Problem addressed

In recent years it has become evident from psychological research that underperforming in school is often caused by weak cognitive control functions which is not easily detected without expert assessment. Currently psychologists and special education professionals in Hungary do not have at their disposal a comprehensive sytem of assessment to this end. Thus our goal is to fill in this gap and develop an online test battery to measure these functions which is up to date, innovative, and in accordance with legislation concerning privacy and data handling. Our battery contains eight tests in total which measure different aspects of control fuctions including attention, memory, planning, inhibition, and strategy use.

Innovative solution

An important aspect of our innovation is adaptive testing. This makes it possible for the target group living with vulnerability to participate in enjoyable, motivating testing procedures that reveal their strengths and weaknesses. This expectation was confirmed by our external test-taking experts: our child participants worked in the online system with joy and perseverance, on the same tasks that they were reluctant to solve on a traditional paper-and-pencil basis. Given that only a digital device (e.g. smartphone) is required for the test, the examination and thus early screening can also be implemented in lagging micro-regions.

Key results and benefits

The goal of our project is to create an equitable educational environment, that is, e-inclusion, by which learning disadvantages can be minimized, and enable autonomous as well as cooperative learning for students. To acheve this, interactions in e-inclusion need to include not only the diagnosis of atypical development, but later also the application of online gamified intervention programs and subsequent efficiency measurement. In addition, the online platform makes possible the secure storage and handling of data, and minimizes data loss and damage.

Potential for mainstreaming

The product of the project can also be utilized internationally. The adaptive test system and the online platform can be distributed globally, especially in regions where the diagnosis and intervention of neurocognitive disorders still pose a challenge. International usability offers opportunities for knowledge sharing and professional collaborations between different countries. The online platform can be made available in multiple languages, thus ensuring the broad accessibility and applicability of the system.