3 Interdisciplinary Teams Awarded 2024 LIVE Spark Grants for Learning Technology Innovation

Posted by Meagan Postema on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 in news.

LIVE is thrilled to announce the recipients of our inaugural Sparks Grants. LIVE Spark Grants foster interdisciplinary research on novel learning technologies with strong potential for impact in formal, informal, or workplace learning contexts. Out of a pool of remarkable proposals, three projects were selected for their innovative approaches to leverage advanced computational methods to address critical learning needs:

Bringing AIDA, an Artificially Intelligent Dialogic Reading Aid, from Prototype to MVP	Amy Booth, Georgene Troseth, Margaret Shavlik (Peabody College) Abigail Petulante (Data Science Institute)
Preliminary Design of a Generative AI-Based Intelligent Assistant for Dementia Care	Nilanjan Sarker (School of Engineering) Shilo Anders (Vanderbilt University Medical Center; School of Engineering)
Toward an Artificial Intelligence-Based Music Tutor	Will Hedgecock (Institute for Software Integrated Systems) Pascal Le Boeuf (Blair School of Music)

These projects embody the essence of the LIVE Sparks Grant by exploring novel applications of AI, analytics and other emerging technologies to generate engaging and effective learning and training experiences. With a focus on inclusivity and sustainability, each project aims to create solutions accessible to a broad spectrum of learners while outlining clear paths for continuation and scalability beyond the grant period.

About LIVE Sparks Grants: LIVE Spark Grants provide up to $10,000 in financial support along with powerful in-kind resources, including: access to specialized expertise and collaborative networks, priority use of state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, and consultations to support the technical development process and social entrepreneurship journey. The supportive grant ecosystem reinforces LIVE’s commitment to catalyze dramatic advancements in learning technologies by strategically harness and integrate knowledge, resources and infrastructure across projects.