Dr. Lisa Dieker’s Innovative Simulation Technology Enhances Learning for All
Melania Hesterlee | @melaniahesterlee
A University of Kansas professor in special education is making waves in the field of education through innovative technologies.
Dr. Lisa Dieker is leading a new center focusing on developing simulation technologies and innovative tools to enhance educational experiences.
“My real passion is teachers and kids with disabilities, and including teachers with disabilities,” Lisa Dieker, a distinguished professor at KU, said. “But really focusing on both general ed and special ed teachers, and those kids being given every opportunity.”
Dieker has been working on artificial intelligence agents designed to support students with disabilities in inclusive learning environments.
“I created the first simulator to train teachers with avatars. Spent almost ten years trying to get funding for that,” Dieker said. “And all of a sudden, one day, my phone rang, and it was the Gates Foundation. And they literally funded me in 48 hours to get this off the ground. And guess who was my first partner? University of Kansas.”
Dieker’s special education class, SPED 326, got first-hand experience with this technology.
“I was blown away by the simulator,” Jaden Huehl, a junior in secondary education, said. “We had been prepped a little bit in class for what it was going to look like, but Professor Dieker purposely didn’t tell us exactly what it was going to be like.”
“I just think it’s really amazing that the school of education has opportunities like this,” Huehl said. “This is cutting-edge technology in the educational world, and the fact that we’re able to be exposed to this so early in our careers is amazing.”
Dr. Dieker’s use of simulation technology is helping to prepare inspiring teachers and create more inclusive classrooms after graduation. This work helps students understand how technology can impact a classroom setting.
