, 2014 -- Innovative Software Engineering (ISE) is proud to play a role in the implementation of the second phase of an initiative funded by the National Science Foundation to better understand how children learn to read. ISE joins the partnership between Foundations in Learning and the University of Iowa in ground-breaking research to develop a unifying framework for reading.
“This project is significant to the research into how children learn to read,” said Hass Machlab, ISE President and CEO. “We are honored to be selected by Foundations in Learning and the University of Iowa to collaborate in this research.”
ISE will contribute its expertise in software development to this project that is directed by Professors Eliot Hazeltine and Bob McMurray from the University of Iowa’s Department of Psychology. Foundations in Learning, Inc., founded by Drs. Carolyn Brown and Jerry Zimmermann, is the developer of Access Code, the software reading intervention that will serve as the foundation of this research.
Findings from the first phase of this NSF-funded research showed that, contrary to common belief in reading instruction, the addition of variability may enhance rather than limit learning under certain conditions. The significance of these early results was critical to the current funding. Professor Eliot Hazeltine, Principal Investigator of the next phase of this research, says, “While we’ve known about this in a variety of laboratory tasks for a while, this study shows for the first time that this powerful principle of learning also applies to early reading skills. We hope that this research allows us to continue to contribute to the important work that teachers are doing in schools every day.”
The software will be used by the UI during a 3-year research study funded by the National Science Foundation. The study is sponsored by the Delta Center, a UI interdisciplinary research center, and the research will be conducted in collaboration with the West Des Moines Community Schools.
“This is precisely the kind of innovative public-private partnership we want to encourage in the state,” said Dan Reed, Vice President for Research and Economic Development at the University of Iowa. “Collaborating with public schools and the private sector will enable Professor Hazeltine and Professor McMurray to translate their basic research on reading development into tangible benefits for teachers and students across Iowa.”
ABOUT ISE
ISE is a leading full-service software development and systems integration firm providing business strategy, program management, systems engineering, software development and quality assurance services. ISE specializes in developing custom telematics solutions, enterprise mobility applications and custom software tailored to customers’ unique needs. Customers come from a wide range of industries including communications, education, telematics, transportation and health care. More information can be found on the company’s web site at http://www.iseinc.biz.
ABOUT FOUNDATIONS IN LEARNING
Foundations in Learning develops applications, driven by effective learning principles, to optimize student learning. The organization’s flagship application, Access Code, has proven to enhance fluency and comprehension of students with varying abilities by improving fundamental skills. The application draws on years of research from the science of learning. Access Code’s web-based delivery allows it to be tailored to each learner and makes it easy to implement. For more information, phone 888-701-3009 or visit http://www.foundations-learning.com.
ABOUT THE DELTA CENTER
The DeLTA Center is an interdisciplinary research group composed of basic and applied scientists, with a shared interest in development and learning. Its 43 faculty members represent ten departments on the University of Iowa campus, as well as 33 graduate members and 42 non-UI affiliate members from universities worldwide.
Joe Barry, Innovative Software Engineering, http://www.iseinc.biz, +1 319-545-3400, [email protected]
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