Equity Engine

The underrepresentation of Students Living with Disabilities (SLWD) in engineering fields highlights a critical educational equity gap. This gap necessitates fundamental changes within academia to not only addresses accessibility but also embraces the full spectrum of student diversity to truly close the equity gap. Current research underscores the effectiveness of personalized learning strategies, which consistently lead to improved learning outcomes and increased student engagement, diversity, and inclusion. However, our systematic literature review reveals a pronounced scarcity of AI-driven learning tools developed specifically for post-secondary STEM education. The majority of existing tools are designed primarily for K-12 students, overlooking the distinct, more advanced challenges faced by SLWD in higher education.

 

EquityEngine is a multi-phase research initiative aimed at making the educational experience in engineering fields more inclusive, accessible, and personalized for SLWD, particularly those with Neurodevelopmental disorders, in post-secondary education. By leveraging the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and adopting a participatory design approach, the research seeks to augment learning accessibility and provide tailored support through a multifunctional AI-driven platform, bridging the gap between existing resources and needs of these students.