The University of Kansas and the University of Central Florida have secured a $3.5 million federal grant to expand a national center helping educators navigate rapidly evolving technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI).
The five-year, $3.5 million award from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs will allow the Center for Innovation, Design & Digital Learning (CIDDL) to expand its national efforts to strengthen how colleges and universities prepare future special education teachers and leaders to use technology effectively.
Founded in 2020 with initial support from the Office of Special Education Programs, the CIDDL is led by the University of Kansas in partnership with the Toni Jennings Exceptional Education Institute at the University of Central Florida and the Metiri Group.
“AI has become front of mind for people in just about every sector of society in recent years, especially in education, higher education and K-12,” James Basham, University of Kansas professor of special education and director of CIDDL, said in an announcement.
“We’ve seen this coming for several years, and this new funding will help ensure we can continue focusing on new and assistive technologies and be able to prepare future educators to use AI and other innovative technologies in meaningful ways in both teaching and research,” he said.
Officials said the initial funding focused on helping higher education faculty effectively integrate technology into their programs. With the new award, CIDDL will continue that work while formally serving as the National Center to Improve Faculty Capacity to Use Educational Technology in Special Education Personnel and Leadership Preparation Programs, expanding its reach and impact nationwide.
The new funding will also support a partnership with the Institute for Information Sciences at the University of Kansas, ensuring the center draws on leadership expertise in both education and computer science.
“With this partnership we’ll be able to bring together scholars and students from computer science, educational sciences, and related areas to combine our knowledge to address pressing matters like data privacy and security in education,” Basham said.
In addition, CIDDL will continue building a national network of administrators, teachers, and researchers who stay current on new technologies and apply them in their universities, schools, and communities. Through the existing CIDDL Community, educators across the country connect to share ideas and support one another in using technology more effectively, and center leaders host regular online office hours on emerging developments. The new funding will allow the center to expand and strengthen these established services.
“We want to offer resources, downloads and courses for educators to discuss what tools they are using in their programs, and we will also offer live seminars with our principal investigators, share newsletters with updates and will have downloadable resources, blogs, and interviews every week,” said Angelica Fulchini Scruggs, CIDDL researcher.
Another key component of CIDDL’s work that will grow under the new funding is its outreach and guidance on responsible technology use. Thus far, the center has presented to state boards of education and developed resources on responsible AI and assistive technologies, with a focus on supporting vulnerable learners.
The new round of funding will continue that work and allow the center to expand the number of leaders and educators across the country who not only keep up with rapidly evolving advancements in technology but also ensure they are adopted in safe, meaningful ways for students and communities across the country.
