Matthew Marino

From Local Problems to Community Solutions: Join the Fall 2026 CIDDL AI Community Challenge

What could students improve in their community if artificial intelligence became a thought partner rather than an answer machine?
The Center for Innovation, Design, and Digital Learning (CIDDL) invites students and teachers in Grades 7–12 to answer this question through the Fall 2026 AI Community Challenge. Teams across the nation will identify a consequential local issue, investigate its causes, and design an evidence-informed solution with support from artificial intelligence (AI). The challenge places human reasoning at the center of every submission.

Individuals sitting around working on laptops

Empowering Independence: UCF’s Innovative Pilot Study Transforming Lives of Young Adults with Disabilities

Technology holds enormous promise for enhancing learning opportunities for students with disabilities. In special education, technology often connects through assistive technology (AT) like text-to-speech tools or smart pens with efforts to make learning environments accessible for all learners from the beginning. More recently, the rise of artificial intelligence has accelerated these possibilities by offering personalized support and improving accessibility. Despite this potential, AT and other technologies remain underutilized, especially for students with high-incidence disabilities, who make up the majority of the special education population.

Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Special Education Administration

CIDDL’s latest recorded webinar series highlights the authors of the special issue on Artificial Intelligence of the Journal of Special Education Preparation (JOSEP). JOSEP is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal dedicated to transforming research into practical applications for preparing special education teachers and leaders. The journal is published in partnership with and funded by Ball State University Libraries and the Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children. It is edited by Dr. Andrew M. Markelz, with associate editors Drs. Argue Chitiyo, Benjamin S. Ridden, Margaret (Peggy) Weiss, and Naima Bhana Lopez. This blog post highlights several articles featured in this special issue.

Author: Matthew Marino