MUHAMMAD ASIF FAIZ , DR. HINA FAZIL
DOI: https://doi.org/Children with mild intellectual disability (MID) tend to experience memory problems, which impede learning in school and their daily functioning. Although AI-based adaptive instructional tools have become a reality, there is little evidence regarding their effects on memory performance among children with MID. This paper assessed the effectiveness of AI-driven mobile apps in improving memory function among boys with MID at a government special education school in Punjab, Pakistan. A single-subject experimental design, a repeated-measures experiment. Six children aged between 7-14 years were put in a 12-week individualized intervention involving the use of AI-based apps, Khan Academy Kids, and JADE Autism. The researchers developed a checklist, an observational tool containing 25 items, to assess memory performance before, during, and after the interventions. The data were compared using the effect-size statistic Tau-U, which is appropriate for the single-case design. The changes in memory were substantial and statistically significant, indicating improvement over the course of the intervention. The comparisons of pre-intervention phases revealed homogeneous high Tau-U (Tau-U = 1.00, p <.001), which shows instant and strong effects. Satisfactory retention was observed in the pre-intervention and post-intervention comparison (Tau-U range = 0.71-0.95, p <.001). Contrary to the fact that the withdrawal of AI support led to the significant decrease (Tau-U range = -0.79-0.97, p < .001), the performance after the intervention was more positive than that at the baseline, which means that memory gains were partially maintained. Mobile applications based on AI were found to be effective in enhancing the memory of boys with MID. The reduction after withdrawal supports the significance of the maintenance and gradual fading strategies to support the functioning of the long-term memory in the special education conditions.
