The Master's Project is an opportunity for LDT students to further develop and apply their learning. Through a learner-centered design process, students identify learning problems and apply appropriate theories about learning to create educationally informed and empirically grounded learning environments, products, and programs that effectively employ emergent technologies in variety of settings.
Robiotics: Empowering future generations to forge STEM identities
Programming jobs are everywhere, but a leaky pipeline deters many from entering the workforce. Cultural norms lead many kids to view programming as boring, too technical, and ultimately not for them. Many lose interest early on, failing to recognize their programming potential. Robiotics is a...
Wolfgang: Season your life with music
Living in a world filled with music, humans have naturally developed implicit knowledge about music. Without us realizing how it works, the tension and resolution in our favorite songs elicit an array of emotions that move us. Unfortunately, middle school students often don’t realize how much...
Sketch & Learn: Transform your notetaking experience. Make learning fun and visible.
Notetaking is an important practice for transforming information into knowledge. Visual notetaking, also known as “sketchnoting," is an engaging strategy to improve memory and understanding. Sketch and Learn is a web-based adventure game that engages learners in playful sketching quests that...
Nartshell: Unleash your inner artist
Picasso once said "every child is an artist, the problem is how to remain an artist once he/she grows up". Although we celebrate the creativity that inspires art, and the artists who inspire creativity, much of art education today focuses on specific techniques rather than creativity itself....
Octans: Chart your constellation of support
We all belong to social networks. The embedded resource in this system, social capital, is a key determinant in our academic and career trajectories. Fortunately, these networks are dynamic and we can learn to recognize, nurture, and utilize our social networks. Octans seeks to empower low-...
Hello, Muzu: A debugging buddy for tomorrow's coders
While debugging is an essential skill in programming, few CS curricula teach it. "Hello, Muzu" is a chatbot embedded in the Scratch programming environment that helps students develop a process and strategies for getting unstuck. Muzu walks students through the process of isolating and...
Nails on Ninth: Fostering Empathy around Immigration through a Story-Driven Game
“Twenty-some years ago, your parents immigrated to America to provide a better life for you and your brother…” Nails on Ninth is a single-player short story game that connects players with the experiences of first-generation immigrants in America. As the nail salon manager, the player must make...
Recollect: Master new words through your favorite books and movies
Recollect is a language app that marries flashcards with learning how words are used in different contexts. Every time you repeat a word, you will see an example of its use taken from your favorite book or movie. As a result, you will gradually learn how to apply the word to multiple situations...
Inspireo: Transform your distracting device into a tool for inspiration
Have you ever been distracted by technology? You are not alone. Inspireo is designed to give students “digital agency” to direct their own learning in an increasingly distracting digital world. Through a mobile app, students set smart goals and capture short reflections in a digital journal....
Beyond the Game: Redefining what it means to be a healthy athlete
Over 45 million youth in the US participate in sports, yet conversations about emotional health in athletics are rare. By focusing only on physical health, we deprive young athletes of critical opportunities to grow emotionally. Coaches can change that. Beyond the Game equips coaches with the...
BOND: Share more. Preserve Memories. Have fun.
BOND seeks to help parents and young children get to know each other more deeply through a suite of fun family games. The BOND Show, the first developed application of the series, allows families to be star guests of a talk show with their preferred host and topic. To facilitate conversations...
Lifely: Help your aging loved ones plan for the lives they want
Many families struggle with end of life planning conversations. But these are vital discussions that help ensure people can live life the way they want, through the end. Lifely is a website with interactive exercises designed to help adults have end-of-life planning conversations with their...
Tell Me More: Redefine feedback
While great solicitation of feedback is key to learning and growth, it’s a difficult skill to master. TELL ME MORE is a blended learning experience that supports employees in the art and science of soliciting feedback from their managers and peers. The tool uses a combination of a web-based...