Software to Develop Cognitive Skills
| Partnering
Organization: |
Lexia Learning
Systems, Inc.
Lincoln, MA
|
| Project
Duration and Cost: |
- 2000-2003
- ATP funding
amount: $2M
- Lexia Learning
Systems, Inc. cost-share amount: $700K
|
| Project
Brief: |
00-00-4002 |
| Status
Report of the Completed Project: |
None |
The
Challenge
In
1984, the parent of a child with dyslexia, a respected neurologist,
and a technologist decided to found Lexia Learning Systems,
Inc., a company that would use computer technology to create
skill development software programs that could reach all types
of students experiencing difficulties at a low cost. Soon after
being founded, Lexia won two grants from the National Institutes
of Health and Child Development, and began developing software
to enhance the teaching of reading.
By the
late 1990s, Lexia was a still a small (five full time
employees) yet viable company with a few reading software
products on the market. After nearly 15 years of creating
software for reading, Lexia conceived of making a paradigm
shift in educational software by developing software
to develop cognitive, or thinking skills. Lexia proposed
to transform the current state-of-the-art by conceptualizing
intelligence as a wide spectrum of abilities and hoped
to develop a suite of programs that develop visual-spatial
ability, logical reasoning, and expressive and receptive
communication abilities. To accomplish this, Lexia would
need to make some substantial innovations. For example,
improving intelligence and long-term academic achievement
through software had never been done. There were also
many significant technical hurdles. For example, the
user interface requirements might not be achievable given
current computer technology. Lexia was a small, private company unable to solely fund the project,
and external funding was sought but not obtained. Venture capitalists
only sought to enhance current Lexia products, not pursue the
necessary research required to produce software for cognitive
development. However, because of the high level of innovation
and technical risk, and the immense potential for societal benefits
and lack of external funding, Lexia proposed and was awarded
a project from the Advanced Technology Program in 2000. |
Technical
and Economic Impacts
As a result
of the NIST Advanced Technology Program (ATP) award, Lexia has
been able to achieve many of the technical goals, and has filed
for two patents. One of the major outputs from the project was
incorporated into a new product, Cross-Trainer:Visual-Spatial™.
The first module introduced to the market focused on improving
22 distinct visual-spatial skills. In just a few months,
Cross-Trainer:Visual-Spatial™ gained over $350,000
in revenue.
Lexia itself
has grown—for the first 15 years, it had a handful
of employees. Five years after the ATP project, it
now has over 50 employees, and recently had a multi-million
dollar private equity investment. Lexia notes that the ATP
funding enabled much of this growth.
Nevertheless, the
societal benefits that have resulted from this project have
been even more impressive. A group of children that had a
challenging mix of complex learning profiles ranging from
non-verbal learning disorder (NVLD), Aspergers Syndrome,
low ability and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD) tested the software for over 45 hours each during
a study conducted in the summer of 2003. The students
showed a statistically significant improvement in their visual-spatial
skills at the conclusion of the study based on the Stanford-Binet
Intelligence Scales. Subsequent
modules of Cross-Trainer will address logic, following
instructions, verbal expression and sound imaging.
This has allowed Lexia to begin testing two more
markets—head injury rehabilitation and Alzheimer’s patients. The public
benefits of this highly innovative technology are expected
to grow as the children whose learning has improved from
Lexia’s
software grow and mature. |
Date created: June
1, 2005
Last updated:
August 21, 2006
|
