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News Activity Cogmed Project: educational innovation in the Jesuit Schools Network

Cogmed Project: educational innovation in the Jesuit Schools Network

Technological innovation and the digital revolution represent an important and increasingly indispensable tool for the didactics and pedagogy of the Jesuit Network Institutes. The new technologies also come into play as an improvement in the quality of life of pupils, because they can be a support for all students, even those with specific learning disorders. This is why Project Cogmed was created, desired and implemented by the Network and coordinated by Prof. Fabrizio Olati, the Network’s Technology Referent.

Fabrizio, how and when did the Cogmed Project in the Network Schools start?
The project started with the Leonardo Centre in Genoa, which specialises in evolutionary psychology and is the exclusive distributor of the Cogmed software. In 2021, we started an experiment with the Social Institute of Turin, which is now in its third year of implementation and was the first educational establishment in Southern Europe to use the software. The extension of the project to the other schools has begun, with the aim of supporting all students, aiming to improve working memory.

How does the training work?
Pupils participate in an educational video game in which the goal is to build a city. To do so, they have to perform short and varied tasks, obtaining immediate rewards and thus exercising their short-term memory. One of the most critical aspects is the low attention span of the students. This is why the training ‘lessons’ last for forty minutes, at the end of which there is a discussion, aimed at understanding the progress of the session and receiving opinions from the students.

The software training only takes place for the teachers who administer the training to the students: two teachers are identified, one for accompaniment and one educator/psychologist, who can better identify the needs of the students.

The training is a tool for improving attention and organisation.

What results have you seen?
The improvements affect all students. The benefits, in fact, are remarkable, with a 30% increase in working memory, improved attention at school and better organisation at home. The student also recognises when he or she is caught by inattention and learns to implement corrective strategies and behaviour.

What has been the response of the Network schools to the Cogmed Project?
The response has been very positive: thanks to the contribution of the Jesuit Education Foundation, all the schools in the Network have chosen to implement the project, starting the training between September and October, with a conclusion by Christmas. Each Institute has selected the classes involved, mainly fifth grade, second middle school and first high school. The aim is to offer this tool not only to students with learning difficulties, but to entire classes, allowing new potential to be discovered and improving the quality of life of the pupils.

Are there other application areas for Cogmed?
Originally, the software was created for employees of companies in central and northern Europe. However, an experiment has already been started in the hospital sections of some Italian facilities, which concerns children who are unable to attend school due to a disabling hospital stay. This is because Cogmed can be used to understand the impact of medical therapies on the memory of paediatric patients.

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