Teacher Assessment Tools Target Student Cognitive Abilities

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 10/26/16

As neuroscience works its way into the education vernacular, one company wants to help teachers go broader by performing assessments to monitor the cognitive skills of their students. CogniFit already sells cognitive tests to measure dyslexia, ADHD, depression and other "subtle cognitive deficiencies." Now it has launched a technology platform specifically for teachers. CogniFit for Education intends to address those brain activities tied to learning.

The company states on its website that its tools are a "professional instrument" that "may help educators without training in psychopedagogy analyze the learning and childhood developmental processes." The teacher gives students "brain games" intended to identify cognitive strengths and deficits in skills relevant for learning. Using the results, the program builds a "personalized brain training regimen specifically for each student's cognitive needs."

For example, the ADHD offering has a series of tests designed to help measure working memory, short-term memory, focus, inhibition, visual perception, response time and planning.

The dyslexia product includes eight tasks that assess short-term memory, working memory, naming, visual short-term memory, divided attention, visual scanning, response time, planning and processing speed.

In both cases a single license for the software is $20; 25 licenses is $400.

"Every student is different and has unique cognitive strengths and weaknesses. However, the mainstream education system groups students based on their age, rather than cognitive abilities like attention and memory, making it difficult to always ensure that the entire classroom is learning at the same pace," said CEO, Tommy Sagroun, in a statement. "By providing educators with this new...platform, teachers have the opportunity to assess, train and track their students' cognitive skills, and adapt their teaching strategy accordingly for each individual student."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • classroom scene with students gathered around a laptop showing a virtual tour interface

    Discovery Education Announces Spring Lineup of Free Virtual Field Trips

    This Spring, Discovery Education is collaborating with partners such as Warner Bros., DC Comics, National Science Foundation, NBA, and more to present a series of free virtual field trips for K-12 students.

  • glowing padlock shape integrated into a network of interconnected neon-blue lines and digital nodes, set against a soft, blurred geometric background

    3 in 4 Administrators Expect a Security Incident to Impact Their School This Year

    In an annual survey from education identity platform Clever, 74% of administrators admitted that they believe a security incident is likely to impact their school system in the coming year. That's up from 71% who said the same last year.

  • horizontal stack of U.S. dollar bills breaking in half

    ED Abruptly Cancels ESSER Funding Extensions

    The Department of Education has moved to close the door on COVID relief funding for schools, declaring that "extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion."

  • pattern of icons for math and reading, including a pi symbol, calculator, and open book

    HMH Launches Personalized Path Solution

    Adaptive learning company HMH has introduced HMH Personalized Path, a K-8 ELA and math product that combines intervention curriculum, adaptive practice, and assessment for students of all achievement levels.