Research and Development

DEVISE Project
The goal of the DEVISE project is to design, develop, and evaluate an immersive multi-sensory virtual learning environment that addresses the foundations of physics instruction for students with learning disabilities.
KIHd System Project
This project investigates teacher usage of the Kellar Instructional Handheld Data (KIHd) System in a metropolitan school where discrete trail teaching is employed with students on the Autism spectrum. A mixed methodology will be implemented for a two year period to ascertain information in three main areas: data driven decisions, teacher planning, and technology adoption. The first component will test the effectiveness of how teachers are making data driven decision and, given different parameters, will determine if those decisions remain constant. The second component will look at teacher use of planning and will provide insight to other activities that were previously prohibited due to a lack of time. The third component will evaluate teachers' perceptions about a one touch data collection system in regard to technology adoption. The study is USDOE Stepping Stones of Technology Grant.
Literacy Access Online
The Literacy Access Online site is being developed to help facilitators (parents, tutors, teachers, and other interested individuals) work with children who are having difficulties becoming good readers. This is a collaborative project between the Helen A. Kellar Institute for Human disAbilities, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia and the Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center, Springfield, Virginia. The project is in the third year of development and is funded by a Steppingstones to Technology grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The goal of LiteracyAccess Online is to provide you (or a facilitator) and your child with an enjoyable means of reading together to improve your skills as a facilitator and your child's skills as a good reader. LiteracyAccess Online provides opportunities to build enthusiasm for both learning to read and for teamwork. Please click here for more information about Literacy Access Online
Other Projects
Peggy King-Sears is the Primary Investigator of one portion of a multi-partner grant focused on enhancing the math performance of middle school students. Dr. King-Sears is collaborating with colleagues from Johns Hopkins University to develop math materials, using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, that math educators (including special educators) can use to teach students with and without math disabilities. Three math units are targeted for analysis, with UDL-enhanced materials eventually becoming one tool within a more comprehensive "Mathematics Improvement Toolkit." This three-year project, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, is titled: Enhancing Middle-Grades Mathematics Outcomes for All: Strengthening Mathematics Teaching and Learning for Special Populations.