Meaningful Interactions Using Technology Outside of School—MITOS Project

Overview

MITOS stands for Meaningful Interactions Using Technology Outside of School. It is an interactive, game-based app funded by the U.S. Department of Education through the Education Innovation and Research program (Grant #S411B230036).

To learn more about the MITOS project, please watch the trailer below.

Purpose

The purpose of the project is to adapt and scale the use of a gamified app, MITOS, designed for use both in school and outside of school to increase second-grade students’ opportunities to develop science vocabulary and content knowledge.

Procedures

  1. Teachers assign students lessons from the MITOS app to be completed outside of school based on the science content they will be teaching.
  2. Students work on the MITOS lessons for approximately 50 minutes per week (i.e., 10 minutes per day), guided by a friendly character who prompts them to answer questions aloud and engage in other interactive activities during the app.
  3. Parents engage students at home by discussing the lessons they are learning for approximately 30 minutes per week (i.e., 10 minutes per day for 3 days), with the support of guiding questions provided to parents.
  4. Teachers view student scores and student progress on the dashboard and decide which 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 of the Project

  1. Complete the adaptation of the MITOS app for game play at home and in school in Spanish and/or English.
  2. Students show that they can use MITOS without adult support in both languages.
  3. Teachers and parents are satisfied with the training they received on how to use MITOS.
  4. MITOS shows significant effects on standardized measures of vocabulary and science.
  5. Fidelity and quality of implementation of the MITOS app are high.
  6. MITOS aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards and College and Career Readiness Standards.
  7. Produce tools and strategies that can be shared broadly through social media and workshops.