Can technology provide equal opportunities in education?

An app or program based on UDL (Universal Design for Learning) could facilitate the acquisition of literacy skills regardless of a child´s socioeconomic status or neurotypical cognitive functioning.

My knowledge about technology is pretty basic but i think it is possible to create an app/program based on UDL that helps in acquisition of literacy skills in chilhood (it could be even extended). The Universal Design for Learning promotes that everyone can learn but that individualities must be taken into account, providing tools that each child needs and listening what is more functional for them to learn. The main idea of the app/program is to be useful to every child, that can be downloaded on any technological device and to see technology as an ally for learning. It should include texts an daily activities of the school curriculum for each year and each one would be presented in different formats (audiobooks, videos, etc). It could help many people, for example, audiobooks for a person with ADHD, dyslexia, visual impairment or low visual memory, pictogram folders for non-verbal people, videos with subtitles for childs with hearing impairment, among others. Special commands (through head control, mentor, lips or tongue movements, optical scanner and touch approximation sensors) could even be added for children with motor deficits or difficulties.

I consider it urgent to reduce educational inequalities in Argentina, either because of the educational system that needs to be modernized, economic issues (according to INDEC 54.3% of children under 15 in the country are below the poverty line) or because of access issues (cognitive, sensory and motor). Beyond the need to modify the Argentine educational system, with a program like this we could collaborate with the quality of teaching. In Argentina we have the Education Law 26,206 that ensures access to education for people with any type of disability, however there is a lack of tools to facilitate learning. I am aware of the functioning of the brain when learning and of the national educational system, in this way I consider that we would be collaborating with the experience of all the actors that participate in education. In addition to economic and disability inequalities, it should be taken into account whent teaching that we can all learn the same content but not always in the same way and time. This tool would be of great help so that children can learn about the different ways of accessing educational content and choose which one they feel is right for them.

The target population is children between 4 and 7 years old, in this period they acquire reading and writing skills. Due to the previously mentioned economic and educational inequalities, improvements are no longer sought to collaborate with their development and acquisition of said skills. Beyond providing a specific tool with this program/application, I believe that if it is possible to develop it, it can generate interest and open debates in society and put the focus back on education (which is what will improve the future).

I am a psychopedagogy student specializing in neuroscience at Universidad Favaloro (Buenos Aires, Argentina). This career allows me to learn about educational system and the sociocultural and neurobiological issues that go through us when learning. I was lucky enough to be a Cub Scout leader for 3 years in a low-income scout group, I gave cooking classes to children between the ages 5 to 8 and I was babysitter for preteens for 4 years. Thanks to the experiences lived in volunteering and my jobs, I was able to see the difference in opportunities for children and it seemed very worrying to me.

I selected the stage of development Concept, it is an idea that I have had for almost a year but I cannot find a team that knows about technology and education to be able to develop. And I do not have the financial resources to make it happen.

The idea is to create an application or a program that increases the chances of acquiring reading and writing skills and shortens the gap on inequality in education.

If i have the opportunity to develop this tool, I consider that it could be tested in a school, for example, Santa Teresa del Niño Jesús (Martinez, San Isidro, Buenos Aires, Argentina) where there are approximately 200 students in the age group from 4 to 7 years old, Thinking big, I would like to be able to reach thousands of kids next year testing it in public schools in a municipality.

2 UN Sustainable Development Goals covered by this proyect are:

- Goal 4 Quality education "Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all": If every children have the same starting point in terms of education, they could find better opportunities for their future and for the population. We could generate an inclusive educational enviroment that feeds the desire to study and to consider education as a right, taking into account that education is the formation of citizens.

- Goal 10 Reduce inequalities "Reduce inequality within and among countries": "By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status" in Argentina the inequality of opportunities in the future that depend on current education are abysmal. Although the basic educational curriculum is the same throughout the country, private educational institutions more content is taught and of better quality, for which middle/upper class people are the only ones who aspire to better educational opportunities. With this application that could be installed on any technological device, we could reduce the gap in educational quality and generate better opportunities.

To measure the impact of the use of this tool, neuropsychological tests to measure reading and writing skills can be used in children before starting to use the application at the beginning of the year and at the end of the school year, traditional school evaluations every two months.

I consider that the barriers for me to accomplish my goals next year with this proyect are at first financial  and technical.

I am a psychopedagogy student specializing in neuroscience at Universidad Favaloro (Buenos Aires, Argentina). This career allows me to learn about educational system and the sociocultural and neurobiological issues that go through us when learning. I was lucky enough to be a Cub Scout leader for 3 years in a low-income scout group, I gave cooking classes to children between the ages 5 to 8 and I was babysitter for preteens for 4 years. Thanks to the experiences lived in volunteering and my jobs, I was able to see the difference in opportunities for children and it seemed very worrying to me.

If I won The Pozen Social Innovation Prize, I would invest the money in hiring a team to develop this learning tool that I consider important.