Overview
The MITOS app will provide culturally and linguistically appropriate activities to expand student science vocabulary and content knowledge—particularly for English learners (ELs), who are our targeted high-needs population of students.
To learn more about the project, please watch the following video.
Purpose
The purpose of this mid-phase project is to adapt and scale the use of a gamified app (MITOS) designed to be used both in school and outside of school to increase second-grade student opportunities to develop science vocabulary and content knowledge.
Procedures
- Teachers assign students lessons from the MITOS app to be completed outside of school based on the science content they will be teaching.
- Students work on the MITOS lessons for approximately 50 minutes per week (i.e., 10 minutes per day), guided by a friendly character or avatar who prompts them to answer questions aloud as part of the app activities.
- Parents use a structured process to discuss the lessons students are learning at home for approximately 30 minutes per week (i.e., 10 minutes per day for 3 days).
- Teachers view student scores and student progress on the dashboard and make decisions on what science words or concepts should be revisited or discussed in small- or large-group discussions.
Participants
Second-grade students, their families, and their teachers
Timeline
- Goal 1: Adapting MITOS app for scaling, Years 1–2 (2025–2026 school year)
- Goal 2: Enhancing teacher dashboard and feasibility of MITOS, Years 2–3
- Goal 3: Conducting rigourous evaluation of MITOS, Years 1–4
- Goal 4: Disseminating findings, Year 5
Outcomes
- Adapting the MITOS app for game play in multiple devises; students using the app without adult support
- Completing training for teachers and parents on how to use MITOS at school and at home at the end of Year 2; 100% of teachers attending the training and using the dashboard, 100% of parents attending the workshop
- Conducting one randomized control trial; students in treatment schools benefiting significantly more from MITOS compared to students in control schools
- Disseminating findings to researchers, practitioners, and parents; increasing our knowledge of what strategies and activities work and for whom